LAS VEGAS — Lindy La Rocque believes UNLV women’s basketball may have its toughest non-conference schedule since she took over the program, and a young roster will not have much time to settle in before being tested.
UNLV announced its 2026-27 non-conference schedule Sunday, a 13-game slate that includes nine home games, three true road games and one neutral-site matchup. The Lady Rebels will also play an exhibition against Cal State LA on Oct. 27, while the regular-season schedule includes opponents from eight different conferences.
“This may be the toughest non-conference schedule to date for us,” La Rocque said.
Six opponents on the new schedule are rematches from last season. UNLV went 2-4 against Washington State, Montana State, Arizona State, UTSA, Rice and Cincinnati, beating Washington State and UTSA while losing the other four. Several of those teams went on to postseason success, giving La Rocque more than just USC and UConn to point to when describing the schedule as her toughest yet.
UNLV will face that schedule with a younger roster after losing several key pieces from last season. Nine of the Lady Rebels’ 13 players are newcomers, including six freshmen. Meadow Roland and Jasmyn Lott give La Rocque two established returners, while Bergan Kinnebrew arrives after averaging 22.4 points per game at UMary last season.
The first look at the new group comes Oct. 27 against Cal State LA at The Pavilion. Six days later, UNLV opens the regular season against USC in the Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase at T-Mobile Arena. USC went 18-14 last season and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The matchup also renews a series that has not been played since the 2018-19 season. UNLV leads USC 6-5 all time, but the Trojans won the most recent meeting 86-72 in Las Vegas.
UNLV stays in Southern Nevada after USC and begins a seven-game homestand against UTSA on Nov. 6. The Lady Rebels beat UTSA 66-39 in San Antonio last season before the Roadrunners went on to win the American tournament and reach the NCAA Tournament. Arizona State follows Nov. 10 after reaching the NCAA Tournament in Molly Miller’s first season as head coach. UNLV lost 56-53 at Arizona State last season, giving the Lady Rebels an early chance to see the Sun Devils again.
Montana State comes to Las Vegas on Nov. 15 after beating UNLV 94-81 in Bozeman last season. Rice follows two days later after handing the Lady Rebels a 75-50 loss in Houston. The Owls went on to win a program-record 29 games and the American Conference regular-season championship. Cincinnati visits Nov. 21 after beating UNLV 65-48 last season. The Bearcats also picked up wins over No. 11 Iowa State, Arizona State and BYU during the year.
The seven-game homestand finishes at the Thomas & Mack Center with the UNLV Thanksgiving Turkey Tip-Off. The Lady Rebels face LMU on Nov. 25 and Butler on Nov. 27. By the end of November, UNLV will have played nine games when the exhibition is included, with eight taking place in the Las Vegas Valley.
UNLV travels to Storrs, Connecticut, on Dec. 2 to face UConn. The Huskies went 38-1 last season, won the Big East regular-season and tournament championships and reached the Final Four before losing to South Carolina. The Lady Rebels stay on the East Coast for a Dec. 5 game against Boston University before returning to Southern Nevada.
UC Santa Barbara comes next on Dec. 13 at Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson. UNLV counts the matchup as a home game despite playing away from its usual home floor. Three days later, the Lady Rebels head to Pullman to face Washington State. UNLV beat the Cougars 64-51 in Las Vegas to open last season, but this time the matchup comes on the road.
Vanguard closes the non-conference schedule Dec. 20 at The Pavilion. La Rocque said the goal is to have the young Lady Rebels “battle tested” before Mountain West play begins.
