The No. 19 West Virginia Mountaineers reloaded with several in the transfer portal last offseason, but perhaps none have made as much of an all-around impact as Kierra "Meme" Wheeler.
WVU is currently 21-5 overall and second in the Big 12 standings with just four games remaining on the regular season schedule, and Wheeler has been in the starting lineup every step of the way for the Mountaineers after transferring into the program from Norfolk State. She was a highly-touted prospect in the portal, and has proven why for West Virginia as she has averaged the second-most points per game on the team this season (13.6) while also leading the team in rebounding (7.4 per game) and blocks (20).
Kierra Wheeler shines with mid-range shooting
Wheeler is known primarily for her efforts in the paint, where she's a bruising force that is often able to have her way with her opponents. But don't get it twisted: she can also shoot the ball pretty well too.
Wheeler has noticed many teams this year, however, get caught up in preventing her from scoring inside, which has led to her earning plenty of mid-range opportunities. And this past week in a dominant win over UCF, Wheeler proved why she's so dangerous at that level.
She scored early and often inside, which led to the Knights' defense giving her plenty of room to shoot from mid-range later in the contest, which allowed her to knock down several jumpers on the way to an 18-point performance. When asked after the contest if she was surprised at UCF's strategy, she admitted it was a bit perplexing – but seemed happy to take on whatever opportunities opponents give her.
"A little bit, because I know I'm dominant in the paint, but I think I have showcased that I can hit the mid-range a little bit," Wheeler said. "Teams are just daring me to shoot it, which is kind of interesting."
WVU head coach Mark Kellogg was also satisfied with Wheeler's decision-making when it came to choosing when to shoot and when to pass in those situations, as she had plenty more open opportunities for such attempts that didn't always fit the offensive rhythm.
"It's just finding the right ones that happen to come in rhythm and not forcing them, because you're going to be open every time you catch it in that high post area if you're defended like we were tonight," Kellogg said. "We see it all the time, she's more than capable of making that if people want to play her that way. We hadn't seen it that sagged off, probably, yet this year. So to her credit, I thought for the most part she took the right ones."