CHAPEL HILL, NC – The sixth-seeded West Virginia University women’s basketball team opens its NCAA Tournament run on Saturday at 2 pm when the Mountaineers take on 11th-seeded Columbia in Chapel Hill, NC. Head coach Mark Kellogg and players JJ Quinerly, Jordan Harrison and Sydney Shaw met with the media on Friday.
Quick turnaround
Preparation for Saturday’s game proved to be unique for the Mountaineer coaching staff this week thanks to the NCAA selection committee. Columbia erased a 13-point deficit on Thursday night to win its First Four game over Washington, 63-60.
Practice early in the week was spent developing game plans for both teams before going full steam ahead getting ready for the Lions after Thursday’s result.
“We just kind of divided the week a little bit as in a couple of days, all right, let’s prepare for Columbia, a couple of days maybe we’ll prepare for Washington, so we didn’t get to this point and not have any preparation at all,” Kellogg said, “It was just, yeah, maybe a few less days than you normally would if you were waiting to play on Saturday and know your opponent. You have a few more days to prep. They’re different teams, so that didn’t completely help either. They do play a little bit differently, but I liked our prep.”
Two-week layoff leaves WVU banking on preparation
It will mark two weeks to the day since West Virginia last took the court in a competitive game when the ball is tipped on Saturday. The Mountaineers most recent action came in the Big 12 Conference semifinals in a 71-65 loss against TCU.
Both Kellogg and the players noted that such a long layoff can be a blessing and a curse. While the Mountaineers may be fresher than a Columbia team that will be on less than 48 hours rest, the lack of live action is still in their minds.
“I think we’ve done a pretty good job making sure we get up and down and get game reps just to make sure we stay in rhythm and we don’t come out here and look like it’s been two weeks since we played,” Shaw said.
Kellogg compared the circumstances to something his team faced during the Big 12 tournament after earning a double-bye into the quarterfinals.
“The first few minutes, first quarter is really important. If we fast forward to the conference tournament, it was the same way. Kansas State played the night before. We did not,” he said, “That wasn’t a very good first quarter for us. Maybe the worst quarter we had played all year. We do need to settle in really, really quickly.”
Units give tournament teams extra incentive
For the first time this year, teams competing in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament will receive “units” for their success, the individual share of tournament profits that are shared with conferences at the end of the season.
For the 2025 tournament, conferences will receive $113,000 for each game one of its teams plays in. With 24 years coaching women’s basketball under his belt, Kellogg says that it’s been a long time coming for this kind of financial representation.
“I think the female athletes were working as hard. The viewership, the excitement, the commitment level is at an all-time high. We want to continue to play off of that. I think it’s a reward for our players, our program,” he said, “We’re getting a lot of eyes and attention on our sport right now. So I think it’s just a reward for not the current kids, but for all those that have played for many, many years.”
Quinerly to wrap impressive career in tournament
The next game West Virginia loses will be the last in a Mountaineer uniform for guard JJ Quinerly and when that happens, she will leave behind a legacy as one of the most accomplished players in program history.
She sits 19 points away from becoming WVU women’s basketball’s fourth 2,000-point scorer and 21 away from passing Bria Holmes for the third most points all-time. A two-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Quinerly was named a finalist for the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year award on Friday.
Despite the accolades, she says her focus is on living in the moment.
“Honestly I’m just ready to enjoy the moment. It’s my last dance, so ready to show people what I can do,” she said.
Her head coach was more willing to heap praise on his standout guard.
“The kid has played in some big-time games. She’s an even-keeled, level-headed kid. I’ve called her the unassuming superstar since I’ve been here. Yeah, it’s just a kid that she’s a ball hawk on defense,” Kellogg said, “She’s an elite two-way player, we think. Defensive Player of the Year obviously in our league, two times in a row now. She’s pretty dynamic in the open floor, and in the half court she can get you points.”
Quinerly has credited the support of her family as a significant part of what has allowed her to come this far. She expects that support to be in the building on Saturday afternoon with the last update she received showing plenty of friends and family ready to make the 3.5-hour drive from her hometown of Norfolk, VA to Chapel Hill.
“It was around, like, 30. Something like that,” she said, “Maybe 50.”
Kellogg family tournament hoops continue
It’s well known that basketball is a family affair for Mark Kellogg. The Big 12 tournament kicked off three weeks of what has essentially become nonstop hoops for the Kellogg family.
Kellogg’s daughter Kayli finished her sophomore season of high school basketball in the WVSSAC AAAA finals with a loss to Spring Valley while his son Camden plays for a spot in the AAAA title game on the boys side Friday night.
The head coach said it’s not easy having to follow along from afar but the hoop dreams run deep on all branches of the family tree.
“My daughter played in the West Virginia state tournament. Got beat in the championship game, state championship game, a year ago. My son will play tonight in the state semifinal. Then if they were to advance, they would play tomorrow night for the state title. We are full force. It hit us last year. You know, growing up I thought I was prepared as a coach for these moments when your kids are having their opportunity too. It’s hard. The dad strings, it pulls on you pretty hard when you’re not there for your kids,” he said.
West Virginia and Columbia meet in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at 2 pm on Saturday, broadcast on ESPNEWS.