A Senior Trio to Remember
February 27, 2015 11:13 AM | General
When seniors Linda Stepney, Crystal Leary and Averee Fields were asked what their favorite memories in their four years at West Virginia were, they all reflected on last year as a season to remember forever.
In only its second season in the Big 12 Conference, the West Virginia women’s basketball team won a share of the Big 12 Regular-Season Championship title, finishing with a 16-2 league record. Coach Mike Carey was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year as the Mountaineers captured a conference regular-season title for the first time since winning the Atlantic 10 title in 1992.
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| Leary, Stepney and Fields |
The three seniors will leave the West Virginia women’s basketball family with memories to hold for a lifetime, however, they still have time to build a legacy in their senior seasons. The accomplishments overall have been one for the record books as Stepney, Fields and Leary will cherish wearing the Old Gold and Blue for years to come.
Linda Stepney is a guard from Norfolk, Virginia, where she was ranked among the top-100 girls basketball players in the country as well as a first team all-district, all-tidewater and second team all-state honoree at Lake Taylor. Stepney made an early impact on the team, as she recorded the second-most assists (89) for WVU as a freshman, and was named to the All-Big East freshman team. Her breakout season was her junior year, where she recorded a team-best 107 assists, and was one of only six players in program history to make 10-of-10 free throws in a game at the WVU Coliseum, converting a career-high 10-for-10 against Oklahoma on Jan. 18, 2014.
In her career, Stepney has dished out 412 assists in 127 games, and ranks in the top-10. Stepney’s career assist/turnover ratio of 2.02 will most likely stand as third all-time in WVU history. While watching her in action, it is obvious that Stepney leads the team by example. Attend one game at the WVU Coliseum and you will see Stepney control the court in fine, point-guard fashion. One thing Stepney has been thankful for in her time as a Mountaineer was her junior season.
“The season we had last year was pretty amazing because not many teams can do what we did last year. I got my state champion ring my junior year of high school, and then I got a ring my junior year of college,” Stepney stated. “It was a great feeling. I think overall I accomplished more goals than what I had set for myself coming into college. I still have goals left, but overall I accomplished a lot.”
Another key player for the Mountaineers is forward Averee Fields. Fields hails from Murray, Kentucky, where she led Calloway Country High to the Regional Championship game three times in four years, and was ranked among the top-100 girls basketball players in the country. She was also a 2011 Kentucky first team all-state selection and a 2010 second team honoree. As a sophomore at WVU, Fields started in all 31 games and was named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team with recognition for a 4.0 GPA.
Her breakout season was her junior year, where she recorded 74 offensive rebounds, the second most on the team, ranking No. 10 in WVU’s single-season record books by a junior. But, the highlight of her junior year was when she used a coast-to-coast game-winning jumper with 12 seconds left in WVU’s win at then No. 6/5 Baylor on March 2, 2014. Thus far, Fields has had a great senior season, as she has posted four double-doubles and named a Capital One Academic All-America Second Team honoree on Thursday. Earlier this month, Fields was named a winner of the Haier Achievement Award for February 2015.
Fields is the Mountaineers’ team co-captain in which her athleticism allows her to be quick, to attack the boards and play hard. She believes one of her key developments over the years has been her strength and toughness to do just that and overcome the odds. Looking back, Fields stated that basketball has been such a great impact on her life, and she has experienced some awesome moments throughout the last four years.
“It’s been a great four years, but it’s been tough. Being a Division I athlete was one of the hardest things I have done. The greatest accomplishment I had as a player was last year – we had an awesome season,” Fields explained. “We went 30-5, and we beat top-ranked teams, such as Baylor. The layup at the end was exciting as well.”
Senior forward Crystal Leary is from Norfolk, Virginia, where she lettered in basketball every year at Taylor High with Stepney. Leary had a great career in high school, being named the 2010 defensive player of the year and was ranked among the top-100 girls basketball players in the country. She was a first team all-district, all-tidewater and second team all-state honoree at Lake Taylor. Leary jumped right into the mix her freshman year and played in 16 games, including three starts.
Her sophomore year, she was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Second Team and played in all 31 games, and was WVU’s third-leading rebounder with 4.8 rebounders per game. In her junior year, Leary finished the season with a 51.3 field goal percentage (80-156) which ranks fourth in WVU’s all-time record book. This season, Leary was named the team co-captain and she is not afraid to be a playmaker. She again earned Academic All-Big 12 Second Team honors this season. Throughout the last four seasons, Leary has had the privilege to have her best friend, Stepney, by her side.
“Luckily, I was able to come here with Linda (Stepney), my best friend. Over the years, I definitely built a lot of relationships with my teammates,” Leary said.
While these seniors have no doubt enjoyed their time at West Virginia, they still have some competition to look forward to. The Mountaineers have another Big 12 Tournament in the near future, as the seniors hope to be holding the trophy for one last time.
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| Head Senior Managers: Kyle Keesler, Lauren Reda and Zach Hillis |
“Looking back on that season, I can’t believe that we won that many games in a row. You don’t really realize what you are accomplishing until you look back and see that you did some awesome things,” said Fields. “I think right now we really need to buy in that we are good, and we can be a great team. I don’t think we really understand that we have to be focused every single game. Hopefully we can come together and realize that before it’s too late.”
The Mountaineers have defeated the odds once before, and have high hopes to do it again this season.
Additionally, there are six others that have made an impact that has often gone unnoticed. WVU senior managers Chelby Carey, Jason Funderburg, Zach Hillis, Kyle Keesler and Lauren Reda are expected to graduate this spring as well.
“It’s going to be hard. I really grew to love the coaching and support staff here, so when I leave here I am really going to miss them. I just wish them the best of luck when I’m gone,” Leary stated.
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