LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – The Lady Rebels have been picked for the top spot of the Mountain West for the 2024-25 campaign, the league’s predicted order of finish and preseason awards were released Wednesday morning prior to the MW Media Day at Resorts World.
UNLV is looking to defend its title for the fourth consecutive season and this marks the third straight season the Lady Rebels have been picked no. 1 in the preseason poll.
UNLV was voted atop the league standings by media members and coaches, receiving 21 of 30 first-place votes and a total of 298 points.
Individually, the Lady Rebels received three accolades with senior forward Alyssa Brown, senior guard Kiara Jackson and sophomore guard Amarachi Kimpson were all selected to the Preseason All-MW Team.
Brown, a Tucson, Ariz. native, was named the 2024 MW Basketball Championship MVP. She played in 31 games with 28 starts last season averaging 6.5 points per game through 24.2 minutes per game. She ranked tied for third in the conference in rebounds with 255 (8.2 rebounds per game). Additionally in the MW, she ranked 10th in blocked shots with 26 and 14th in assists with 70.
Jackson, from Grand Prairie, Texas, was the nation and conference leader for assist/turnover ratio at 3.49. She earned her first All-MW honors last season. Jackson played and started all 33 of the Lady Rebels’ games in 2023-24, and averaged 31.3 minutes per game, which led UNLV and ranked 10th in the MW. She also led the squad in assists (4.8 per game and 147 total), and was the second leading scorer on the team with 11.5 points per game last season. She set the UNLV single-game program record for assists in a NCAA Tournament game with six versus Creighton.
Kimpson, a Little Elm, Texas native, was last season’s MW Sixth Player and Freshman of the Year, which marked the first time ever in program and conference history that a player has earned those two awards in the same season. She was also named All-MW honorable mention, MW All-Freshman team and the MW Basketball Championship All-Tournament. Kimpson was second on the team in three-point shooting (.405) and was third in squad with 8.9 points per game. She played in all 33 games off the bench averaging 20.9 minutes per game.
Wyoming was voted second in the preseason poll with three first-place votes and 251 points, Colorado State was third with four first-place votes and 248 points, while Boise State was fourth (221) and San Diego State rounded out the top five (two first place votes, 218). The rest of the poll is as follows: New Mexico (172), UNR (125), Air Force (116), Fresno State (109), San Jose State (60) and Utah State (41).
The other members of the 10 selected to the Preseason All-MW Team include Air Force junior guard Milahnie Perry, Boise State junior guard Natalie Pasco, Colorado State graduate forward Emma Ronsiek, Fresno State junior forward Mia Jacobs, New Mexico senior guard Viane Cumber, San Diego State senior forward Adryana Quezada and Wyoming senior center Allyson Fertig. Ronsiek and Fertig were selected as the league’s Preseason Co-Players of the Year, Ronsiek was also named Preseason Newcomer of the Year and Colorado State guard Kloe Froebe was the Preseason Freshman of the Year.
The Lady Rebels begin the 2024-25 campaign on Tuesday, Oct. 29 hosting Point Loma in an exhibition contest at Cox Pavilion at 6:30 p.m. The regular season starts on Monday, Nov. 4 at home versus LMU.
SECURE YOUR SEATS WITH SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets for the 2024-25 UNLV Lady Rebels basketball season are on sale now. General admission seating season tickets are $75. Additional discounts are available for seniors (62 and older) and UNLV alumni, faculty and staff. To buy tickets or for more information visit UNLVTickets.com or click here.
–UNLV–
Copyright 2024 KVVU. All rights reserved.
