AROUND THE MOUNTAIN WEST

  • The Mountain West is celebrating its 25th season of women’s basketball during the 2023-24 campaign.
  • Heading into the 18th week of the 2023-24 season, UNLV is ranked 23rd in the Associated Press poll and the USA Today Coaches poll. The Lady Rebels have appeared in either the AP or Coaches poll six times this season.
  • Three Mountain West teams are ranked in the top 113 of the NET, UNLV (30), Colorado State (102) and Wyoming (113).
  • The Mountain West is one of eight conferences (ACC, .727; Big 12, .822; Big East, .667; Big Ten, .735; Pac-12, .850; SEC, .798; Sun Belt, .614) with a .590 nonconference record or better during the 2023-24 season.
  • Air Force is ranked 21st in the nation in steals per game (11.0).
  • Boise State is ranked second in blocks per game (6.4).
  • Colorado State is ranked third in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.62), seventh in free-throw percentage (79.4) and 21st in 3-point percentage (36.4).
  • Two Mountain West programs rank in the top two in Division I in fewest turnovers per game. Colorado State leads the nation only committing 9.0 turnovers per game and UNLV is second with only 10.7 per game.
  • New Mexico is ranked 11th in Division I in defensive rebounds per game (30.0).
  • UNLV is ranked fourth in the nation in winning percentage (92.9), seventh in bench points per game (28.5), ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.44) and rebound margin (9.3), 10th in scoring margin (19.2), 19th in scoring offense (79.3) and 20th in defensive rebounds (29.3).
  • UNLV’s road record (13-1) is the fifth best in the nation, and its Division I win-loss record (26-2) ranks fourth in the country. It holds a 2-0 record against teams ranked in the top 26-50 of the NCAA NET and it is one of four programs with two or fewer losses on the season.
  • Boise State’s Abby Muse is ranked fifth in NCAA Division I in blocks per game (2.9) and is fourth in total blocks (87). Fellow Bronco Natalie Pasco is tied for 25th in the nation in 3-pointers (74).
  • Colorado State’s McKenna Hofschild is ranked second in the nation in total assists (205) and assists per game (7.3), seventh in points per game (22.7), eighth in total points (635) and fourth in assists-to-turnover ratio (2.97).
  • Hofschild is averaging 22.7 points and 7.3 assists per game this season, which would be her second straight season averaging 20.0+ points and 7.0+ assists. She would be the second D-I player this century with multiple such seasons.
  • UNLV’s Kiara Jackson leads the nation in assists-to-turnover ratio (3.10) and Alyssa Durazo-Frescas is ranked ninth in 3-point percentage (44.8).
  • Desi-Rae Young is one of two D-I players averaging 19.0+ points, 9.0+ rebounds and 2.0+ assists per game in conference action this season, along with Stanford’s Kiki Iriafen. Over the last 20 years, the only MW player to do that is Haley Cavinder in 2021-22 for Fresno State.
  • Two Mountain West women’s basketball players have been named Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Semifinalists (McKenna Hofschild, Colorado State, and Desi-Rae Young, UNLV).
  • The Mountain West is the only conference to have two student-athletes named as Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Semifinalists.
  • Colorado State’s McKenna Hofschild was a Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Top Ten Finalist.
  • UNLV’s Desi-Rae Young has also been named a Top Ten Finalist for the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award. The MW is one of six conferences represented (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC).
  • UNLV head coach Lindy La Rocque was named to the Kathy Delaney-Smith Midseason Coach of the Year award watch list.