‘Raise the bar’: La Rocque, Lady Rebels ready for next step — SCHEDULE

Lindy La Rocque has coached some talented teams during her tenure at UNLV.

Now entering her fourth season leading the Lady Rebels, she has already amassed two Mountain West regular-season titles, two conference tournament championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances.

Yet La Rocque says this year’s squad may be her best team to date.

“We’re not lowering our standards or expectations,” she said. “If anything, we’re going to continue to raise the bar.”

The UNLV women’s basketball team opens the season Nov. 6 at Loyola Marymount.

The Lady Rebels have a chance to retain their conference titles for a third consecutive year and have dreams of winning their first NCAA Tournament game since Jim Bolla’s 1990-91 team.

However, La Rocque and her team have some attrition to address before they can begin thinking about tournaments and titles.

The Lady Rebels stormed through the 2022-23 season. They went 31-3, setting program records for wins and winning percentage (.912), and they reached No. 22 in The Associated Press rankings before falling to No. 6-seeded Michigan 71-59 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

La Rocque lost three pillars from that historic team during the offseason. Starting point guard Essence Booker, starting wing Justice Ethridge and reserve center Keyana Wilfred — key lieutenants supporting La Rocque’s culture — all graduated.

Booker’s successor seems straightforward. Following the loss to Michigan, La Rocque ordained junior guard Kiara Jackson, the Mountain West Sixth Player of the Year, as the new starting point guard. She averaged 7.8 points and 2.3 assists off the bench for UNLV last season.

“I’m just trying to be who I am and affect the team that way,” Jackson said. “Just doing what I do, not trying to necessarily fill (Booker’s) role, but just bringing what I bring to the table.”

Replacing Ethridge may be more of a challenge. The Las Vegas native and former Centennial wing was the Lady Rebels’ defensive linchpin, and La Rocque said she may go with a committee of players, depending on the matchup.

Jackson said Oklahoma State transfer Macie James, a 5-foot-11-inch junior wing from Fresno, California, has been a standout after roughly two weeks of training camp. Sophomore Jasmyn Lott and junior Kenadee Winfrey, role-playing contributors last season, may also be options on the wing.

While some question marks remain on the perimeter, UNLV will get a boost inside with the return of senior forward Nneka Obiazor. La Rocque said the 2021-22 Mountain West Sixth Player of the Year is on track to return from the knee injury that ended her 2022-23 season prematurely.

In eight games before her injury, Obiazor averaged 12.4 points and 6.5 rebounds while partnering with perennial conference player of the year candidate Desi-Rae Young (17.9 points, 10.1 rebounds last season).

“It feels really good just knowing all my hard work is finally going to pay off,” Obiazor said. “This season, I’m just prepared, healthy and ready to perform.”

The Lady Rebels will need Young, Obiazor and Jackson at their best, as UNLV’s nonconference schedule includes a home game at the Thomas & Mack Center against Arizona and a road trip to face Oklahoma.

“We have everything in front of us that we want to do,” La Rocque said. “We’ve got a really committed group, to not just winning, but winning championships and continuing to push our mark further.”

Contact reporter Andy Yamashita at ayamashita@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ANYamashita on X.