Apr. 12—MORGANTOWN — If you were able to take J.J. Quinerly's speed, defensive capabilities and ability to get to the rim and put it inside a 6-foot-1 body, it's likely you'd have a future WNBA All-Star prospect.
"She's going to be a little bit smaller, so somebody is going to have to figure out what that niche is in the WNBA, " WVU women's basketball coach Mark Kellogg said.
What that niche may be, we'll begin to find out at 7:30 p.m. Monday, with the start of the 2025 WNBA Draft (ESPN).
On a resum é with a long list of accomplishments, it's Quinerly's 5-foot-8 stature that likely stands out most to general managers.
There are currently 25 players among the 13 WNBA teams listed 5-8 or smaller, just about two per team.
So, there is room for Quinerly to make a stand, but her future likely centers around being just a point guard.
"That was something coach Kellogg and I talked about at the beginning of the season, " Quinerly said. "With my size, point guard is probably the only position I could play at the next level. That's why I put a bigger focus this season to get my assist numbers up and work on sharing the ball more."
While becoming the first WVU women's player to average more than 20 points a game in 33 years, Quinerly also set a career high with 103 assists.
"What I've said about J.J. all the time is ball in hand, I think she's as dynamic as any guard in the country, " Kellogg said.
The rest of Quinerly's resum é stacks up with just about anyone in the draft.
She's a two-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. She's been named all-Big 12 first team three times.
Quinerly finished her career with 2, 016 points, 410 rebounds, 341 assists and 328 steals, becoming the only WVU player in program history to be in the 2, 000-400-300-300 club.
"Defensively guarding the ball, I think she's as good of an on-ball defender as anybody, " Kellogg continued. "I think she's a complete two-way player."
There are others who agree, including Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly, who was asked about Quinerly's size during the season.
"I think Quinerly, for sure, is a pro, " Fennelly replied. "I don't think there's any question. She's a little undersized, but that size only matters if you can stay in front of her. You can say, 'Use your length to guard her, ' but that length doesn't matter if she blows right by you.
"I think she's one of the best guards in the country, I really do."
The projections Throughout the season, Quinerly's name was just about everywhere on WNBA mock drafts.
That included being projected as a low first-round pick. It also included Quinerly not being drafted at all.
"From what I know, (WNBA general managers) probably have all the information they need, " Kellogg said. "They've been in communication with us. She's going to have a great opportunity."
With the draft now a day away, the consensus on the former WVU star is on the lower end of the second round, somewhere between No. 20-22 overall.
She would become the 11th WVU player selected by a WNBA team.
What there is to know about the draft is it is three rounds, with 13 selections in each round.
The exception this year is in the first round. The WNBA took away the first-round pick of the Las Vegas Aces for violating league rules regarding player benefits.
Unlike the NBA, a first-round pick in the WNBA is not offered a guaranteed contract or a roster spot.
A player drafted in the second round—where Quinerly is projected—is in an even tougher position to make a WNBA roster.
If she does, the minimum salary ...
