UNLV Lady Rebels Head Coach Lindy La Rocque: "To Whom Much Is Given, Much Is Expected"

The UNLV Lady Rebels women's basketball team is in the midst of another strong season and will look to pick it up even more when they start Mountain West Conference play later this month. We have already heard what head football coach Dan Mullen and men's head basketball coach Josh Pastner have had to say on what it was like returning to coach college sports with all the changes to the NCAA. However, we are now hearing from women's basketball coach Lindy La Rocque, who brings a different perspective, having been tenured at UNLV for significantly longer. She spoke about the changes to college sports with the official website of UNLV.

UNLV Lady Rebels Women's Head Basketball Coach Lindy La Rocque On Dealing With The Financial Aspect Of Players Getting Paid And How It Impacts The Locker Room

"Our young people are not naive to which of their teammates might be making more money — especially once things go public," La Rocque said. "But we try hard to teach them how to be adults in this financial space. Because out in the real world, not all salaries are equal...

Part of my approach also has been, “To whom much is given, much is expected.” That’s one way I can try to protect the culture: If you have been given a major blessing, then the expectation is going to be different for you — as it is in life, as it is in professional sports."

La Rocque On How Players Coming And Going Through The Transfer Portal Impact Retaining A Fanbase

"This is where I believe women’s sports finds its niche, with fans having an investment in the stories of individual players. That is a huge piece of how we get fans in the stands — and get them to come back and bring their friends.

But it’s also important to turn the focus back to the whole program. Because we are a program that has won [conference] championships, we have this platform for our individual players to stand out."

La Rocque On Winning Solving Just About Everything

You would think so! And, for us, that’s the part we’ve tried to control. Whether it’s player retention or building the fan base, we want people around our program who value winning — on the court and in society.

The reality is not everyone shares that same mindset. So there will be players who [prioritize] something else, and that’s OK. It just gives us an opportunity to find other young women who do value what we value."

More UNLV Rebels On SI News