West Virginia Women's Basketball Climbs to No. 15 in AP Poll
WVU Continues Impressive Season
The West Virginia University women's basketball team has continued its impressive season, moving up to No. 15 in the latest Associated Press (AP) Top 25 poll. The Mountaineers have now won 10 of their last 11 games and are 18-4 overall this season.
Key Contributors
WVU's success this season has been fueled by the play of several key players.
- Junior forward Esmery Martinez leads the team in scoring (18.4 points per game) and rebounding (10.3 rebounds per game)
- Redshirt senior guard Madisen Smith is averaging 13.8 points per game and leads the team in assists (4.3 per game)
- Redshirt sophomore guard Jayla Hemingway is averaging 11.4 points per game and is shooting 42.9% from three-point range
These three players have all been named to the Big 12 Player of the Week honor roll this season.
Strong Defense
In addition to their offensive firepower, the Mountaineers have also been strong on the defensive end of the court.
- WVU is allowing just 58.7 points per game, which is fourth-best in the Big 12
- The Mountaineers have held their opponents to under 40% shooting in 11 of their 22 games this season
- WVU has forced an average of 16.8 turnovers per game, which is second-best in the Big 12
WVU's defense has been led by senior guard KK Deans, who leads the team in steals (2.9 per game) and has been named to the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honor roll twice this season.
National Recognition
WVU's success this season has not gone unnoticed nationally.
- The Mountaineers are ranked No. 15 in the latest AP Top 25 poll, their highest ranking since the 2015-16 season
- WVU is also ranked No. 15 in the latest NCAA NET rankings
- The Mountaineers are one of only three Big 12 teams to be ranked in the AP Top 25 and the NCAA NET Top 25 this week
WVU will look to continue its success when it hosts No. 20 Oklahoma on Wednesday night.
