The Dallas Wings have a young team, and they are starting to trust them more and more. JJ Quinerly made her third consecutive start and set her career high for points in all three games. She is improving as she gets more minutes, which is precisely why Dallas drafted her in the third round. Her scoring and defense are translating well in the WNBA, having showcased those skills during her time at WVU. Read more: JJ Quinerly Earns Player of the Game in Third Start.
JJ Quinerly Earns Player of the Game in Third Start
It took her 15 games of coming off the bench to earn three consecutive starts in the WNBA. She is proving herself in the WNBA and is emerging as a strong selection in the third round of the 2025 draft. Quinerly was one of three third-round picks to earn a roster spot and is doing much more than just being a depth piece. She has started three consecutive games as the Dallas Wings battle through injury problems, nearing the halfway point of the season.
Three Consecutive Career Highs
Quinerly keeps one-upping herself as she carves out a role on the Wings. Her previous career-high in points was 14 before she logged her first start. She scored 15 points in her first start against the Mystics on June 28 and scored 17 in the first of back-to-back games against the Mercury. Quinerly scored 18 in the Wings’ latest games at Phoenix to set her career-high in points. She earned player of the game honors for her efforts.
With a new career high, of course, JJ is the @childrens Player of the Game 😁 pic.twitter.com/G4ijhvvGfD
— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) July 8, 2025
In the first game against Phoenix, she did a little more playmaking alongside her scoring. She had five rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and one block, with only two turnovers. She went seven for 12 from the field and one of three from behind the arc in just under 35 minutes.
Related: JJ Wetherholt Promoted to Triple-A Memphis
Quinerly only played 29 and a half minutes in the second game against the Mercury. She fouled out after getting five personal fouls, but was much more comfortable taking shots. Quinerly scored 18 points, recorded five assists, and one rebound. She added two steals and only had two turnovers, which is promising. Turnovers were a problem in her first start, when she had five, but she is working to reduce wasted possessions.
Quinerly went seven for 17 from the field and four of eight from three. It is slightly better than her season average of 45%. She also scored all of her points from the field in that game and did not take any free throws.
She has a lot of room for improvement, especially as she starts to learn the nuances of the professional game. Quinerly got to the line six times in her first start and twice in her second start. She is shooting 95% from the line this season and could benefit from learning how to draw fouls and getting easy points at the line. She improved her free-throw percentage every season at WVU, finishing her senior season at 83%.
Her free-throw percentage will likely drop as she shoots more from the line, but it demonstrates her continued progress and dedication, as she has improved for five straight seasons. She played a lot off the ball at WVU and is learning her role as a point guard in the WNBA. It will allow Paige Bueckers to get open without the ball, rather than dominating the ball for the whole game.
Quinerly also brings a fast tempo to the game with her hard-nosed defense and speed with the ball. All these things will help her carve a role with the team and help them evolve into a playoff team as the young players continue to grow. The Wings play again on Wednesday, July 9, and JJ Quinerly will continue to earn valuable minutes.
