Nevada women's basketball has won over 490 games since its membership in the NCAA and has accumulated five postseason appearances. The Pack has had at least one player named All-Mountain West since joining the conference prior to the 2012-13 season. Entering her eighth season at Nevada, head coach Amanda Levens has coached 12 All-Mountain West honorees, five professional players and guided the Pack to a pair of postseason appearances.
The University of Nevada women’s basketball program began in the year 1899, when the team, coached by Ada Edwards, and earned its first win over a varsity opponent, Stanford. Nevada women's basketball officially became a member of the NCAA at the start of the 1981-82 season. In their history, the Pack have had 13 players go on to play professional basketball and two players picked in the WNBA Draft.
The Pack had 10 student-athletes named as a Mountain West Scholar Athlete this past academic year. The Mountain West Scholar-Athlete team is composed of student-athletes that completed at least two semesters or three quarters while maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher.
Go Where Knowledge Leads
The University of Nevada's 149-year tradition of excellence continues as the university provides eager scholars with a rich college experience. As industry leaders continue to make Northern Nevada their home -- Apple, Google, Tesla, Amazon, IBM and Switch, to name a few -- the University is connecting students and scholars with these innovative neighbors, giving them access to the best tools and resources to meet the needs of a global economy.
The University of Nevada is Nevada's flagship university, ranked among U.S. News & World Report's Best Global Universities. It is a Carnegie R1 Research Institution, with $150 million in sponsored grants and contracts. The University of Nevada offers 145+ Academic Majors to students in bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs, plus minor programs, certificates, and licensures. Even with enrollment of over 20,000 students, the average classroom size is an 18:1 Student-To-Faculty ratio.
Student success is a top priority for the University of Nevada, with 93 percent of graduates employed, in grad school or in the military within a year of commencement. When students aren't working hard in the classroom, you can find them enjoying the numerous of activities offered at and around the university. There's always something to do on campus. Attend concerts, BBQ's, art events, movie nights on the lawn, relay races, TEDx talks and so much more -- not to mention NCAA Division I athletic events. Plus, choose from more than 250 clubs, organizations, and activities -- from student government to eSports.
Build Your Brand
Nevada Athletics, in partnership with INFLCR, launched the Battle Ready Exchange. The Battle Ready Exchange is a student-athlete NIL business registry which provides approved businesses, collectives, donors, alumni, and any other interested NIL dollars with a free-to-use custom portal for communicating with Nevada student-athletes to discuss potential NIL transactions.
Nevada is a proud partner of INFLCR for all its NIL opportunities. INFLCR provides a school-customized NIL exchange as an extension to their athletics website where the school can send any business, individual or collective seeking to bring NIL opportunities to its student-athletes. Once registered, businesses can search, communicate, pay and report on behalf of student-athletes they're transacting with, streamlining the student-athlete's compliance and tax reporting responsibilities in their existing INFLCR app experience.
Nevada understands the importance NIL plays in college athletics and has worked with various businesses in the Reno/Tahoe community to provide NIL opportunities. Student-athletes have partnered with local businesses such as Grand Sierra Resort, The Joint Chiropractic, Silver & Blue Outfitters and others.
Our Head Coach
In her time leading the Pack, head coach Amanda Levens has produced 12 All-Conference players, five professional players and is third in program history in wins. Academically, her teams have collected 29 Mountain West Scholar Athlete awards. During the 2023-24 season, Levens guided Nevada women's basketball to a fourth-place finish in the Mountain West. It was the second time in the last three years Nevada finished in the top four in its conference. In addition to guiding Audrey Roden and Izzy Sullivan to All-Mountain West honors, Levens led the 2023-24 team to finish in the top 10 in program history in several categories: 2nd - 3-pointers, 5th - Steals, 6th - Field Goals, 9th - Points.
Levens guided the Pack to one of the best seasons in program history in 2021-22, recording the second-most wins in Nevada women's basketball with 20. After finishing third in the Mountain West, the Pack received their second invitation to the Women's Basketball Invitational under Levens. Under Levens' direction, Nevada had an All-Mountain West Team honoree and All-Defensive Team selection while Audrey Roden received All-Mountain West Newcomer Team honors. The Pack also made their mark nationally, with their 80.9 free throw percentage ranking fourth in the nation and being the 11th-best in all NCAA Division I women's basketball history. Levens was instrumental in guiding senior guard Kylie Jimenez, who accumulated a 3.19 assist to turnover ratio that ranked second in the country.
