WVU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT SEASON —MARCH 30, 2025—The Mountaineers concluded the regular season with an 85-69 against the Cincinnati Bearcats. They followed that up with a 73-69 win against Kansas State in the Big 12 Quarterfinal round before coming up short 71-65 in the semifinals against TCU.
Despite the disappointing loss, WVU earned a No. 6 seed heading into the postseason tournament. They overwhelmed the Columbia Lions to 78-59 in the opening round. However, a matchup against the third-seeded North Carolina Tarheels did not go as well as the team had hoped, as the WVU struggled to find a rhythm offensively. For example, the team was held to single-digit scoring totals in two of the four quarters. Additionally, the Mountaineers shot 24.1 percent from the field and connected on just two of their 21 attempts from beyond the arc (9.5 percent).
North Carolina also won the rebounding battle by a 41-35 margin. The Mountaineers turned the ball over 16 times, leading to 23 points for North Carolina. Lastly, UNC excelled in the transition game, outscoring WVU 16-2 in fast break points en route to a 58-47 victory. WVU finished the 2024-25 campaign with an overall record of 25-8.
Only for the fifth time in the program’s history has the women’s team produced victories in the NCAA tournament for consecutive seasons. Furthermore, attendance records were set for the women’s team in the last two seasons—an average of 4,147 fans filling the seats in the Mountaineers’ 16 home games this season.
The big question is, what’s next for the WVU women’s basketball team looking ahead to next season? Six seniors are departing, including JJ Quinerly, who led the team with 20.4 points per contest. And while three starters must be replaced, guards Jordan Harrison and Sydney Shaw are expected to return.
Madison Parrish Could Be A Valuable Addition
One intriguing prospect WVU has already signed for next season is Madison Parrish. She was ranked 90th overall and is a four-star prospect in the class of 2025. According to 247sports.com, Parrish is a bouncy, athletic option on the perimeter. She is productive in transition and finishes well in the lane. She can play through contact and is still effective. Her physicality provides a high upside on the defensive end of the floor that cannot be ignored.
“Mountaineers women’s basketball got better today with the addition of Madie,” head coach Mark Kellogg said when Parrish signed. “We have recruited Madie since the day we arrived here in Morgantown and have developed a great relationship with her and her family over the recruiting process.
“Madie is a long, athletic, and versatile guard. Offensively, Madie has great court vision, can score at all three levels on the court, and has a great feel for the game. Her length, athleticism, and toughness will shine on the defensive end.”
Can WVU Take The Next Step And Crack Into The Sweet 16 Round?
As mentioned earlier, given the departures of the senior class, next year’s roster will include additions through the transfer portal. When asked what the team needs to do to get into the Sweet 16 round, Kellogg had this to say in the postgame interview via ASAP Sports:
“I think we’re close. Obviously, we’re closer now than we were a year ago. I think we’re at the doorstep.
I keep saying, every time I get into this game, though, the advantage of playing at home is significant. If that’s the rules of the NCAA, then we need to continue to work really, really hard to see if we can’t get one of these in Morgantown because I think that environment would be ridiculously off the charts and be so much fun for our community and our state.
Yes, the Mountaineers have given their fanbase plenty to cheer about in Kellogg’s first two seasons at the helm. However, seeing if they can sustain that effort in 2025-26 will be interesting.
