By: Cole Livengood | WV Sports Chat
After watching former teammate JJ Quinerly earn two straight Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year awards, Jordan Harrison has finally gotten the recognition she deserves.
It was announced earlier today that Harrison has been named the 2026 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, alongside earning First-Team All-Defensive Team honors for the conference.
Harrison, a native of Oklahoma City, has been electric on defense this season as she currently ranks 11th on the NCAA steals leaderboard with 94. Only five Mountaineers in program history have ever reached the century mark; this feat was accomplished just last season by Kyah Watson (102) during her senior season.
Defense has been the Mountaineers’ bread and butter under Mark Kellogg, with a player now winning the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in all three seasons that he’s been head coach. The Mountaineers have forced 22.9 turnovers per game this season, good for 11th in the nation and third in all of power-five.
West Virginia will travel to Kansas City to begin their quest for a Big 12 title on Friday, as Selection Sunday looms just 12 days away.
