WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL MADISEN SMITH
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WVUSPORTS.COM
15-15/7-11 BIG 12
• WVU made the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship as the No. 7 seed in Kansas City and defeated No. 10-seed TCU, 68-48, in the opening round on March 10 • The Mountaineers played 11 ranked opponents and finished the year with a NET Ranking of No. 62 • West Virginia began the season with four consecutive victories, marking the longest win streak of the season • WVU swept three Big 12 opponents – Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas Tech • At TCU on Feb. 2, senior forward Kari Niblack finished the game with eight points to become the 38th 1,000-point scorer in program history. She also is the second Mountaineer in as many seasons to accomplish the feat • Freshman guard JJ Quinerly was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Week on Feb. 14, marking the first Mountaineer to win the weekly award since Madisen Smith on Feb. 18, 2019 • Quinerly also is the fourth different player in program history to be named Big 12 Freshman of the Week • West Virginia placed five players on the 2022 All-Big 12 teams. Junior forward Esmery Martinez was named to the second team, while Niblack, senior guard Madisen Smith and junior guard KK Deans earned honorable-mention status • Additionally, Quinerly was a unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team • WVU also placed five student-athletes on the 2022 Academic All-Big 12 First Team, including fifth-year senior center Blessing Ejiofor, Niblack, Smith, Deans and junior guard Jayla Hemingway • Following the season, coach Mike Carey announced his retirement after 21 seasons leading the WVU women’s basketball program • Carey finished his career as the all-time winningest coach in WVU women’s basketball history with a 447-239 record (.652) and compiled an overall record of 735-341 (.683) in 34 seasons as a head coach