IOWA CITY, Iowa — Shortly after the WVU women’s basketball team emerged from their locker room following Monday’s 64-54 loss at Iowa in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the Mountaineers expressed obvious disappointment that Mark Kellogg’s first season at WVU came to an end, but the message was mixed with great optimism for the potential of the program.
The Mountaineers went shot-for-shot with the nation’s second-ranked team and the highest-scoring offense in women’s college basketball for 38 minutes before the Hawkeyes closed the game on a 12-2 run.
“We had our heads up. We still felt good about how we competed and how we played. We were just proud of each other. We just congratulated each other and hugged it out. This is the end of the season and we thanked our seniors. But our heads are high,” said WVU sophomore guard Jordan Harrison.
“The environment was crazy. My ears were literally ringing. I am just glad that our team got the chance to play in front of this crowd and I am very proud of how we responded to it.”
The Mountaineers ended the regular season ranked 21st in the NCAA NET rating, but slipped to a No. 8 seed. Kellogg believes his team showed on Monday that they were undervalued in the 68-team bracket.
“I think we’re close. I think we’ve been close all year, but no one wants to give us, it doesn’t feel like, a whole lot of credit. I feel like our seed was not what we were — was not the representation. I don’t think we were an 8 seed. I don’t think we got all the credit we deserved through the regular season. Our kids have battled. We’ve been one of the best defensive teams in the country,” Kellogg said.
“I’m glad tonight we got to showcase that so maybe people will start to understand what we are and what we’re about.”
Kellogg said prior to the NCAA Tournament that he believes giving the Top 16 teams hosting rights for the opening two rounds may not be part of the NCAA plans going forward. But if the present system remains, Kellogg wants a chance to replicate the environment at Carver-Hawkeye Arena at the WVU Coliseum.
“This was new for us. It was new for me. Phenomenal environment. I’ve said now that I’ve been here that I want to get that thing in Morgantown. If we’re going to continue to do this in women’s basketball and give the top four seeds that kind of environment, I want to create that in Morgantown.
Mark Kellogg on the ’24-’25 season: pic.twitter.com/gfInJ9GL0w
— Joe Brocato (@joebrowvm) March 26, 2024
“I don’t want this to be the finality. I don’t want this to be — when we talk about advancing, I don’t want it to always be one round. Not complaining about that in year one, but certainly would like to advance a little bit further.”
Fifth-year players Tavy Diggs, Lauren Fields and Jayla Hemingway have exhausted their eligibility. Hemingway played through three different coaches in three years at WVU after transferring in for the 2020-2021 season.
“Hopefully every senior wants to leave a legacy, and we all want to make it better than what it was when we got it. I think we’re moving in the right direction for sure. Jayla’s been here the longest. She’s our toughness. A lot of our toughness was wrapped up into Jayla. I told her that from the jump,” Kellogg said.
“Really proud of her. She came off the bench for us all year after starting the vast majority of her career and took it with flying colors and has been really good, and I loved her tonight. I know she didn’t shoot it great, but still loved her out there.”
“I’m just grateful to even be able to have this whole extra year to be able to play here at West Virginia,” Hemingway said. “I’m just grateful to be able to have this team and this coaching staff that came and embraced all of us. Yeah, I would just say I’m blessed to be here.”
Although roster additions and deletions are a common part of college basketball teams at this point in the transfer portal era, the Mountaineers stand to bring back their two top scorers [JJ Quinerly and Jordan Harrison], four of five starters and 75 percent of the current roster.
“Everybody needs to watch out because we are only going to come back better. It is going to be a great season next year. Make sure you guys stay tuned and watch,” Harrison said.
“You all keep watching us. We got more coming next season,” Quinerly said.
“Don’t underestimate any of us. I think that West Virginia definitely is going to be on the map going forward, period,” Hemingway said.