Former WVU Star JJ Quinerly Making Impact In The WNBA

Dallas Wings rookie guard JJ Quinerly cemented herself as one of the greatest athletes in West Virginia University history after spending her four-year collegiate career with the Mountaineers.

The two-time All-Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year recipient was selected 27th overall in the third round of the 2025 WNBA Draft.

She joined an impressive rookie class in Dallas with former UConn star guard Paige Bueckers. After strong showings in preseason play, as well as training camp, Quinerly earned an opening night roster spot and has made the most of her opportunity. She was just the second third-round selection to make a final roster

During her time at WVU, Quinerly played for three different head coaches in four seasons, yet never even tested transfer portal waters. With today’s landscape of NIL, collegiate athletes are on the move year after year, yet Quinerly stayed in Morgantown.

While Quinerly was one of the most prolific defenders in the country last season, she was an elite scorer, surpassing 2,000 career points. She led WVU to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

In her first taste of professional basketball, Quinerly led the Wings in scoring with 16 points in the team’s first preseason game. She has appeared in 13 outings so far this season and posted a season-best eight points in an overtime loss to the Washington Mystics on June 22.

Since the Wings are struggling this season, currently sitting at 3-12, Quinerly may see a jump in minutes due to her ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor. While her ability to score the ball cannot be ignored, her perimeter presence and playmaking skills can earn her more playing time.

Quinerly, the 11th Mountaineer drafted in program history, was not only one of the university’s top scorers ever, ranking third all-time in career steals.

Dallas will look to turn its season around at 8 p.m. Tuesday against the Atlanta Dream.