Desi-Rae Young

Scouting Report

Desi-Rae is a workhorse. She is a Two-Time Mountain West Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. She can absolutely dominate similar sized defenders and blow past them to the rim. On the break, she can out-run guards and she scores well in transition. Defensively, Desi-Rae can guard positions 3-5 and she is strong enough to dominate them on the boards.

2023-24 (Senior):

• Mountain West Player of the Year.

2022-23 (Junior):

• Mountain West Championship Most Valuable Player.
• All-Mountain West Team selection for third straight season.
• All-Mountain West Defensive Team member for second straight season.
• Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Semifinalist.
• Ranks 10th in Division I with 18 double-doubles, nine more than the second-leading Mountain West player.
• 12th among Division I players for field goal percentage; 18th in rebounds per game.
• Three-time Mountain West Player of the Week.
• Reached 1,000 career points in 69th game, the fifth-fewest games in UNLV history.
•  Mountain West’s leading rebounder and second-leading scorer.
• Eighth overall in steals and 16th in assists (first among frontcourt players in both categories).
• Reached league-leading figures despite being 15th overall in minutes played.
• Five 20-point performances were second most in the league.
• Net efficiency (+45.5 points per 100 possessions) leads the league by more than 6 points.
  Second in PER (35.2); first in win shares per 40 minutes.
• Held Wyoming’s all- conference center Fertig to 15 points and 10 rebounds over 3 games (69 minutes); held New Mexico’s Shaiquel McGruder to 0 points and 2 rebounds over 2 games (47 min).
• Mountain West’s third-highest offensive rating (125.4) in league; second-best defensive rating (79.9).
•  Mountain West Preseason Player of the Year.

2021-22 (Sophomore):

• Voted Mountain West Player of the Year.
• Selected to the Mountain West Championship All-Tournament Team after collecting 42 points, 27 rebounds and five blocks over three games. Was one of only two players to rank as a top-five scorer and rebounder within the conference.
• Ranked second in efficiency among all Mountain West players.
• Started 32 of 33 games, averaging 15.2 points and a team-high 8.5 rebounds with a Mountain-West leading 12 double-double performances.
• Scored in double-figures except for once game (9 vs. New Mexico, Jan. 27).
• Three-time Mountain West Player of the Week.
• Reached 500 career points in 36 career games, the fifth fewest in UNLV history.

2020-21 (Freshman):

• Mountain West Freshman of the Year.
• A member of the Mountain West All-Freshman Team and all-conference honorable mention.
• Led all freshman in the MW with 12.7 points per game (11th overall) and 6.9 rebounds per game (eighth overall).
• Led the Lady Rebels in scoring and field goal percentage (51.1 percent).
• Recorded five double-doubles and scored in double-figures in 16 games this season.
• Posted season-high 20-point performance twice.
• Scored the game- winning basket against Fresno State (Feb. 27) to clinch second place in the standings for the Lady Rebels.

High School:

• Attended Desert Oasis High School in Las Vegas, Nevada.
• Averaged 11.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals per contest.
• Led the Diamondbacks to the Southwest League championship (2019).
• Earned second-team all-league honors, all-region honors, and team MVP.

Personal: Major is Psychology . Born in Inglewood, California. Daughter of Beverly Williams. Has one older brother, Omar Paul, and one younger sister, Rashida Young. Started playing basketball at 12 years old. Only had two scholarship offers coming out of high school.