(Dawn Plitzuweit preseason press conference)
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — First-year WVU women’s basketball head coach Dawn Plitzuweit is counting the number of practices left on the calendar before the Mountaineers open the season on November 10 against USC-Upstate. The former South Dakota head coach will lead a roster with seven returners and six newcomers.
“There’s a balance at all times. You want them to be able to play without thinking. But they are not able to do that at this time because there is still a lot of learning that takes place. But we have 27 more practices ahead of us [as of Monday] before we play our first game,” Plitzuweit said.
“Change is really hard and it is hard for everybody. We’re trying to help our young ladies understand how special this can be and how special they are and what we can do. I think we have an opportunity to do something here to build upon what has happened, with the progress and success of the teams in the past here. It is really important that all thirteen young ladies feel that value and that growth and their opportunity is ahead of them.”
Of the seven players that remained on the roster from Mike Carey’s final season, three used a redshirt season. Guards Madisen Smith and JJ Quinerly each played in all 30 games last season. Smith is a four-year starter and has dished out 429 assists in 112 games. Quinerly was the team’s fourth-leading scorer in her freshman season, averaging 8.8 points per game.
“Their speed and quickness can certainly do a lot of good things for you on both ends of the court. At the same time, they are really versatile types of kids. They can shoot it from the arc. They can get to the rim and score. They can pull up and they can create for their teammates.”
Senior Jayla Hemingway [24.5 minutes per game] and junior Savannah Samuel [18 minutes per game] also return as experienced veterans.
“When they post up, they can do a lot of things. But they can also shoot it. They can handle it. They can get to the rim. Understanding when to do what — when should they back cut? When should they pop? When should they curl? When should they screen versus someone else screen for them? They’re all things that take a little bit of time.”
Of the six newcomers on the roster, Mari Russell is the lone freshman. Russell previously committed to play for Carey and signed with WVU after reopening her recruitment. Russell is the sister of WVU defensive lineman Hammond Russell. She led Reynoldsburg High School to the Ohio Division I state title game in her senior season.
“I have known her high school coach and her AAU coach for quite a long time from coaching at Northern Kentucky and at Michigan. Getting the job, reaching out to them, reaching out to her family, getting to know her, I would say she is a great fit for who we are. She has size and athleticism. She can defend a number of different positions. She has done that in high school. She is a young lady that is really driven.”
Shortly after being hired on March 31, Plitzuweit and her coaching staff heavily recruited players from the transfer portal to round out the roster.
“It is a challenge to fill that many spots that quickly. The advantage that we had is that our coaches, we have all worked together. We can watch players and say, ‘This is what we see as her strengths. This is what people say about her. This is a player that is similar to a player you coached four years ago’.”
Plitzuweit’s offensive system is built on creating scoring opportunities in transition.
“First we want to get stops and then we want to push it. It is a lot easier to score if you can get opportunities because you have gotten stops and can get out and go. Our transition offense is something that is not predicated. It is not a numbered fast break system. It allows for great versatility. Overall, our offensive mentality is to be in attack mode but also be in control. Figuring out that balance is something that is challenging for players.
“All of our players are built upon the versatility of being able to do a little bit of everything — handle the ball, shoot it from the arc, post up inside. That’s really fun for a lot of players. The smaller players want to post up and the bigger players all want to shoot 3’s.”
Throughout preseason practices, Plitzuweit has incorporated video study into the team’s time on the floor.
“We are watching film within the scope of our practice so that they can see it, then go do it. That certainly helps with the learning curve. I think some of it depends how quickly they can process and change.”
Plitzuweit acknowledges that the learning curve for all players will continue well into the season. She hopes players trust the system and avoid the temptation to fall back into previous styles of play.
“The bottom line is that when the lights are on and they are wearing a real uniform for the first time, they are going to go back to playing the way they have played in the past. That is the reality. We are going to try to modify that to the best of our ability. But at the same time, what we hope we have done a really good job of prior to that time, is teaching them how to compete.”