The UNLV women’s basketball team has left the building.
Lindy La Rocque and her No. 20 ranked squad departed campus on Wednesday afternoon and set out for Los Angeles, the site of their first-round game against Creighton in the NCAA Tournament. More than 100 fans gathered for the sendoff.
Senior forward Desi-Rae Young stopped to sign autographs on her walk from the Thomas & Mack to the team bus.
“I’m just happy about the crowd that we have and having our supporters here to send us off,” Young said.
UNLV is making its third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. La Rocque has guided the team to a 30-2 record, including a current 15-game winning streak.
UNLV earned a No. 10 seed in the tournament and will face No. 7 Creighton at Pauley Pavilion on the UCLA campus on Saturday at 4 p.m.
Fans gathered in front of the Thomas & Mack Center, waving signs and cheering while the band played the fight song.
La Rocque thanked the fans for coming out and said she hopes to see a lot of Scarlet and Gray in the stands on Saturday.
“It’s a big moment,” La Rocque said. “To know that so many people are behind us and cheering for us, it makes us feel good as we head out.”
Junior forward Alyssa Brown was struck by the show of support.
“I’m happy to be here, I’m happy that a lot of our fans got the chance to send us off,” Brown said. “It’s exciting for them and for the community.”
Brown said while she and her teammates are going to make the most of the trip, they know the game is the main focus.
“A mix,” Brown said when asked about the prevailing mood on the bus. “We are super excited. A lot of energy, but we also know that we have a job to do and it’s a business trip.”
UNLV football coach Barry Odom and several assistants also made it out for the sendoff, with offensive coordinator Brennan Marion carrying a sign that read “We Love You Desi #23.”
La Rocque said she has bonded with the football staff over their shared fondness for explosive scoring attacks.
“Barry texts me all the time,” La Rocque said. “Especially those offensive guys, Brennan and [offensive assistant Kenneth Merchant], they’ve been to some of the games. They love when we score 100 points.”
After traveling to Los Angeles, UNLV will have Thursday off before holding an open practice on Friday.
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
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