Alongside impressive numbers like JJ Quinerly’s 19.5 points per game, Lauren Fields’ 2.4 three-pointers per contest and WVU’s combined 9.3 turnover margin that leads the entire NCAA, Kyah Watson provides another statistic essential for WVU’s current success: 26.8 minutes per game.
Watson does not lead the Mountaineers in minutes by any means, but the reason why this is so essential has everything to do with what she does in that time.
Kyah Watson, a 5-foot-10 redshirt junior from Rapid City, South Dakota, performs well all-around but emphasizes what WVU needs.
Mark Kellogg’s tight defensive trap makes forcing turnovers a priority, so Watson has been doing her part. Just behind Lauren Fields, Watson averages the fourth most steals per game on the team and incidentally, in the Big 12 at 2.3 per game.
Due to WVU’s lack of height and very perimeter-based defensive scheme, the Mountaineers also tend to need rebounding and Watson has done well in that aspect. She leads the team in rebounding at 5.9 per game as West Virginia’s tallest starting guard.
That is just what WVU has been asking of Watson every game, though, as she is also a proven scorer, which her 7.5 points per game average may not bring justice to. She scored 19 points twice this season, doing so first in a double-double game against Pitt on Nov. 11, 2023, as well as when she managed six baskets inside Penn State’s three-point line in WVU’s first ‘upset’ victory on Dec. 4, 2023.
Watson also tallied four blocks in a loss against Iowa State. She stayed on the floor for over 30 minutes eight times this season. The only category she does not have a statistical feat in is long-distance shooting, which coach Mark Kellogg says she has the ability to do.
“She (Watson) might be one of our best shooters, but she just doesn’t look for her shot as much as she should,” Kellogg said.
After filling the stat sheet (with everything except threes) in a 41-point win over UCF, Watson remarked that she did not even realize the many aspects of the game she had touched.
“I wouldn’t say that it’s probably something I notice usually in games. I definitely didn’t know that today,” Watson said.
Whether she notices or not, though, Kyah Watson’s consistent effort throughout the game makes an impact.
Her effort may also serve as a motivator for the rest of the team, as her play could set a standard for effort across all of regulation. Sophomore guard Jordan Harrison recognized that effort when Watson failed to recognize it herself.
“I mean I see Kyah flying around everywhere,” Harrison said. “It’s not until the end of the game till you really see the stats and what she did, but I mean I see her flying around every possession, so I know she’s doing something good out there.”
Watson’s effort has even earned her a label within the team as, “the glue,” due to her reliable tendency to be well-rounded in all aspects and hustle that helps hold the team together. After the UCF win on Tuesday, “Kyah was kind of Kyah in such a good way,” Kellogg said.
“She (Watson) just covers up other people’s mistakes,” Kellogg said. “She has a great feel for the game and she’s just active and all over the place.”
Harrison seconded Kellogg’s favorite nickname for Watson, saying she does not realize how impactful she truly is.
“Kyah does the small things, like rebound and stuff that doesn’t come up in the stat sheet,” Harrison said. “I think sometimes she can be a little tough on herself, but she definitely is the glue. We never doubt Kyah to get rebounds or hustle and she’s a really good teammate.”
Watson’s efforts may have made all the difference in what is already a historic year for WVU Women’s Basketball. The 18-2 No. 23 Mountaineers travel to Utah on Saturday for their 10th conference game against BYU at 6 p.m. EST. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
Photo by Aaron Parker, Blue Gold Sports
