The WNBA is a month into its season, and rosters are settling into place. Two former Mountaineers are finding their footing in the league. JJ Quinerly and Jordan Harrison are fighting to earn a spot in the league, and, for Harrison, it was not easy. She has had an up-and-down start to the season, but may have found a home in Portland. Read more: Former Mountaineers Quinerly & Harrison fighting to stick in the WNBA.
Jordan Harrison
Harrison has been on an emotional roller coaster since joining the Portland Fire as an undrafted free agent. One of the WNBA’s newest teams is building a team filled with young players. They have 13 players, with two over 30 and seven 25 and younger. Harrison fits right into that dynamic, especially with lots of experience after starting every single game in her collegiate career. It was not easy for Harrison, though.
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She made the roster after a strong training camp and made her debut in the Fire’s opening game. She played 11 minutes, scored four points, and had four assists in her first game in the WNBA. Harrison looked like she was carving out a role in Portland, but the roller coaster continued.
Almost a month after not getting drafted, which was surely disappointing to Harrison, as it was to her countless fans across the state, she made her WNBA debut. Before the Fire’s second game against the New York Liberty, she was waived by the team. Portland needed to make room on the roster for Kamiah Smalls, who was returning to the team following an injury.
Harrison may have known what was on the horizon, however. The new WNBA CBA allows teams to sign two development players. They must have fewer than three years of experience, but can appear in only 12 games per season. They get to travel and practice with the team, but they are capped at a limited number of games to allow for future development.
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Harrison returned to the Fire on a development contract, so her WNBA career continues.
JJ Quinerly
The Dallas Wings are one of the WNBA’s blossoming young teams this season. After finishing dead last in 2025 with a 10-34 record, they earned the number one overall selection in the WNBA Draft. They selected Azzi Fudd to play alongside their 2025 first overall selection, Paige Bueckers. They are currently 7-3 in the 2026 season and have nearly matched their win total from last season.
Quinerly was a third-round pick by the Wings last season. She overcame the odds and, like Harrison, made the active roster. She played in 34 games and averaged 15.9 minutes, 6.5 points, 2.3 assists, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per game. Quinerly was effective in her time, but her season was cut short by a knee injury.
The Dallas Wings fired their head coach and brought in Jose Fernandez. Some thought that Quinerly’s roster spot was in jeopardy with a new coach, a guard-heavy roster, and a knee surgery that sidelined her. Despite all odds, she made the active roster, but has not seen the floor this season.
She has a group of talented guards ahead of her, and the Wings likely do not want to rush her rehabilitation. Quinerly is dressed when the Wings play, but she has yet to see the floor. Perhaps her defensive tenacity has earned her a spot on the team. Bueckers, and more likely, Fudd can benefit from playing against Quinerly, a two-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, in practice. As the season progresses, she is likely to see some action and provide depth to a team that is looking to compete for the WNBA Finals.
