LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — “She was a proverbial child born with a basketball in her hand, literally raised in the gym,” Al La Rocque said.
His daughter, Lindy, grew up on the court as basketball runs deep in her family's bloodline. Al served as a longtime coach at Western and Durango High Schools.
"We spent a lot of time in the gym," said the UNLV women's basketball head coach. "I remember coming home whether we had practice after school or late at night, it was always back to basketball.”
From the days of being known as "Coach La Rocque's kid" to becoming one of Durango's most decorated student-athletes, Lindy is blazing a trail at UNLV, all while carrying on her family's unique legacy.
“I got to experience coaching at a really young age, seeing my father do it," said Lindy. "Now to be kinda carrying that torch and keeping that flame alive it means a lot to me. My dad kind of maybe lit the flame and now it’s been fun to carry that torch on.”
Al can't help but beam with pride when he watches her coach on the sidelines.
“What I see is just a beautiful young woman that wants to make her own path," said Al. "She’s her own person and that probably brings more pride to us than anything. The biggest compliment I get now is, I’m Lindy’s dad.”
WATCH: Before the @UNLVLadyRebels face Colorado State at 7PM in the @MountainWest Championship game, @lindylarocque shares what it's like to be coaching in her hometown and how she's following in her father's footsteps.
— Tina Nguyen (@ttinanguyen) March 9, 2022
Full story tonight in our 6:30PM show on @KTNV. pic.twitter.com/lLfH0QAQYR
The Lady Rebels haven't skipped a beat since Lindy took over in 2020, and she couldn't be prouder to build a winner right here in her hometown.
“Deciding to come be the coach at UNLV, it wasn’t a hard decision, to be honest. Now to be able to share it with my friends and family, to be able to have a support system like I do here in the community and at UNLV it really means a lot," said Lindy.
The Lady Rebels are doing more than winning games. The team is reviving a community while helping a father and daughter relive old memories.
"There’s a lot of people that are recognizing our program because of the impact he had on their life, whether he taught them or coached them or just had an experience with him," Lindy said. "Those people are coming back. I feel like, again, I’m reliving some of his impact on the Vegas community."
It's the Lady Rebels vs. the Rams in the Mountain West Championship Game.
— UNLV Lady Rebels (@UNLVLadyRebels) March 9, 2022
Tip off is 7 p.m. #MWMadness #LadyRebels #NCAAWBB pic.twitter.com/fi7w46x4Hs
UNLV will face the Colorado State Rams at 7 p.m. in the Mountain West Conference championship game.
