Mountaineers Women's Basketball Poised for Greatness

The West Virginia University women's basketball team, under the guidance of head coach Mark Kellogg, is poised for a breakout season after a surprising and successful campaign a year ago. With a core of returning starters and a talented influx of new players, the Mountaineers are setting their sights on becoming the best women's basketball team in program history.

Reaching New Heights: WVU Women's Basketball Aims for the Summit

Embracing Elevated Expectations

The Mountaineers are no longer the underdogs, having proven their mettle last season with a 25-8 record and a hard-fought second-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Coach Kellogg acknowledges that the team's goals and expectations have shifted, both within the program and among outside observers. "A year makes a big difference, no question, especially in familiarity and routine and understanding what's going on inside the program," he said. "We're definitely in a good place and certainly are ahead of where we were at this time a year ago."With four of their five starters and six of their top eight scorers returning, the Mountaineers are poised to build on their success. The addition of a highly regarded recruiting class, featuring a mix of transfers and high school talent, has further bolstered the team's depth and size, addressing some of the weaknesses from last season.

Maintaining the Chip on Their Shoulder

Despite the increased expectations, Coach Kellogg is determined to keep his team's "chip-on-your-shoulder" mentality. "I like the chip-on-your-shoulder attitude, for lack of a better word," he said. "I think it's part of West Virginia in the past; it's the way the state is looked at. I don't want to lose that." This mindset has been a key driver of the team's success, and Kellogg recognizes the importance of balancing the newfound respect with the hunger to prove themselves even further.The Mountaineers' hard-nosed defensive play caught the attention of their Big 12 rivals last season, and Kellogg has heard from other coaches who are anticipating a formidable challenge from his team. "There's a thought from those coaches that we're going to be pretty talented," he said. "We have these returners. Some coaches are going to vote for us (in the preseason poll). And they say, 'When you get that one little first place vote, I want you to know it's coming from me.'"

Setting Sights on Program Greatness

Kellogg has made it clear that the ultimate goal for the program is to become the best women's basketball team in West Virginia history. "We want to go down as the best team that has ever played here in women's basketball," he stated. This ambitious target reflects the team's desire to not only maintain their success but to surpass it and cement their legacy.The coach acknowledges that reaching this level of greatness will not be easy, but he believes his team is up to the challenge. "We're OK talking like that but, at the same time, we want to keep that chip on our shoulder and understand it's a lot to ask. If we want to be great, we better do something special every day and be better than a year ago," he said.The Mountaineers' journey to the top will require unwavering dedication and a relentless pursuit of improvement. As Kellogg aptly put it, "It's really, really hard to get there … but I think it's harder to stay. I know when you are climbing the mountain, that's really, really hard but staying up there is even more difficult." With the team's talent, experience, and the coach's guidance, the Mountaineers are poised to make their mark on the program's history.