November 5, 2024
Why UNLV continues to be ranked atop the Mountain West
Lindy La Rocque: 'We have a new group, and we have been working really hard'
When UNLV graduated Desi-Rae Young last spring, many would have thought the program would lose a step going into the 2024-25 season. After all, Young had dominated the Mountain West Conference for four years and was instrumental in UNLV’s rise to No. 19 in the national rankings.
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Her career averages of 16.3 points and 8.7 rebounds produced winning at UNLV not seen since the glory days of Jerry Tarkanian’s men’s program.
Still, UNLV received 298 points in the MWC Preseason poll, including 21 of 30 first place votes, 47 more than second-place Wyoming.
“I am excited,” fifth-year head coach Lindy La Rocque told The Next. “We have a new group, and we have been working really hard. I am excited about the talent. Losing Desi, there is a lot of opportunity out there. Our team is already doing a great job of addressing those gaps and filling them in. We are going to do it by committee. One person isn’t just going to do everything she did for us. But we have veteran players and new players who can all score and rebound and bring the passion and energy like Desi did.”
La Rocque noted that Young is recovering from an injury as she looks to play for a European team.
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Big three to watch
Senior forward Alyssa Brown, senior guard Kiara Jackson and sophomore guard Amarachi Kimpson are all on the Preseason All-MWC Team. All three played major roles on last season’s team that finished 31-3 (17-1 in the MWC), before losing to seventh-seeded Creighton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Brown was the 2024 MWC Championship MVP and was third in the league with 8.2 rebounds per game. Jackson, of Grand Prairie, Texas, led the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.49. She was all-MWC in 2024, scoring 11.5 points in addition to her 4.8 assists per game. Jackson was also the 2023 MWC Sixth Player of the Year.
“With this being my last year,” Jackson told The Next, “I want to give all I have on the court and have fun and enjoy it. I am trying to become a better leader. Our teammates are pretty young this year. I want to make sure they are prepared for what is to come. It [leading the nation in assist to turnover ratio] gives me the confidence to know that I am a good passer and can take care of the ball. Credit my teammates for knocking down shots.”
Last March, Kimpson was double honored as the 2024 MWC Sixth Player of the Year and the Freshman of the Year. That is an accolade that had never been accomplished in the conference’s 25-year history. She scored 10.6 points per game, which ranked 17th in the league.
“Definitely the word is ‘excited’ for me,” Kimpson said of going into the new season. “Anything can happen. We know we have confidence in our staff, and we are going for the win once again. Knowing I am going to be struggling for more playing time [motivates me] staying in shape and being consistent. I worked on my defense a little bit [in the offseason]. Whether Desi is on our team or not, our emphasis stays the same. Pounding it inside is what we will keep up with and executing at the end of the day.”
Coach La Rocque added that she is confident in Jackson and Kimpson because they are both point guards by nature and are capable of running the offense.
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Newcomers to Sin City
In addition to the returning experience, UNLV is adding talent as well. Graduate guard Aaliyah Alexander comes from Eastern Washington. Alexander was first team All-Big Sky for the Eagles with 12.9 points and 3.9 rebounds.
“Aaliyah is a mature player,” La Rocque said. “She has four years of college experience. She’s a winner. She’s learning our system but catching on really quickly. We are going to need her out on the court for her maturity, her ability to score at all three levels and to be a tough defender. We are excited to get her out there with this group.”
Incoming freshmen for UNLV are Teagan Colvin and Elli Guiney in the backcourt. Meadow Roland will debut after redshirting her freshman year. The 6’2 Roland was an all-California high school player who averaged 19.2 points and 11 rebounds.
Early season tests for UNLV
The Lady Rebels will embark on a non-conference schedule that includes multiple programs from the Big 12, plus the Big Ten, SEC, Big East and American Conference. The team will be at Arizona on Nov. 12 and host Oklahoma on Nov. 22. UNLV beat both the Wildcats and Sooners by double figures last season, so there will be no intimidation. The Lady Rebels will also meet Central Florida and East Carolina in the Thanksgiving Classic at Thomas & Mack Center on Nov. 27 and 29. Then, they will have the daunting task of playing at Baylor, DePaul and Northwestern before the MWC season begins after Christmas.
“By far, this is the toughest non-conference we have played,” added La Rocque, who is a former Oklahoma graduate assistant. “I am really excited to challenge our team with great adversity of big-time road games and matchups. The intention was to build adversity and obstacles so come conference play, we are primed and ready to do what we need to do.”
La Rocque is someone who is familiar with iconic programs. She played in the Final Four all four of her seasons at Stanford, which were the same as Nneka Ogwumike’s (2008-2012). Prior to that, the Las Vegas native was Nevada’s all-time high school leading scorer.
“Being born and raised in Las Vegas and to bring success to the program is kind of priceless,” La Rocque concluded. “It’s the greatest honor and privilege to be the head coach of the program and to bring championships to our city. It means the world to me to share the world to the community. We are willing to do more to climb on the national stage.”
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Written by Scott Mammoser
Scott Mammoser covered the Paris 2024 Olympics for The Next. He has also covered major international events for FIBA, World Athletics and the International Skating Union. He has attended six other Olympics and traveled to more than 90 countries.