Levens had a great debut season in 2017-18 as the Wolf Pack’s head coach. The Pack finished non-conference action, which included a visit from the nation’s No. 1 team in UConn, at 7-4, making Levens the only head coach in program history to post a winning non-conference record in their first season. As Mountain West play went on, the Pack had a string of single-digit losses but turned it around as the conference tournament loomed. Nevada won its final two games of the regular season, including a 20-point win over intrastate rival and co-regular season champion UNLV, to ride some momentum into the Mountain West Tournament. Prior to the start of the tournament, former student-athlete Teige Zeller earned All-Mountain West honors under Levens’ guidance after posting a career season. Entering the tournament as the No. 7 seed, the Wolf Pack earned three consecutive thrilling victories to reach its first Mountain West Championship game and just its second ever conference title game. Nevada knocked off San Diego State in overtime in the opening round, then took down No. 2 UNLV in double overtime and No. 3 Wyoming by four points to square off against No. 1 Boise State in the championship. While the Pack lost to the Broncos on a last second buzzer beater, the tone had been set for the future. Following the conference tournament, the Wolf Pack accepted a bid to the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) to make just its fourth postseason appearance and first since 2011. Nevada won two games during its WBI run, the most wins the program has had in a postseason tournament, and eventually bowed out to Central Arkansas in the semifinals. Under Levens’ direction, Nevada finished the 2017-18 season with 19 wins, tied for the second most in program history and making Levens the winningest first year head coach. In addition to the win total, the conference championship game appearance, and postseason run, the Wolf Pack set multiple team records, including points, rebounds, field goals made and assists. Nevada finished the year in the top five in the Mountain West in scoring offense, 3-point field goal percentage, rebounding margin, assists and field goal percentage, just to name a few.
Laura Gonsalves begins her eighth year as an assistant coach with the Wolf Pack women’s basketball program in 2024-25. Gonsalves plays a crucial role in helping develop Nevada's post players and is instrumental behind the scenes in scouting, film analysis and recruiting. In 2023-24, Gonsalves helped forward Lexie Givens finish the season in the top 10 in overall rebounding, steals and blocked in the Mountain West. Givens was also in the top 15 in the conference in defensive rebounding and forward Kennedy Lee also emerged in the top 15 in overall rebounding in the Mountain West under Gonsalves' watch. Lee also finished in the top 10 in offensive rebounding in the Mountain West under Gonsalves' guidance.
Ashley Elliott begins her seventh season on staff and sixth as an assistant coach with the Wolf Pack in 2024-25. In her current role, Elliott plays an instrumental part in recruiting, scouting and player development. She also serves as the team's recruiting coordinator. Guards Audrey Roden and Izzy Sullivan both earned All-Mountain West honors with Elliott's guidance, with Sullivan also matching the single season program 3-pointers record by a Nevada freshman. Having a Hall of Fame career as a player at Wyoming, Elliott was recently named to the Mountain West's 25th Anniversary Team.
Halie Bergman begins her second season as an assistant coach and seventh year as a member of the Nevada women’s basketball staff. Bergman has previously served as a graduate assistant and director of player development for the Wolf Pack. She has impacted the development of student athletes on and off the court and worked to engage the program with the Northern Nevada community. Bergman now plays a key role in recruiting, retaining, and developing student athletes in the women’s basketball program and well as scouting and game planning for opponents. Joining the coaching staff after a three-year playing career at Nevada, Bergman helped Nevada to its second top four finish in the Mountain West in the last three years in 2023-24. Bergman also helped Nevada collect a pair of All-Mountain West honors and win 10 games in conference play for the second time in the last three years.
