Last season’s ending for WVU Women’s Basketball was a double edged sword. The year did not end how they would have liked, but the Mountaineers gained national respect after going toe-to-toe with the top player in one of the top teams in all the entire sport, Iowa.

This offseason has felt different in Morgantown than some of the past. It will be the first full offseason that new head coach Mark Kellogg has after being hired before the beginning of last season.

The team made some key additions in the transfer portal and signed some good recruits, but when the dust all settles, West Virginia is still going to have to rely on its star player, JJ Quinerly, to make yet another step and help lead the program to all new heights.

Wednesday afternoon was a time for the players, including Quinerly to showcase their improvements to the public in an open practice as well as a media availability after the practice.

During the press conference Quinerly talked about not just the improvement in her game but the team as well.

“I think we focused on just trying to gel with the new girls and then just trying to move on with our team trying to figure out what we can do coming up this season.”

When it comes to what she is working to improve for the upcoming season, the guard said, “I’d say my three-point shooting, shooting off the catch and getting my release quicker.”

Everyone knows about her defensive excellence, as the Big 12 defensive player of the year, but last season Quinerly shot also 34.4% from the three point line, a career best, which helped her score just shy of 20 points per game.

As a team, Quinerly believes they can be even better than where they finished last year, she just knows it’s currently a work in progress to get there.

“I wouldn’t say we are better. At the end of the day we are still new, probably by the end of the season I’ll give us that this season we’re probably going to be better than last season.”

The team leaves for a trip to Italy and Croatia to play in some competitive games overseas and help grow the chemistry within the team. The trip begins Monday, July 19 and will last for 11 days.