After a tough loss to North Carolina in the round of 32, West Virginia women’s basketball’s season is officially over. It will be a season WVU fans will never forget, led by a player they will never forget either.
The Mountaineers finished the year 25-8. They made it to the semi-finals of the Big 12 tournament after finishing the season fourth in the conference. They then beat Columbia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to North Carolina in Chapel Hill on Monday.
WVU was led by senior JJ Quinerly, whose college career is officially over. She has been a part of the Mountaineers for all four years, including three different head coaches in her tenure.
Quinerly finished with 2016 total points and 341 in her WVU career. She will go down as one of the best West Virginia women’s basketball players to ever touch a basketball and will be entering the WNBA draft this year.
Jordan Harrison was another player who was very good for the Mountaineers this season. After following head coach Mark Kellogg from Stephen F. Austin during her freshman year, she has evolved into an elite point guard who will be the star of the team next season. She finished the year averaging 13.7 points and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 43.7% from the floor. With another year of eligibility, Kellogg will be building the team around Harrison next season.
Although it was a disappointing ending, WVU women’s basketball is heading in the right direction. In the last two seasons under Kellogg, they have gone 50-16 with two straight round of 32 appearances in the NCAA tournament.
The next step for the Mountaineers is hosting a tournament game, and Kellogg will need to completely revamp his roster in the offseason to do so.