Shea Mead enters his 10th season as the director of basketball operations for the Wolf Pack women’s basketball program in 2024-25. Mead handles all day-to-day operations of the program, including team travel, coordinating practice and game schedules, community service, equipment, and summer camps. In the two of the last three years, he has led three panel discussions at the WBCA Convention in conjunction with the Final Four. Mead is also a member of the operations committee within the WBCA, which schedules the panel discussions at the WBCA convention.
Lavaris Duncan begins his second season with Nevada women's basketball in 2024-25. Duncan came to Reno from TCU, where he served as a graduate assistant before joining the Pack ahead of the 2023-24 season. “Lavaris is a versatile, hard-working and high character individual who brings a great skillset to our program,” Levens said. “He is going to immediately impact our program in a variety of ways both on and off the court. We are excited to welcome him into the Nevada women’s basketball family.”
Nevada women's basketball has had the opportunity to travel around the world and explore new places. Places the Wolf Pack have visited Hawaii and other countries like include Spain and Canada.
In addition to playing high-level competition on the court, the women's basketball program will spend time doing fun activities and checking out the sights of the cities. When the team isn't on the court, you can find them on the beach, going zip lining, shopping, and any other exciting activity each city offers.
With Reno offering non-stop flights to San Diego, San Jose, Las Vegas, Denver and others, travel is made easier for the Wolf Pack. That way Nevada women's basketball can spend less time on planes and more time enjoying off the court fun. The Mountain West schedule allows Nevada women's basketball to make several trips to metropolitan areas in the United States and the conference tournament is held in Las Vegas every year.
Nevada In The Pros
Nevada women's basketball has had 13 players go on to play professional basketball overseas. Alums of the program have gone on to play professional in countries such as Australia, Greece, Germany, Ireland, Brazil, Mexico and more. Tahnee Robinson (2009-11) and Mimi Mungedi (2011-15) were both selected in the WNBA Draft when their collegiate careers were over. Nevada currently has four former players that are still playing pro basketball overseas.
After being named All-Mountain West in 2018 as a senior at Nevada, Teige Morrell Zeller went to Australia to begin her professional basketball journey. She was named a NBL1 West All-Star Five in 2022 and helped her team to the NBL1 Central Grand Final Championship in 2021. She was also named NBL1 Central Grand Final MVP in that same season. She is set to begin her seventh professional season as a pro in 2024.
Terae Briggs posted 19 double-doubles during her collegiate career at Nevada, earning All-Mountain West honors in 2019. At Nevada, she is currently fourth in Career Field Goal Percentage (.514), sixth in Career Free Throws Made (279) and seventh in Career Rebounding (692). Briggs has played pro basketball in Sweden, Norway, Greece, Mexico and now Bulgaria.
Facilities On The Horizon
The Erica and Linda Lannes Basketball Building is currently in Phase III and athletics has raised $8 million so far, with aspirations to be completed by September 2024. The building will give men’s and women’s basketball an exclusive home away from home that will include renovated locker rooms and lounges. This building will attract impactful recruits and be a place for the players and staff to work on elevating their respective programs through film, meetings and team bonding.
Once players step foot into the new space, they will see and feel the support from the Reno/Tahoe community. Players will see that women's basketball is important to Nevada. This facility will be a place for all Nevada women's basketball players and staff to work on improvements through film and meetings. It will also help the players deepen their relationships as they spend quality time together.
Community Involvement
Giving back to the Reno community is one of the most important elements of the Nevada women’s basketball program. The Pack have partnered with Northern Nevada Sports and Recreation, the Special Olympics of Nevada, the Northern Nevada Children’s Clinic, the Food Bank of Northern Nevada and more. In addition to conducting basketball clinics across Reno, Nevada women’s basketball participates in local charity events such as Swinging for Inclusion, Dozers and Dirt and Baggin’ for Apples.
The Reno/Tahoe area isn't the only place where Nevada women's basketball participates in community events. Their service-first hearts travel all across the country. During the Pack's trip to Maui, Hawaii, in 2022, Nevada visited classrooms at Kamali’i Elementary School to discuss the different cultures and life as student-athletes.
Lawlor Events Center
Lawlor Events Center, opened in 1983, is the largest arena in northern Nevada. Events held here include Wolf Pack men's and women's basketball; Winter Commencement; concerts by top rock, pop, country, rap, and gospel recording artists; community dances and social gatherings; other sporting events; presentations by public figures; and conventions. Capacity is 11,200.
