LADY REBELS VOTED MOUNTAIN WEST’S PRESEASON NO. 1
UNLV earns 26 of 28 first-place votes, Young selected preseason POTY
The Lady Rebels swept the 2022 Mountain West Conference regular-season and tournament championships and they are predicted to do so again in 2023.
UNLV was voted first in the Mountain West’s predicted order of finish poll of media members and coaches, the conference announced Wednesday. The Lady Rebels received 26 of 28 first-place votes.
Junior center Desi Rae-Young was selected as the Mountain West Preseason Player of the Year. Young returns after winning conference player of the year honors last season.
Young and senior guard Essence Booker were named to the five-member Preseason All-Mountain West Team. UNLV was the only team with multiple players on the team.
“I think the biggest thing is even after such a great season last year,” UNLV Head Coach Lindy La Rocque said, “we have the majority of our team returning and they’re still not satisfied. Perspective is what you make of it. We’re staying really locked in to who we are and how we do things. Just get a little better each and every day.”
“We want to take it even further into the NCAA Tournament and play even better.”
The Lady Rebels return four starters and 91 percent of their offense from a team that ranked 19th in NCAA Division I scoring last season. UNLV’s 26-7 record was the program’s best since the 1989-90 season and the team reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002.
“We’ve had a chance to celebrate what we did last year with our team, our fans and the people who helped make that happen. So we celebrated and then looked toward what we have to do to go where we want to go.”
The Lady Rebels begin their 2022-23 campaign on Wednesday, Nov. 2, when they host Chico State in an exhibition game at Cox Pavilion at 6:30 p.m. The regular season begins Monday, Nov. 7, at home versus Pepperdine.
Secure Your Seats
Season tickets for the 2023-23 UNLV Lady Rebels basketball season are now on sale at UNLVTickets.com. General admission seating tickets are $75. Additional discounts are available for seniors (62 and older) and UNLV alumni, faculty and staff.