Shanna Rose | WV Sports Chat
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — For Jordan Harrison, Sunday’s Senior Day at West Virginia was about more than a 118–60 win over Cincinnati. It was a celebration of a journey that began in high school, continued through recruiting, and culminated in a career defined by leadership, chemistry, and personal milestones.
The senior guard’s impact went beyond the emotions of the moment. Harrison finished with 20 points and 10 assists for a double-double and continues to rank among the league’s best defenders, a reputation that recently earned her a spot on the Naismith Women’s Defensive Player of the Year Late-Season Team.
That journey has been shared closely with the teammates who surrounded Harrison one final time inside the Coliseum. Harrison’s on-court connection with Sydney Shaw, in particular, has become second nature.
“As far as like our connection, I think Jordan does a good job of finding me. She always knows where I am. So, I think that look was like, yeah, like we were locked in right now,” Shaw said about their on-court rapport with Harrison.
That kind of instinctive understanding didn’t happen overnight. It’s the product of time, trust, and countless reps together — something Harrison felt clearly on Senior Day.
“I felt like our chemistry was just at all time high tonight,” she said. “I felt like I knew exactly what she wanted or where she wanted the ball and she knew where I wanted the ball and playing like that, it’s just fun.”
Despite the emotions that come with Senior Day, Harrison had one focus once the ball went up.
“Honestly, I was just ready to play,” she said. “So, once we got all the tears out and the goodbyes. Just knowing that it’s not over and we plan on playing in this building again. It was pretty easy for me to get over and just get ready to play,”
The night carried even deeper meaning as the Oklahoma City native was joined during introductions by a close friend and former teammate JJ Quinerly.
“That’s my role dog,” Harrison said. “Still is. And yeah, it was just great to have her and her family walk out with me. Definitely meant a lot.”
Beyond the ceremony, Senior Day also marked the culmination of a career filled with milestones — moments the Classen SAS High School alum admits she didn’t always recognize in real time.
“I think it means the world only because I didn’t know I was just out there playing and to hear that just felt amazing especially doing that in front of my family and in front of the fans that came out to see us for senior night,” she said. “So, that’s the last way that I ended here. I’m glad I ended it like that.”
Even in a game where she recorded four steals, Harrison credited instinct rather than effort.
“It’s just natural,” she said. “If I focus on it, I don’t think I get any. So, I just play naturally.”
That natural feel for the game has been shaped by a relationship years in the making with Mountaineer head coach Mark Kellogg, one that dates back to her early recruitment.
“Yes, definitely meant a lot just for coach Kellogg to trust and believe in me at a young age,” Harrison said. “I feel like I told this story a lot, but I’m really thankful for him for picking me and choosing me, especially just being a small guard out of Oklahoma. So, I’m very thankful for this and for this to be the outcome of it. I’m very blessed and yeah, Coach Kellogg got good eyes, so he picked me and that was perfect.”
Sunday’s Senior Day wasn’t just a game. It was a reflection of Harrison’s perseverance, the relationships she built, and the legacy she leaves at WVU — one rooted in trust, chemistry, and moments that will linger long after the final buzzer.
Photo Credit: Shanna Rose