Named after Nevada's legendary coach and athletic director, Glenn "Jake" Lawlor, the Events Center was made possible by a grant approved by the Nevada State Legislature in 1979, with the grand opening held on Nov. 4, 1983. Originally built at a cost of $26 million, Lawlor Events Center has undergone periodic modifications and improvements.
Once every season, Nevada women's basketball welcomes thousands of kids for a game at Lawlor Events Center in its annual "When I Grow Up Game". In addition to the traditional in-game opportunities, the Pack provides fun and educational activities for the students throughout the Lawlor Events Center concourse. On Jan. 23, 2024, the Pack had the second-largest crowd in program history when 6,995 fans that mostly included kids from Washoe and Storey County came to Lawlor Events Center for a wolf Pack win. It was the highest-attended Nevada women's basketball game since Nov. 28, 2017, when the Pack hosted No. 1 UConn.
Ramon Sessions Performance Center
The Ramon Sessions Performance Center is home to the men's and women's basketball practice facilities and the weight room and training facilities. The building was dedicated in the fall of 2017 with Wolf Pack star and former NBA player Ramon Sessions in attendance. Sessions (04-07) was the lead donor on the project, gifting the University of Nevada $1 million to make the project possible. The basketball facility features office space and a conference room along with a full sized court with six hoops. The building was equipped with ShotTracker in the fall of 2019, enhancing player development.
The weight and training portion of the building is home to all teams outside of football, providing state-of-the-art equipment in a newly renovated space. The room also features a nutrition center, giving student-athletes all the tools they need to be successful.
Will Clayton has been a Strength and Conditioning coach for Nevada since 2017 and has been the Assistant Director for Strength and Conditioning since 2019. He serves as the head Strength and Conditioning coach for the women's basketball and baseball programs. Clayton's behind-the-scenes role with both women's basketball and baseball has helped the two programs make monumental strides. Women's basketball won 20 games in 2021-22, the second-best in program history, and baseball captured the Mountain West championship in 2021.
The Roger B. Primm Sports Medicine & Strength and Conditioning Center is a state-of-the-art facility built as part of Phase II of the Pack Village project in 2005. It is located just south of Mackay Stadium and stands at nearly 9,000 square feet of functional space for athletes to train and get treatment. Using various types of training modes, such as biokinematic restoration, symmetry, and mobility exercises, the staff is able to assist student-athletes in reaching their athletic potential. The concise method with which the staff monitors and educates student-athletes, in conjunction with rehab and reconditioning programs formulated by Strength/Sports Medicine staff, places the program among the best in improving and maintaining athletic performance.
Alyson Rippingham joined Nevada Athletics as an Assistant Athletic Trainer in 2022. In her role, Rippingham works closely with Nevada women's basketball and Nevada men's tennis. Prior to her arrival with the Pack, the Reno native worked at the Reno Orthopedic Clinic and served as an athletic trainer at Reno High School. Rippingham is no stranger to collegiate athletics, having previously worked as a student athletic trainer at Nevada along with stops at Seattle Pacific and Simpson University.
The athletic trainers have access to some of the best technology available with a half-million-dollar aquatic therapy room with two in ground plunge pools and a multi-depth therapy and exercise pool capable of accommodating multiple athletes at the same time while working on separate rehabilitation programs. The facility also boasts a separate functional rehabilitation area, ice/wet room and storage facilities.
The Neuromechanics Laboratory, located on the University of Nevada's campus within the Lombardi Recreation Center, primary role is to serve the community by providing critical services for concussion patients. These include baseline and post-injury evaluations at little to no cost for the patients. The expert staff will provide reliable and valid testing that can be used to aid in the clinical decision-making process. The lab has numerous clinical partners throughout the state of Nevada and is the primary concussion evaluator for University sports.
The Mountain West
Nevada has been a proud member of the Mountain West Conference since 2012. From its inception in 1999, the Mountain West has been committed to excellence in intercollegiate athletics, while promoting the academic missions of its member institutions. Progressive in its approach, the MW continues to cultivate opportunities for student-athletes to compete at the highest level while fostering academic achievement and sportsmanship.
