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JJ Quinerly

JJ Quinerly
No. 11 – Dallas Wings
PositionGuard
LeagueWNBA
Personal information
Born (2002-10-24) October 24, 2002 (age 22)
Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
Listed height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Career information
High schoolLake Taylor (Norfolk, Virginia)
CollegeWest Virginia (2021–2025)
WNBA draft2025: 3rd round, 27th overall pick
Drafted byDallas Wings
Career history
2025–presentDallas Wings
Career highlights
  • 2× Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year (2024, 2025)
  • 3× First-team All-Big 12 (2023–2025)
  • 3× Big 12 All-Defensive Team (2023–2025)
  • Big 12 All-Tournament Team (2025)
  • Big 12 All-Freshman Team (2022)
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Ja'Naiya "JJ" Quinerly (born October 24, 2002) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Wings of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball at West Virginia.

High school career

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Quinerly attended Lake Taylor High School in Norfolk, Virginia. During her sophomore year, she averaged a double-double with 20.3 points and ten assists per game, and led the Titans to the VHSL 4A state championship. She was named the 2019 VHSCA 4A Player of the Year, and named to the Virginia All-State second team.[1] She committed to play college basketball at West Virginia.[2]

College career

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During the 2021–22 season, in her freshman year, she appeared in 30 games, with 12 starts, and averaged 8.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Her 68 steals led the team, and were the most by a freshman in a season since Maria Tchobanova had 74 during the 1995–96 season. Following the season she was named to the Big 12 all-freshman team.[1]

During the 2022–23 season, in her sophomore year, she averaged 14.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.1 steals per game. She led the team with 66 steals. On December 31, 2022, she scored a then career-high 28 points in a game against Oklahoma.[3][4] On January 21, 2023, in a game against Texas Tech, she scored 16 points and ten rebounds for her first career double-double.[5][6] Following the season she was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive team and a first-team all-Big 12 honoree.[7]

During the 2023–24 season, in her junior year, she averaged 19.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.9 steals per game. She the team with 97 steals, the fifth most in a single-season in program history. On February 24, 2024, in a game against Baylor, she scored a then career-high 33 points.[8][9] Following the season she was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive team and a first-team all-Big 12 honoree for the second consecutive year. She was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and a WBCA All-American honorable mention. She was also named a Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award semifinalist and Ann Meyers Drysdale Award finalist.[1]

During the 2024–25 season, in her senior year, she averaged 20.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.0 steals per game. She ranked second in the league with 3.11 steals per game while leading West Virginia to the best scoring defense in the Big 12.[10] On February 26, 2025, in a game against Utah, she scored a career-high 38 points, and tied the program's single-game scoring record.[11][12] Following the season she was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive team and a first-team all-Big 12 honoree for the third consecutive year. She became the second player in program history to be named a first-team selection three times in their career, following Bria Holmes. She is also the first Mountaineer to be featured on the conference's defensive team three times in their career.[13] She was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and a WBCA All-American honorable mention for the second consecutive year.[14] She was again named a Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award semifinalist and Ann Meyers Drysdale Award finalist for the second consecutive year.[15]

She finished her career with 2,016 points, 410 rebounds, 341 assists, and 328 steals. She became the fourth Mountaineer to surpass 2,000 career points, and ranks third on West Virginia's all-time list in points and steals.[16]

Professional career

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On April 14, 2025, Quinerly was drafted in the third round, 27th overall, by the Dallas Wings in the 2025 WNBA draft.[17]

Personal life

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Quinerly was born to John and Nikosha Quinerly, and has one brother.[1]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game  RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game  BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game
 TO  Turnovers per game  FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 Bold  Career best ° League leader

College

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2021–22 West Virginia 30 12 24.2 42.4 33.3 69.5 2.5 2.7 2.3 0.5 1.9 8.8
2022–23 West Virginia 31 31 28.0 41.6 29.7 70.2 4.2 2.2 2.1 0.3 2.4 14.5
2023–24 West Virginia 33 33 31.0 46.2 34.4 78.5 3.2 2.7 2.9 0.1 3.3 19.8
2024–25 West Virginia 32 32 31.4 44.3 31.4 82.9 3.1 3.2 3.0 0.3 3.2 20.4
Career 126 108 28.7 43.9 32.2 77.1 3.3 2.7 2.6 0.3 2.7 16.0
Statistics retrieved from Sports-Reference.[18]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "JJ Quinerly". wvusports.com. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  2. ^ Cain, Tanner (November 11, 2020). "Carey Inks Four in Strong Recruiting Class". wvusports.com. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  3. ^ Cain, Tanner (December 31, 2022). "WVU Falls in Big 12 Opener to No. 20/18 Oklahoma". wvusports.com. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  4. ^ "No. 20 Oklahoma women sink W. Virginia 98-77 behind Llanusa". The Seattle Times. December 31, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  5. ^ Jackson, Justin (January 21, 2023). "No second-half letdown this time, as WVU pulls past Texas Tech". The Dominion Post. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  6. ^ Cain, Tanner (January 21, 2023). "Hemingway, Quinerly Power WVU Past Texas Tech". wvusports.com. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  7. ^ "2022-23 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Women's Basketball Awards Announced". big12sports.com. March 6, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  8. ^ Jackson, Justin (February 24, 2024). "No. 24 Baylor survives career-game from J.J. Quinerly to sweep WVU with 66-65 victory". The Dominion Post. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  9. ^ Cain, Tanner (February 24, 2024). "No. 22 West Virginia Falls to No. 24 Baylor on Saturday". wvusports.com. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  10. ^ "2024-25 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Women's Basketball Awards Revealed". big12sports.com. March 4, 2025. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  11. ^ Lee, Kenny (February 26, 2025). "JJ Quinerly's career-high 38 points lifts No. 18 West Virginia over Utah 75-46". SI.com. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  12. ^ Jackson, Justin (February 26, 2025). "J.J. Quinerly ties school record with 38 points, as No. 18 WVU cruises past Utah". The Dominion Post. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  13. ^ Coombs, Chris (March 4, 2025). "Quinerly Selected as Defensive Player of the Year; All-Big 12 Conference Honors Announced". wvusports.com. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  14. ^ Coombs, Chris (April 4, 2025). "Quinerly Named Honorable Mention WBCA All-American". wvusports.com. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  15. ^ Hall, Christopher (March 21, 2025). "JJ Quinerly Selected Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Finalist". SI.com. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  16. ^ Thomas, Emma (April 1, 2025). "JJ Quinerly leaves mark on Mountaineer Women's Basketball". The Daily Athenaeum. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  17. ^ Cohen, Bryce (April 14, 2025). "Dallas Wings draft JJ Quinerly with No. 27 pick in 2025 WNBA Draft". The Daily Athenaeum. Retrieved April 15, 2025.
  18. ^ "JJ Quinerly College Stats". Sports-Reference. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
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