The 2025-26 season was a historic and special season for West Virginia women’s basketball. Head coach Mark Kellogg had several goals when he came to Morgantown, and he accomplished a few of them this season. The five seniors on the team were one of the most special, beloved groups to come through Hope Coliseum, and deserved everything they received. From the dramatic victory at the Greenbrier to the resilience shown in Kansas City to the roars of a sold-out crowd in Morgantown, this season was certainly one to remember. They redefined what is possible for WVU women’s basketball. Read more: WVU women’s basketball: season in review.
Season overview
WVU finished 28-7, with a 14-4 Big 12 record. That was second behind TCU, who finished 15-3. They finished in the top 30 in the nation, averaging 76.3 points per game on offense. The Mountaineers also held opponents to 58.4 points per game, an elite defense, while also forcing 21.8 turnovers per game.
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The offense was pretty efficient, shooting 45.7% from the field and 35.4% from behind the arc. Their rebounding metrics were commendable given the team’s smaller stature. They averaged 36.3 rebounds and 12.5 offensive rebounds per game. WVU averaged 14.9 assists per game, which was above average relative to the rest of the nation.
They finished No. 11 in the AP Top 25 and were ranked for much of the season. They played in a stacked Big 12 conference and held their own, especially on the road. The Mountaineers had an 8-2 record on the road and were 15-4 at home. They finished 5-1 on neutral floors and had a 14-3 non-conference record.
Regular season highlights
The season started with some easier matchups against smaller programs, and the first real test was against No. 15 Duke at The Greenbrier Tipoff. They won that game, 57-49, and finished the game with five players after six were ejected. There was an altercation between Jordan Harrison and Duke’s Jordan Wood at the end of the first half, which resulted in six ejections for WVU and one for Duke. WVU lost starters Harrison, Gia Cooke, Kierra Wheeler, and Jordan Thomas for the second half, along with Carter McCray and Madison Parrish.
They finished the game with one lone starter, Sydney Shaw, along with four from the bench: Célia Rivière, Riley Makalusky, Loghan Johnson, and Sydney Woodley. They outscored Duke, 24-9, in the third quarter and were dubbed the “Greenbrier 5”. That was the start of a very extraordinary season.
They suffered the first loss of the season in The Bahamas against Ohio State, and dropped their next game at home against Villanova, taking a 10-2 record into conference play. They opened their Big 12 schedule with three consecutive wins before dropping a hard-fought game against No. 17 Texas Tech in Morgantown. WVU responded with a gritty victory in Ames, Iowa, against No. 11 Iowa State, but lost to No. 10 TCU in the following game on a buzzer-beater in Morgantown.
The Mountaineers only lost two more games in the regular season, one against Utah on the road and another to No. 17 TCU in Texas. WVU capped off the season with a spectacular Senior Day victory over Cincinnati. They won 118-60, making a season-high 15 three-pointers. It was their most points scored since 1982, and helped them clinch a double-bye in the Big 12 Tournament.
Big 12 Tournament
The Big 12 Tournament was the culmination of a season of hard work and resilience. WVU took care of Arizona State with relative ease in the quarterfinals, before an intense, back-and-forth game with Colorado in the semifinals.
Colorado led, 45-43, with a little over a minute remaining in that game, but WVU fought back. Gia Cooke grabbed an offensive rebound on the following possession and ended up nailing a three-pointer to give the Mountaineers a lead with 38 seconds remaining. Colorado had a chance to win the game with about two seconds remaining, but a steal by Harrison, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, sealed the game for WVU.
WVU played No. 10 TCU in the championship game, a team they lost to twice in the regular season. WVU took a 26-23 lead into the locker room and landed a knockout punch in the third quarter. They outscored the Horned Frogs 17-9 and played well enough in the final quarter to win 62-53. Harrison led the Mountaineers with 21 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals. She was named Most Outstanding Player, and WVU won its second Big 12 Tournament title, its first since 2017.
NCAA Tournament in Morgantown
WVU earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, which meant they earned the right to host first- and second-round games. It was the first time since 1992 that postseason action was coming to Morgantown, and the Mountaineer faithful did not let them down.
In their first-round matchup against Miami (OH), the crowd was spectacular. It was the largest crowd in program history, with 13,504 in attendance for two first-round games at Hope Coliseum. The next game also drew a huge crowd of 12,830, ranking third all-time.
They lost to Kentucky, 74-73, but the fans made it an electric atmosphere. WVU came back from a double-digit deficit, but could not close the deal at the end of the game. The fans gave this team a send-off they will never forget, though, and one that this group deserved.
Player spotlights
Gia Cooke led the team in scoring this season, averaging 15 points per game. Kierra Wheeler was second with 13.4 points per game, and both players were transfers in their first season with the program. Harrison and Shaw finished with 13.1 points and 12.6 points per game, respectively.
Shaw set a single-season record for most three-point field goals, with 95, surpassing the previous record of 94. Harrison finished the season with 110 steals, the second-most in a season in program history. She was named a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award, which is not surprising. She also set the single-season record with a 5.7% steal percentage.
Harrison also cemented herself in the record book. He is first in box plus/minus at +12.5, and in win shares per 40 minutes at .261. She is also second in assist percentage (29.8%), defensive box plus/minus (+6.0), free throw percentage (82.5%), offensive box plus/minus (+6.4), steals per game (2.8), and win shares (20.5). Harrison is third in assists per game (5.0) and steal percentage (4.9%).
Shaw is first in offensive box plus/minus at +6.7 and third in box plus/minus at +11.8. Sydney Woodley also made her mark on the program off the bench, giving Coach Kellogg valuable minutes on the defensive ends. She is first all-time in defensive box plus/minus (+7.1) and steal percentage (5.1%).
Looking ahead
The team had five seniors: Harrison, Shaw, Wheeler, Woodley, and Rivière. Three of them started and played for more than 30 minutes per game. Woodley and Rivière came off the bench, but averaged around 15 minutes per game. Those are minutes that will be hard to fill, but Coach Kellogg is one of the best coaches in the nation.
In Coach Kellogg’s first three seasons, he has led this team to the Round of 32 three times. He has not advanced to the Sweet 16 yet, but he is on his way. He has an overall record of 78-23 at WVU, which is a winning percentage of .772. Kellogg has led this program to 25 or more wins in his first three seasons and accomplished a goal of hosting games in Morgantown.
It was one of the most successful seasons in program history and generated significant buzz. Fans are more engaged than ever, and the program is on the rise. There is much excitement for the future of WVU women’s basketball; the winning culture Kellogg has brought is attracting greatness to the state.
