LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV women's basketball's Nikki Wheatley has been named the Outstanding Rebel of the Week presented by Air Force Reserve, the school announced Wednesday.

The award goes to the student-athlete who turned in the best individual performance during the previous week of competition, as voted on by the UNLV communications department.

Wheatley turned in the best two-game performance of her career, as she was just one rebound away from averaging a double-double after posting 20.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while shooting 53.8% from the floor and 85.7% from the line in leading UNLV to a 1-1 week. Against preseason favorite Colorado State, she kept UNLV in the game by scoring all five of her team's points in the first quarter, and 11 of UNLV's first 13 in the game. Though UNLV fell behind as much as 19, Wheatley's play kept UNLV within the game, as she finished with a new career-high 22 points, and her three-point play with over a minute left cut the edge down to 6 points. She also posted nine rebounds, four assists and two steals in the game. Against the Cowgirls, the sophomore made 6 of her first 7 shots from the floor and had 17 points at halftime as the Lady Rebels crushed Wyoming by 29 points, the largest in the 42-game series between the two schools for the Lady Rebels. She finished the game against the Cowgirls with 19 points off 7-of-11 shooting, was a perfect 5-of-5 at the line, and grabbed 10 rebounds for her third points-rebounds double-double of the season.

2015-16 OUTSTANDING REBEL OF THE WEEK AWARD WINNERS

Jan. 13 - Nikki Wheatley, Women's Basketball
Jan. 6 - Lina Rathsack, Women's Swimming and Diving
Dec. 16 - Brooke Johnson, Women's Basketball
Dec. 9 - Ike Nwamu, Men's Basketball
Dec. 2 - Patrick McCaw, Men's Basketball
Nov. 27 -- Patrick McCaw, Men's Basketball
Nov. 19 -- Kendal Keys, Football
Nov. 11 -- Lexington Thomas, Football
Nov. 4 -- Jordan Magnin, Women's Soccer
Oct. 28 - Shota Takada, Men's Soccer
Oct. 21 - Spencer Moore, Cross Country
Oct. 14 -- Richard Garness, Men's Soccer
Oct. 7 -- Ryan McAleenan, Football
Sept. 30 -- Tim Hough, Football
Sept. 23 -- Jodi Barber, Women's Soccer
Sept. 16 -- Bradley Kamdem, Men's Soccer