March 6, 2000

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - UNLV women's basketball player Linda Fr?hlich has been named Mountain West Conference women's basketball Player of the Year, the league announced Monday.

Fr?hlich, a sophomore forward from Oldendorf, Germany, was chosen in a vote of MWC coaches after leading the league in scoring (21.9 ppg), rebounding (11.3 rpg) and steals (3.3 spg).

The WAC Freshman of the Year last season and the USBWA National Freshman of the Year, Fr?hlich won the conference scoring title for the second straight season. She was named to the all-tournament team at both the Nassau Sun Splash Shootout and the Cox Communications Lady Rebel Classic.

Three times during the season, Fr?hlich won MWC Player of the Week honors and captured the award in the season's final week of the regular season. No other player in the conference won the award more than once.

Fr?hlich becomes UNLV's third conference Player of the Year. Misty Thomas was selected as the Big West Player of the Year in 1984-85 and Pauline Jordan was Big West Co-Player of the Year in 1989-90.

In addition to being chosen as the league's top player, Fr?hlich earned first team all-conference honors for the second time in her career.

Also garnering kudos from the league was freshman guard Constance Jinks, who was named to the MWC All-Newcomer team after finishing third on the team and 13th in the conference in scoring with an 11.8 ppg average. Jinks is a native of Chicago, Ill.

UNLV finished the regular season with a 16-11 mark and an 8-6 record in the MWC. The Lady Rebels will begin play in the McLeodUSA MWC Tournament as the No. 5 seed on Wednesday, March 8 at 6:00 p.m. in the Thomas and Mack Center against New Mexico.

The complete Mountain West Conference postseason awards list follows:

First Team All-Mountain West ConferenceLinda Fr?hlich, UNLVCarrie Bacon, WyomingHeather Haanen, Colorado StateJill Adams, BYUMiranda Sanchez, New Mexico

Second Team All-Mountain West ConferenceLauren Beckman, UtahKristina Andersen, UtahErin Thorn, BYUAmy Ewert, UtahMary Apiafi, San Diego State

All-Mountain West Conference Newcomer TeamJordan Adams, New MexicoErin Thorn, BYUAshley Augspurger, Colorado StateConstance Jinks, UNLVJamey Cox, San Diego State

Player of the Year - Linda Fr?hlich, UNLVNewcomer of the Year - Jordan Adams, New MexicoFreshman of the Year - Erin Thorn, BYUCoach of the Year - Elaine Elliott, Utah