The Mountain West has marked several achievements during its first 22 years, most notably becoming the first to establish a sports television network dedicated solely to an intercollegiate athletic conference (The Mtn.). The Mountain West Network is now primary streaming network for all its member institutions. Games streamed on the Mountain West Network are free to watch online and can also be viewed with Apple TV, Fire TV, Android TV and Roku TV.
The Mountain West is noted for its geographic diversity. Some of the most beautiful terrain and landscapes in the nation can be found within Mountain West boundaries, including the majestic Rocky Mountain range, which borders five MW institutions (Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, New Mexico and Utah State). The high plains of Wyoming (elevation 7,220 feet – the highest Division I campus in the nation) contrast with the desert cities of Las Vegas and Reno, home to UNLV and Nevada, respectively, while Fresno State, San Diego State and San José State add a west coast influence with their locations in Central, Southern and Northern California.
About Reno
Rated as the No. 1 Best Small City by BestCities.com and known as The Biggest Little City in the World, Reno offers a plethora of fun activities. Enjoy an array of activities year-round, including concerts, sporting events, food fests, museums, theatre companies, symphony, ballet and more. Enjoy some local color -- explore Reno's popular and dynamic Midtown District, filled with local shops, eateries, art and more.
What they all discover in Reno is a city in renaissance. Heavy hitter companies like Tesla and Google have set up shop here, helping spur a burst of new restaurants, retail, entertainment and nightlife. Art takes to the street in murals, public sculptures, galleries, special events and at the Nevada Museum of Art.
Reno brims with a sense that now is its time -- a combination of unparalleled natural beauty. New mountain bike trails appear almost as quickly as new restaurants. Hotel exteriors are converted into the tallest climbing wall in the world. A downtown stretch of the Truckee River becomes a whitewater park. From shows and gaming to scenic hiking and outdoor activities, Reno offers something for everyone. Between it all, eat, drink and repeat through the city's array of unique dining, shopping, sports, outdoor activities, coffee roasters and so much more.
Lake Tahoe is a 45-minute drive from the University of Nevada, offering world-class skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, camping, water sports and more. The proximity of Lake Tahoe and the High Sierra to the University is why the university is rated as one of the 35 Best Outdoor Schools in America by BestCollegeReviews.com.
Blessed with sparkling natural beauty, Lake Tahoe is considered the jewel of the Sierra Nevada and has been named one of the best adventure vacations, one of the best family vacations, one of the best ski vacations in the United States and more in the United States by the U.S. News & World Report. Tahoe is known for the clarity of its water and the panoramic views of the surrounding mountains on all sides. At 6,229 feet above sea level, Lake Tahoe is the highest lake of its size in the United States, measuring 22 miles long by 12 miles wide, with a surface area of 191 square miles and 72 miles of shoreline. Lake Tahoe is the second deepest lake in the United States, with a maximum depth of 1,645 feet, trailing only Oregon’s Crater Lake.
In addition to its awe-inspiring size, Lake Tahoe features unique Lake Tahoe dining experiences, local art galleries, and a broad selection of boutiques and shops. Conveniently located under an hour from downtown Reno, Lake Tahoe and all it has to offer is just a short drive, whether you want to grab lunch, see a concert or spend the day exploring hiking and biking trails.
Academics
The ultimate goal of University of Nevada student-athletes is graduation, and Nevada's student-athletes have one of the finest facilities to pursue their academic goals in the Marguerite Wattis Petersen Academic Center. The state-of-the-art facility opened in the spring of 2008. The 8,000-square foot building is home to Nevada's athletics academic advising program. Standing between the Nancy and Robert Cashell Football Center and Legacy Hall, it features a computer center with 38 computers and two laser printers, seven individual tutor rooms, advisor offices and a large atrium for group study and meetings.
