Lady Rebels celebrate accomplishments, then open season with win
Lindy La Rocque embraced her former players before the UNLV women’s basketball team’s third consecutive Mountain West championship banner took its place in the rafters at Cox Pavillion on Monday.
The Lady Rebels went on to open the 2024-25 season with a 73-57 win over Loyola Marymount, and their coach didn’t dwell long on the pregame celebrations.
“I’m hoping this is the last time we talk about it,” La Rocque said of the 2023-24 league title. “But I think it’s important to celebrate it publicly with the people that helped us win it.”
UNLV took time before tipoff to present championship rings to staff members, including athletic director Erick Harper. La Rocque stayed on the court with each of her players afterwards as they signed autographs for young and old fans.
But La Rocque was all business following the game, acknowledging it wasn’t her team’s best effort.
“We did a lot of positive things,” La Rocque said. “We still have more things to work on and improve on, and we’re going to do that.”
The Lady Rebels (1-0) were led by senior guard Aaliyah Alexander, who scored 16 points. UNLV never trailed by more than a single point.
Guard Brandi Williams had 14 points for Loyola Marymount (0-1).
The Lady Rebels next host Northern Arizona on Thursday.
Here are two takeaways from the win:
1. New team
UNLV was offered plenty of reminders about its past Monday, but the team also showed flashes of how things could be different this year.
Desi-Rae Young, who graduated in the spring, was honored after the first quarter for her decorated career with the program. Young was the Mountain West’s player of the year last season. She was also named to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s All-America honorable mention team, becoming the first Lady Rebel to earn that honor since 2004. She was gifted commemorative basketballs referencing her accomplishments.
UNLV’s offense ran through Young last season. A newcomer took over Monday. Alexander, a graduate transfer from Eastern Washington, said it never crossed her mind that she would be the Lady Rebels’ leading scorer in her first game with the team. But she was inspired by UNLV’s recent success.
“It definitely motivates me to play harder,” Alexander said. “I knew I was coming to a winning program, so I just want to keep that going.”
The Lady Rebels’ lone deficit came 1:36 into the second quarter, when they trailed 17-16.
Alexander got things turned around for UNLV. She made all three of her shots in the third quarter and her team led 51-36 by the end of the period.
“Aaliyah showed why we brought her here and made me look good,” La Rocque said.
Alexander wasn’t the only one that impressed. Redshirt freshman Meadow Roland recorded her first collegiate double-double by scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in 20 minutes.
“She’s capable of that every night,” La Rocque said. “She’s gonna grow up pretty quickly.”
2. Adjustments
The Lady Rebels’ 34-29 lead at halftime wasn’t as comfortable as they’d hoped. That led La Rocque to make a locker room speech she described as not-so “nice.”
UNLV then came out and limited its opponent to just three points in the third quarter.
The defense helped make up for a poor shooting night, as the Lady Rebels were just 3-of-14 from 3-point range. They also had to adjust to a tightly-called game, as they were called for 18 fouls and Loyola Marymount was whistled for 19.
La Rocque wrote it off afterward, noting that it was the “first game for everybody,” even the officials.
Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.
