Desi-Rae Young facts for kids

Desi-Rae Yvonne Young (born January 8, 2002) is an American professional basketball player. She played as a center for the UNLV Lady Rebels basketball team at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). She also studied Social Work during her time there.

Getting Started in Basketball

Desi-Rae Young was born in Inglewood, California. When she was three years old, her family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. Her parents are Beverly Williams. She has an older brother, Omar Paul, and a younger sister, Rashida Young.

When Desi-Rae was 12, her uncle encouraged her to try basketball. She quickly fell in love with the sport. As a child, she even attended basketball camps hosted by the UNLV Lady Rebels team. This was the same team she would later play for in college!

High School Basketball Star

Desi-Rae played basketball at Desert Oasis High School in Las Vegas. She was a standout player for the Diamondbacks girls' basketball team.

Sophomore Season (2017-2018)

As a sophomore, Desi-Rae was 6 feet tall. She led her team in many areas, including points and rebounds. She helped the Diamondbacks achieve a great record of 21 wins and 5 losses. They even reached the championship game of a big tournament in Oregon. Her strong play earned her honors like the Nevada All-State Team Honorable Mention.

Junior Season (2018-2019)

Before her junior year, the Las Vegas Sun newspaper named Desi-Rae one of the best players in the Las Vegas area. She had already received a scholarship offer from UNLV. As a junior, she continued to lead her team in rebounds and field goal percentage.

Desi-Rae helped the Diamondbacks win the Southwest League championship. This was the first time their program had ever qualified for the 4A state tournament. Her excellent performance earned her the All-Southwest League MVP award.

Senior Season (2019-2020)

The Las Vegas Sun again picked Desi-Rae for their "Super Seven" Team before her senior year. They called her a "once-in-a-generation player" and a "once-in-a-generation teammate." By now, she was 6 feet 1 inch tall.

She led her team in points, rebounds, and blocks. Desi-Rae guided the Diamondbacks to an impressive 24-3 record. They won the Desert Region Championship and made it to the 4A state finals for the first time. Even though they lost the final game, her coach praised her, saying, "Desi-Rae is a powerhouse." She finished her high school career averaging 11.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

College Basketball Journey

Desi-Rae was not heavily recruited by many colleges. She received only two scholarship offers from top-tier (Division I) schools. She chose to play for UNLV over Pepperdine.

Freshman Year (2020-2021)

When Desi-Rae joined UNLV, the Lady Rebels team was not expected to do well. They had a new coach, Lindy La Rocque, and only one returning starter. However, Desi-Rae's amazing play helped turn things around.

The Lady Rebels finished the season with a strong 15-8 record. They earned the second seed in their conference tournament. Desi-Rae even scored the game-winning basket in one important game! She led all freshmen in the Mountain West Conference in scoring and rebounding. Because of her great performance, she was named the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year. She also made the Mountain West Conference All-Freshman Team.

Sophomore Year (2021-2022)

Before her sophomore season, Desi-Rae was recognized as one of the best players in the Mountain West Conference. She was named Player of the Week three times during the season.

She led UNLV to win their first-ever regular season Mountain West title. Soon after, the Lady Rebels won their first Mountain West Conference tournament championship! This win earned them a spot in the big NCAA Tournament. In their first NCAA game, Desi-Rae scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

For her outstanding season, Desi-Rae was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year. She was the first Lady Rebel to win this award in 20 years!

Junior Year (2022-2023)

Desi-Rae continued to shine in her junior year. She was named to the First-team All-Mountain West team. She also earned a spot on the Mountain West All-Defensive Team. Her strong play helped the Lady Rebels win the MWC Tournament again, and she was named the Tournament MVP!

Senior Year (2023-2024)

In her final college season, Desi-Rae once again proved why she is one of the best. She was named the Mountain West Player of the Year for the second time in her career. She also earned her third First-team All-Mountain West and Mountain West All-Defensive Team honors.

Career Statistics

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