Former Nevada soccer goalkeeper Kelsey Hardy returned to her alma mater as Nevada women's basketball's academic coordinator in 2021. Her current responsibilities for the program include having academic meetings with student-athletes during the school year, conducting academic evaluations for incoming freshmen student-athletes and potential transfers, and conducting NCAA and Mountain West eligibility checks. Hardy serves as a valuable resource for Nevada women's basketball student-athletes from choosing majors to making sure everyone is on track to graduate.
The standard for all Nevada women's basketball student-athletes is excellence, especially academically. Nevada's mission is to guide and support the transformation of student-athletes, academically, athletically, and socially. Coaches and staff will help prepare the student-athletes for a life outside of Nevada for leadership and services.
Life On Campus
Life on campus as a student-athlete at the University of Nevada provides a first-class college experience. Nevada offers nine dormitories on campus and several other off-campus apartment complexes that are walking distance to campus. With all freshman students encouraged to live on campus, Nevada's Residence Hall Association is the second-largest student-led organization on campus and creates programming and resources for students living on campus. Nevada also offers Living Learning Communities, grounded in the belief that learning is an active and dynamic process that occurs inside and outside the classroom. With faculty and staff directly connected to LLCs, residents have more opportunities to build relationships with professors and invested campus partners right where they live. Residents in LLCs benefit from additional resources, support, and enhanced activities centered around a specific focus in order to elevate their Wolf Pack experience.
Having the proper fuel and nutrition is an important part for student-athlete success and Nevada women's basketball takes care of its student-athletes. Nevada student-athletes are offered complimentary breakfast every morning at the Basin Street Club and players are always provided post-practice meals. On the road, Nevada orders high-class catering options in addition to getting food from popular/healthy restaurants around the country.
Mental Health Matters
Mental health is the single most important health and safety issue facing student-athletes according to the NCAA’s chief medical officer. Unfortunately, data also shows only 10% of collegiate athletes ask for help. That is why putting mental health center stage is key at the University of Nevada. The University recently launched its own Nevada Athletics Mental Health Initiative. Athletics department established two additional best practices for student-athlete mental health alongside the NCAA Sports Science Institute’s Best Practices. These additions include the creation of a Care Team Program for student-athletes, and providing education to help student-athletes understand their own mental health and communicate when they need support. Once a year, Nevada takes part in Mental Health Awareness Week and several activities are scheduled to educate student-athletes about mental health, providing resources on where to get help.
Dr. Kaleb Cusack joined Nevada Athletics in August 2023 as a Mental Health Clinician. In his role, Dr. Cusack provides individual mental health counseling and performance enhancement services to student-athletes and implements all mental health and sports psychology services to Nevada Athletics. Dr Cusack provides individual mental health counseling and performance enhancement services to student-athletes at the University of Nevada.
Life After Basketball
After graduating from the University of Nevada and giving great effort on the court, Nevada women's basketball helps prepare its student-athletes for life after basketball. 93% of the University of Nevada's graduates are working full-time jobs, in grad school or in the military within one year of graduating. Nevada women's basketball alums are working as coaches, in broadcasting, in speech pathology and many other career fields.
Nevada women's basketball recently hired former program alum Marianne Green as its life coach. Green is extremely passionate about helping people. She began her career as an auditor at JDS Professional Group where her dream of creating a non-profit flourished. She attended the University of Nevada on a full-ride basketball scholarship and graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Accounting. She also has a ministry with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes that instills hope, guidance, and confidence in women and girls in Northern Nevada through workouts and worship. Marianne has been involved with numerous non-profits and is elated to give back to communities that have meant so much to her. She believes that her basketball career helped her accomplish her goals and stay focused. She wants to offer sports as an outlet and give young student-athletes opportunities to accomplish dreams that they think wouldn’t be possible.
Many of the program alums have gone on to very successful careers. Shavon Moore (2007-11) is currently a doctor and Kristen Dearth (2017-19) went on to become a lawyer after graduating. Angie Taylor (1982-86) is currently a state assembly woman while Julia Shelbourn (2012-16) is currently working as a dentist.
Nevada women's basketball is supportive of any and all majors a student-athlete wants to pursue. Some student-athletes are in extensive majors such as engineering, business, kinesiology and more. No matter what field student-athletes decide to pursue, Nevada women's basketball will do everything to help its players be successful both on and off the court.