<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3FJjLp_0wAdKKiS00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3FJjLp_0wAdKKiS00" width="795" height="858" ><figcaption>JJ Quinerly (left) and Jordan Harrison (right) take the court against the University of Cincinnati in the Big 12 Women's Basketball Tournament on March 8, 2024. Photo by Jeremiah Howell</figcaption></figure>After earning national recognition last season, WVU Women's Basketball ranked No. 16 in the country in a preseason poll and sees two key returning guards: senior JJ Quinerly and junior Jordan Harrison.Last season, the duo was effective on the court, setting the tone for one of the best defensive teams in the country.Quinerly was recognized as one of the top players in the Big 12, becoming a unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 Team ahead of the 2024-25 season.Last season, she was named an honorable mention to the Associated Press All-American Team and received the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year award and Big 12 First Team honors. She swiped the fifth most steals in program history in a single season at 97 and averaged 2.9 steals per game, ranking 13th in the nation.On the offensive end, she led the Mountaineers, averaging 19.8 points per game. She scored at least 20 points in 16 contests and 30 points three times.Quinerly has proven to be a well-rounded player, sparking the team's offense and defense. Head Coach Mark Kellogg praised her ability to lead the team on both ends during a press conference on Oct. 8.“She's an unassuming superstar,” Kellogg said. “We opened up some eyes as a group a year ago. … When we did that, JJ was a huge piece of that because she is our leading scorer and all the accolades she achieved.”Harrison is Quinerly's partner in the backcourt. She was named to the 2024 Big 12 Defensive Team and received All-Big 12 Second Team honors. She had 96 steals in 33 games and led the team in minutes with 31.9 per game.She led the team in assists at 173, averaging 5.2 per game, and saw a 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio, the fifth best in the Big 12 last season.Harrison was second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.5 points per game while shooting 46% from the field.Kellogg implemented a press defense that averaged 13.6 steals per game last season. He will continue to use the press this upcoming season, centered around Quinerly and Harrison.“It takes on a life of its own based on its players,” Kellogg said. “Jordan and JJ will still be up there at the front of it, and that's not going to be a lot of fun for some teams.”Quinerly and Harrison combined for 5.8 steals per game last season, manning the top of the press.“The basic structure [of the press] stays the same. We don't teach it any differently,” Kellogg said. “I do say it takes on a life of its own based on the kids you have and the type of defender they have.”Even though last season was Kellogg’s first year as head coach, Quinerly and Harrison clicked immediately in the new system, helping the Mountaineers jump out to a 13-0 start.West Virginia Women’s Basketball is predicted to finish fifth in the Big 12 this season and opens against Towson University at the WVU Coliseum on Nov. 5.</div></body>

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Quinerly, Harrison return to Women's Basketball backcourt

After earning national recognition last season, WVU Women's Basketball ranked No. 16 in the country in a preseason poll and sees two key returning guards: senior JJ Quinerly and junior Jordan Harrison. Last season, the duo was effective on the court, setting the tone for one of the best defensive...