5 things to watch in the Mountain West women’s tournament

Fans looking for a local rooting interest during #VegasMadness need to look no further than the Mountain West women’s tournament.

While the men’s team has endured loss after loss this season, the Lady Rebels enter their conference tournament with a chance to make some noise.

After winning a school-record 12 Mountain West games, the Lady Rebels (21-9 overall) clinched the No. 3 seed and won’t play until 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, when they draw the winner of Monday’s Utah State-Air Force opening-round game.

“It’s a fun, fun time and we’re just so happy to be a part of it,” UNLV junior guard Dylan Gonzalez said. “I think everybody’s grateful to be out here and playing, so it’s exciting for us to finally get to this time. It’s March, man. It’s tournament time.”

Here are five things to watch when the Mountain West women’s tournament tips off Monday at the Thomas & Mack Center:

1. How far can Lady Rebels go?

Last year’s team made it to the conference semifinals before bowing out against Fresno State.

This year’s team has a chance to make a run at the conference’s NCAA automatic bid.

The Lady Rebels will first meet Utah State or Air Force, so Monday’s last game, beginning at 7 p.m., is the important one for UNLV fans to keep an eye on.

UNLV split games (and brawled) with Utah State. They beat Air Force twice.

“For us to get to 21 wins this season, we all feel very, very good about it, but we know the season is pretty much just starting,” coach Kathy Olivier said. “We’re excited to start the Mountain West tournament and play ball.”

2. Local kids to watch

The Lady Rebels have a pair of locals on their roster.

Paris Strawther, a sophomore forward from Liberty High School, has stepped into a starting role for the Lady Rebels this year and is averaging 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

Kennedy Wharton, a junior from Valley, is averaging 0.5 points per game in her limited action off the bench.

Around the Mountain West, there are two more locals who will be returning home when the tournament begins. New Mexico’s Cherise Beynon, a junior guard from Canyon Springs, is one to keep an eye on. Beynon is New Mexico’s leading scorer, averaging 15.6 points per game. San Jose State freshman guard Taylor Turney, who hails from Henderson, is averaging 4.5 points per game.

3. Field wide open

That’s according to UNLV’s Olivier, who thinks a number of teams have a chance to make a run. Only three games separated the top four teams in the conference this year.

“It’s wide open,” Olivier said. “I think there’s not just one, two teams that can win it. I think there are a lot of teams that can win the conference tournament.”

4. Will Colorado State repeat?

Can the Rams repeat? If not, there’s a good chance the team that wins the tournament will have to go through Colorado State to do so.

The Rams finished 15-3 in Mountain West play to win the regular-season title. They won the tournament last year and have finished atop the conference in four consecutive years.

They’re led by Ellen Nystrom, who is averaging 15.1 points per game.

5. Home court advantage?

The Lady Rebels only played at the Thomas & Mack Center three times this season, but they undoubtedly have a home court advantage with the tournament held on their campus.

UNLV was a particularly good team at home this season, finishing 11-2. Their only two home losses came to Colorado State and San Jose State.

“I’m hoping that everyone around town comes out and cheers us on,” Olivier said. “We’re a team that really appreciates the crowd and the support and it’s been great all year.”

Contact Betsy Helfand at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BetsyHelfand on Twitter.