LAS VEGAS — The Fresno State women’s basketball team’s season came to an end tonight in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament with a 79-65 loss to the No. 2 seed University of Nevada, Las Vegas Rebels.
The Bulldogs played both of their conference tournament games with just nine healthy players, and McCarthy praised his team’s effort in the 14-point loss to the Rebels.
“For a first-year team to go out there and compete with UNLV, it’s not bad for a bunch of [Division II] kids and benchwarmers at the Division I level,” McCarthy said. “I’m really proud of them and how they came together.”
The Rebels jumped out to a quick 8-0 run and never looked back as they led for all 40 minutes against the Bulldogs. The Rebels shot well-over 60% for most of the Sunday night contest and ended the night shooting 50% from three.
“We were giving up some perimeter shots on extra passes and spacing, things UNLV does very well,” McCarthy said of the Rebels’ offensive performance.
The Bulldogs ended their season playing six straight games with just eight or nine healthy players, making fatigue an even bigger factor during the tournament, given their press-heavy style.
However, this is just the first year with McCarthy at the helm, and he said he will get the roster that fits his mayhem-style of defense.
“I think that we just don’t have that depth yet,” McCarthy said. “I think in the future it will be 94-feet of pressing for 40 minutes, and it will look a lot different than this.”
In her final game as a Bulldog, Emilia Long tied for the game-high in points with 19 and had a team-high five rebounds. Long played for McCarthy last season at the University of Alaska, Anchorage and said she believed in what McCarthy wants to build at Fresno State.
This season with the Bulldogs, she led the team in scoring and steals while finishing third in rebounding as the starting point guard.
“She’s a special kid,” McCarthy said with tears in his eyes. “I’m really glad she came here and gave us everything. That’s what we want out of every player who wears this jersey: to encapsulate what Emilia Long is. We’re really proud of her.”
With McCarthy wrapping up his first season at Fresno State, he is confident he can turn the program into a strong, consistent one. McCarthy noted they finished higher in the conference standings than they were predicted to.
The Bulldogs were a competitive team this season, but it wasn’t McCarthy’s goal.
“I didn’t come here to compete, I came here to win,” McCarthy said. “When we’re talking about 10 years, if we’re not competing for championships in 10 years, I’m not going to be sitting here. I’ll be fired.”
The Bulldogs end the 2025-26 season with a record of 15-18, but he did admit there will be key players to replace, including three starters.
“We’ve signed some pretty good players already, and we’re excited about the ladies that we’re looking at,” McCarthy said. “The future of the program is fine; we’ve established the winning culture.”
