DHJ Quick Take: JJ Quinerly’s Road to 100%
- The Measured Ramp-Up: Jose Fernandez is prioritizing “load standpoint” over immediate camp reps. By restricting JJ Quinerly from contact on Day 1, the Wings are ensuring her repaired meniscus and allograft have the necessary durability before she faces full-speed WNBA physicality. Fernandez noted the team must be “very careful” as she continues her rehab.
- The Third-Round Rarity: JJ Quinerly enters Year 2 as a statistical outlier. After averaging 6.5 points and leading all active third-round picks in three-point shooting (38.9%) as a rookie, she provides the high-efficiency spacing required for a backcourt that now features Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd.
- Point-of-Attack Utility: While Arike Ogunbowale and Bueckers lead the offense, Quinerly offers a specific defensive profile. Her “on-ball defense” at the point of attack gives Fernandez a necessary disruptive option in a versatile guard rotation.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Dallas Wings head coach Jose Fernandez provided an update on second-year guard JJ Quinerly following Day 1 of training camp Sunday in Arlington, confirming she is back on the floor with the group as she continues her return from offseason knee surgery.
Quinerly, the 27th overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft out of West Virginia, underwent an osteochondral allograft procedure and had the meniscus repaired in her left knee in October. She suffered the injury at the Los Angeles Sparks on Aug. 20, 2025, which ended her rookie season. At the time of her surgery, she was expected to make a full recovery ahead of the 2026 season.
Fernandez said the Wings are being measured with her ramp-up, particularly in contact situations.
“She’s coming back. We’re going to be very careful with her in regard to contact,” Fernandez said. “I don’t want to speak on medical specifics, but she’s putting in a lot of work rehabbing. We have to be careful from a player development and load standpoint, especially when we get into contact.”
JJ Quinerly’s Strong Rookie Year Before the Injury
Quinerly made an early impression after being selected out of West Virginia, emerging as one of the league’s most productive third-round picks before the injury cut her season short.
The 5-foot-6 guard averaged 6.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 42.6% from the field and 38.9% from three over 34 games as a rookie. She became just the third third-round pick in the last decade to average at least six points per game in her rookie season, and just the seventh third-round selection in league history to average at least six points and two assists per game in her first year.
Her scoring average ranked third among all active third-round picks in 2025, and her three-point shooting percentage led all active third-round selections.
A Piece in the Dallas Wings’ Backcourt Picture
Quinerly returns to a backcourt that also features second-year guard Paige Bueckers, No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd, four-time All-Star Arike Ogunbowale, and veterans Odyssey Sims and Lindsay Allen. Her shooting efficiency and on-ball defense at the point of attack give Fernandez another option in a crowded and versatile guard group.
Dallas continues with a practice on Monday, including five-on-five work. The Wings begin the 2026 season on the road against the Indiana Fever on Saturday, May 9, at 12 p.m. CT, before making their home debut at College Park Center in Arlington on Tuesday, May 12, at 7 p.m. CT against the Atlanta Dream.
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- ‘She Better Shoot The Damn Ball’: Jose Fernandez Challenges Azzi Fudd On Day 1 Of Training Camp
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- Dallas Wings Announce 2026 Training Camp Roster: 22 Players Set, Five Late Arrivals
- ‘Landed Where I Was Meant to Be’: Azzi Fudd Introduced By Dallas Wings, Embraces New Journey
- Exclusive: Curt Miller On The ‘New-Look’ Dallas Wings, Frontcourt Chemistry, And Azzi Fudd’s Elite Ceiling
- ‘We’ve Known For A Little While’: Greg Bibb On Why Azzi Fudd Was The Only Choice For Dallas
- ‘She Was The Right Fit’: Jose Fernandez And Curt Miller Detail Drafting Azzi Fudd, Dallas Wings’ Free Agency Moves
