As she waited to be handed a UNLV degree in 2013, Mia Bell couldn't help thinking about her late mother. The accomplishment of becoming a college graduate was something the two had long talked about, and the day had finally arrived. Of all the life events her mom had missed over the past eight years, this one felt the most significant, the most painful.
Bell's mom died when Bell was a high school freshman, before she began piling up honors as one of Nevada's all-time top basketball players. Bell won Nevada's Gatorade Player of the Year award as a senior at Durango High, earned a scholarship to play at UNLV and later became the Lady Rebels' team leader.
Bell reflected on all that as she walked in her cap and gown on graduation day, knowing her mom would be proud. "I couldn't get it together, because I remember talking about this day with her," Bell, now 28, says. "I remember in the sixth grade, telling her I was going to graduate."
Bell soon became an assistant on the Lady Rebels' coaching staff; she's now in her sixth season. Not many athletes go from player to assistant coach the very next season. Then again, there aren't many people like Mia Bell.
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Bell attended every Lady Rebels home game as a senior at Durango, bouncing a basketball in her seat—typically one directly behind the UNLV bench. During timeouts, coach Kathy Olivier would look up and see Bell peeking into the huddle.
That's what the best point guards do—take every opportunity to learn the intricacies of the game plan. "It was like she was already on the team," Olivier said.
Olivier always suspected Bell would have a future on the sidelines. During Bell's freshman season, when most of her teammates headed home after practices, she stayed behind to study game film with coaches. She describes herself as addicted to the process, finding a sense of purpose in becoming intimate with the sport.
After graduation, Bell received a contract offer to play professionally in Poland. Her agent kept calling, asking why she hadn't signed the deal. The simple answer: A UNLV assistant job had opened, and Bell was ready to launch her career in coaching.
"I love being around basketball. I always wanted to stay connected to the game, because it has done so much for me," Bell says. "I've been lucky that I've had good people as coaches. Each of them has impacted me in different ways, whether it's getting over fears or dealing with personal things and handling emotions."
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When Olivier returned to her alma mater to become the Lady Rebels' head coach in 2008, she made clear her intentions to build the program by recruiting Southern Nevada's top high school players. Bell, who'd received scholarship offers from other Mountain West Conference schools—but not UNLV—became Olivier's first local recruit.
Bell thrived at UNLV for four years, finishing among the top 10 in numerous categories in the program's record book—third all-time in assists (434) and 3-point percentage (36.2%), seventh in career starts (103) and 10th in steals (191).
That success story surely gets mentioned when the Rebels recruit local players, which remains a priority as Olivier's term continues into its second decade. This year's roster features a trio of players—Justice Ethridge, Melanie Isbell and Bailey Thomas—from national power Centennial High, and Liberty High product Paris Strawther graduated in May before following Bell's example and immediately joining the Lady Rebels' coaching staff.
"The biggest thing is showing the impact you can have in the community," Bell says. "It's more than playing basketball. It's going out to the community and making it better."
Had Bell not paved the way—proving that local kids can thrive in the UNLV women's basketball program—the Lady Rebels might not be in consideration for the best talent in the area. Before Bell, many Las Vegans considered playing for the team but chose other schools. "We take care of each other in Las Vegas," Olivier said.
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Ironically, Bell says she nearly quit the sport in middle school, when she was cut from the Lawrence Junior High team. Instead, she accepted an invite to play for a boys Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team alongside her cousins, playing as often as possible and quickly gaining confidence. "I was really bad, so bad," she recalls with a smile. "But I just loved the game. I wanted to play it every day."
The next year, Bell was the best player at Lawrence. She earned a starting spot as a freshman at Durango, one of the top programs in Las Vegas at the time. As a high school senior, Bell averaged 26.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. One night, she poured in a school-record 52 points.
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Bell's mom died unexpectedly at age 44 during Bell's first week of high school, right as Bell had begun flourishing on the court. The two had spent the previous summer traveling together to basketball camps and tournaments.
Bell's father lived in Chicago, so she went to live with her grandmother, and then her older brother. It was a turbulent time for the teenager, but basketball kept her focused. "It was extremely tough," she admits. "I was ready to stop playing."
Bell received support from friends in the sport, especially Durango teammate Lindy La Rocque, who eventually played in a Final Four with Stanford. Bell ate many meals and spent many nights at the La Rocque house, and she still considers the family an extension of her own.
"Mia was really shy, really quiet," remembers former Durango coach Al La Rocque, Lindy's dad and one of the area's most successful all-time high school coaches. "She was just so kind and sweet. She's just really special to our family."
Bell's grandmother died last month, and Al La Rocque attended the funeral—another instance of the Vegas basketball community looking out for its own. As the Lady Rebels continue into the heart of their 2019-20 season, look for Bell to continue carrying on that tradition.
This story appeared in Las Vegas Weekly.