UNLV women’s team reviving locals’ enthusiasm for March Madness

March Madness has taken hold of Las Vegas, and the whole city is cheering for the Scarlet and Gray. The No. 11-seed UNLV Lady Rebels are in Baton Rouge, La., to take on sixth-seeded Michigan in the first round of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament at noon today.

This editorial board doesn’t often comment on sporting events, let alone take sides in who the winner should be, but we’re proud to be all in on our support for the Lady Rebels and student-athletes across Southern Nevada.

Coach Lindy La Rocque is leading an especially talented group of women this year. UNLV posted 31 total wins and went undefeated in conference play on its journey to secure a second consecutive Mountain West Conference regular-season championship and second consecutive Mountain West tournament championship.

With a little luck and the support loyal fans, we look forward to watching the Lady Rebels make a deep run into the bracket.

College basketball holds a special place in the history of Southern Nevada, as the presence of sports gambling meant that professional teams spent decades being locked out of a regular presence in Las Vegas. With that prohibition now lifted, Las Vegas has built a thriving culture of sports fanatics. But UNLV, especially the school’s basketball program, is often credited with launching a local sports fan base in the valley.

Visitors to Southern Nevada have too often understood the region as one-dimensional — an adult playground that exists only on the Strip and downtown, with a few interesting historic sites in the area. The diverse histories of local people, communities and cultures are too often overlooked.

UNLV was no different. Despite being a first-rate university that served the needs of Southern Nevada’s rapidly growing population, UNLV struggled for recognition and was known pejoratively on the national stage as “Tumbleweed Tech.”

So when the UNLV men’s basketball team rose to prominence in the late 1970s, making 12 NCAA Tournament appearances in 16 years, including four Final Four appearances and a national championship in 1990, locals fell in love and national audiences took notice.

Today, Las Vegas is a thriving hub of sports fandom. Teams like the Aces and Golden Knights are celebrated for being consistently competitive for divisional, conference and national titles. The Raiders ignite fan interest and imagination. Others like the Aviators, Lights and Silver Knights flesh out our banquet for the sports fan.

While neither the UNLV men’s nor women’s basketball teams have repeated the incredible run of Final Four appearances experienced in the late ’80s and early ’90s, the current crop of Lady Rebels is making its second consecutive tournament appearance. After a disappointing loss in the final minutes of last year’s first-round game, the team is looking to advance further and launch a new dynasty of UNLV athletic dominance.

We believe in them and hope you will join us in cheering them on today and in the future.