College athletes and coaches are always looking for an advantage. A small tweak here, a new approach there. For the West Virginia women’s basketball team, that looks like a very specific pregame routine, even if it’s um, a little … sour.
The Mountaineers, who over the weekend won their second Big 12 title in program history and first since 2017, have been eating pregame lemons for about two years.
Ever since Dr. Sofía España Pérez, the clinical and sport behavior health therapist for West Virginia’s athletic department, approached coach Mark Kellogg’s team about the idea, the Mountaineers’ nutritionists have always had cut-up slices of the bright yellow citruses on hand for players to grab as they please.
Jordan Harrison and Sydney Shaw — two West Virginia starters — didn’t think anyone was paying attention Sunday afternoon when players grabbed their usual lemons from nutritionist Jonathan Wu before eventually taking down TCU 62-53 for the conference title.
However, it picked up on social media over the weekend.
Something I’ve never seen before… the WVU starters are eating lemons on the bench before being announced.
Anyone know why? pic.twitter.com/V1JFXPoe9R
— Melissa Triebwasser (@TheCoachMelissa) March 8, 2026
Now the Mountaineers are happy to share their fun with the rest of the college basketball world.
“We just take it to shock our system to get our brains refreshed and focused on what’s ahead,” said Harrison, who won the tournament’s most outstanding player award after she poured in 21 points against the Horned Frogs, to go along with six rebounds, four assists and three steals.
“I will say,” Shaw added, laughing, “there are times when I have to ask them where they got these lemons from because they are biting back. They’re so sour sometimes.”
Shaw and Harrison said the lemons — which are optional for anyone who wants one, both pregame or in-game — are typically consumed in the locker room, especially before home games. Sunday’s game was a switch from the norm, when the team’s starters were photographed eating their lemons from the bench just seconds before tipoff.
According to the duo, every player has their own technique for consuming the lemons.
For Harrison, who supplements lemons with some sour Skittles, she only wants the lemon’s juice.
But Shaw? Sometimes she’s down to be a little more adventurous.
“It depends on how sour it is, honestly,” she said of the fruit’s slices. “Is it lemon meat? Is that what you call it? I’ll eat it.”
Both players credit Wu with his role in slicing and distributing the lemons before every game, and España Pérez with the idea.
In addition to the sour sensation shocking their systems for an energy boost, both Shaw and Harrison say the lemon tradition helps them mentally.
Shaw was excited about the idea because she ate lemons growing up and now finds the tradition fun. Harrison said it can also help with any pregame jitters.
“It’s so sour, so any thought that you’re thinking about the game, like if you’re nervous or anything like that, once you take a bite of that lemon, all of (those) thoughts are gone,” Harrison said. “You just restart.”
So far, coaches haven’t participated in the lemon tradition to the duo’s knowledge.
However, with all the attention the lemons are getting now? Harrison thinks Kellogg and Co. might jump on board.
One thing is for sure: The lemons are coming to March Madness, where the Mountaineers (27-6) are poised to make some noise, combining their dominant defense with just the right amount of fun, too.
“We got the Big 12 championship off of them, so we’re going to keep taking those for sure,” Harrison said.