RENO, Nev. - The University of Nevada women's basketball team earned an automatic bid and will face Wyoming in the first round of the WNIT on Friday officials announced today. Game times will be announced tomorrow.
This year's appearance will mark the second WNIT appearance for Nevada. The Pack also went to the WNIT in 2007 falling to eventual-champion Wyoming in the first round. Nevada is 4-7 all-time against Wyoming and Friday's meeting will mark the first meeting between the two schools since Nevada's last WNIT appearance in 2007.
"This is very exciting for our players to be able to go to the WNIT," head coach Jane Albright said. "This week is spring break and it's nice that we have a team that wants to spend it together. I've heard from a lot of my team. They love each other and the game so this is great for us."
Albright will be making her fourth WNIT appearance. Albright recorded a seventh-place finish with Northern Illinois in 1991, a second-place finish with Wisconsin in 1999 and won the WNIT in 2000 with Wisconsin.
"We are excited about the invitation to play in this year's Women's National Invitation Tournament. Congratulations to Coach Albright and her team," Nevada Director of Athletics Cary Groth said. "Our young team will benefit a great deal from the experience of postseason play and will be a great representative of our university and conference."
Nevada ended the season with a 17-15 overall mark and a 10-6 (3rd) record in conference play. The Pack fell to WAC Tournament Champion LA Tech, 80-77, in the semifinals of the WAC Tournament on March 12.
Wyoming, a member of the Mountain West Conference, finished the year 19-11 overall and 9-7 in conference. The Cowgirls lost to San Diego State in the second round of the Mountain West Conference Tournament, 60-51.
This year's field includes 31 teams that earned an automatic berth and 33 teams that are chosen at-large. The Postseason WNIT will open with first-round games Wednesday through Friday, March 17-19. The single-elimination event culminates Saturday, April 3 with the championship. All games are hosted by participating schools.
Don Marchand will call the game on ESPN 630AM with the pregame show starting at 15 minutes before tipoff. A free internet broadcast of the audio will be streamed live at nevadawolfpack.com.
More information about the WNIT can be found online at http://www.womensnit.com/
QUOTES FROM HEAD COACH JANE ALBRIGHT
On waiting today to find out the Pack's opponent:
"I was confident. I've watched 26 brackets over my career. I knew once Fresno State got into the NCAA Tournament that we'd be in the WNIT."
On what this means for her team:
"This is exciting for our players. We have a really good team. We played a great game against LA Tech in the WAC Tournament semifinals and I am really, really proud of our kids."
On Nevada's success this year:
"The Lord has blesses us with talent and to be able to add Tahnee and Holly this year is really gratifying."
QUOTES FROM JUNIOR GUARD JOHNNA WARD:
On waiting today to find out the Pack's opponent:
"It has been a really long day. The selection show was at four and we had to wait a few hours after that. But we're playing so that's all that matters."
On her confidence:
"After the Fresno State lost in the WAC Tournament we were pretty confident they'd go to the NCAA Tournament and that we would go to the WNIT. "
On being able to extend the season:
"It's huge. Everyone wants to keep playing so this is big news for us."
QUOTES FROM JUNIOR FORWARD SHAVON MOORE:
On making it to the WNIT:
"This is big. I've never been a part of postseason play so I'm very excited."
On what receiving this bid means for the future of the program:
"This is a real confidence builder for the team. Especially since we made it to the WAC Championship game last year and didn't make postseason. This year we lost in the semifinals and made it so is says a lot about our team."
On her motivation:
"I'm extremely motivated for this game. This program has been to the WNIT one time before but has never won a game. This is a chance for us to make history and win a game."
