Black Athletes in the Spotlight: HBCU Sports & Local Highlights
- JJ Quinerly averaged 21.3 points, shot 46% FG, 44.3% 3PT, and 78.4% FT, establishing herself as a top scorer.
- JJ Quinerly scored 32 points with seven three-pointers in her best game, showcasing elite shooting and playmaking.
- Deja Kelly led the season at 17.8 PPG; Quinerly scored 170 points in August despite playing two fewer games.
- JJ Quinerly looks healthy after knee recovery and could return to the WNBA; her West Virginia pedigree remains central.
Immediate impact
The Savannah Steel signed Quinerly to a free-agent contract on August 5, and she wasted zero time getting to work. She played that day against the Charlotte Crown in her first of eight games with the Steel. Quinerly went for 13 points in 26.5 minutes, adding two assists and four steals.
She quickly caught fire and became one of the top scorers in the league. Quinerly averaged 21.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.4 steals in 32.1 minutes per game. She shot 46% from the field, 44.3% from behind the arc, and 78.4% from the free-throw line. West Virginia may be the only ones not surprised by her scoring outburst and immediate impact.
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Her best game came on August 21, when she scored 32 points in 37 minutes. She added five rebounds, six assists, and three steals. She made seven three-pointers in that game on 11 attempts. That showed the league who the top scorer would have been if she played the entire season.
Deja Kelly led the league all season with 17.8 points per game. In August, Kelly scored 184 points, while Quinerly scored 170 points in two fewer games. Quinerly looks to be healthy after not seeing much action with the Dallas Wings post-recovery from a knee injury.
Kyah Watson
Sydney Shaw was the first former Mountaineer on the Steel, but she was waived in June. Greensboro picked her up after a short stint. Kyah Watson became the second player to play for the Steel, getting signed on July 31. She played in nine games with the Steel, alongside former teammate Quinerly.
Watson played 21 minutes per game, scoring 1.9 points, adding 4.3 rebounds, 0.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. She does not make the biggest impact in the box score, but she adds value in other ways. Much like her career at West Virginia, she hustles, defends, and rebounds with maximum effort. She also plays overseas with ZKK Partizan 1953 Beograd.
Jordan Harrison
Jordan Harrison has started to make an impact with the Portland Fire. She has now played in 10 games this season. Harrison made her first career start against the Minnesota Lynx, lining up against a familiar opponent. Olivia Miles starts at point guard for the Lynx. Harrison and Miles faced each other multiple times in college, including in the 2026 Big 12 Championship game, where West Virginia came out victorious.
Related: Jordan Harrison earns contract with Portland Fire after career night
Harrison still has time in the WNBA season to show her skill set. She may not be having the rookie season that Miles is having, but she is earning a spot in the league. It may not be long before Quinerly rejoins her as a Mountaineer in the WNBA.
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