Cumber Named to MW Preseason Team as Lobos Picked Sixth in Consecutive Years
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— Heading into the 2024-25 women’s basketball season, the Mountain West has announced the preseason poll and preseason honors with New Mexico picked to finish sixth for the second straight season and Viané Cumber selected to the Preseason All-Mountain West Team.
UNM received 172 points, picked to finish sixth in consecutive years, with the Lobos receiving 168 points in last year’s preseason poll before finishing second in the final standings. The Lobos were picked ahead of Nevada (125 points), Air Force (116 points), Fresno State (109 points), San José State (60 points) and Utah State (41 points), with San Diego State above them in fifth (218 points).
UNLV was picked as the preseason favorite with 21 first-place votes and 298 points, followed by Wyoming (three first-place votes, 251 points), Colorado State (four first-place votes, 248 points), Boise State (221 points) and the aforementioned San Diego State.
In addition, Cumber was one of 10 players selected to the preseason team, marking the first conference selection of her career. Entering her fourth year at UNM, the Albuquerque native has appeared in 80 games with 45 starts, including starting all 29 games she played in last season.
Cumber is coming off a season in which she averaged 11.4 points per game, 6.0 rebounds per game, both career bests, as well as had a career-best 39 assists, 22 steals and five blocks. A three-pointer threat, the Lobo guard made 70 last season, bringing her career total to 158 and her career three-point percentage to 36.0.
Against MW opponents, Cumber averaged 11.4 points per game, 6.7 rebounds per game, and finished in double figures in 12 games with two games with 20-plus points. She registered two double-doubles against Utah State (21 points, 11 rebounds) and at San Diego State (10 points, 11 rebounds) and made at least one three-pointer in all but two conference games. She made multiple three-pointers in 13 MW games and five or more in three, including six three-pointers at UNLV with the sixth one the game winner to give her 22 points.
She led the Lobos in scoring in six games and tied for the team high in one, and led the team in rebounds in seven games while tied for the team high in four.
Cumber enters the season on the verge of a couple of reachable milestones with 702 points (298 away from 1,000) and 158 three-pointers, eighth all-time in program history. She is 81 from tying the program record of 239 set by LaTascya Duff and would have to average roughly two to three three-pointers per game.
As a team, UNM finished 21-11 on the season and 12-6 in conference for a second-place finish. The 20 wins constituted the third consecutive year with 20-plus wins, one of three MW teams that have won 20 games in each of the last three years (UNM, UNLV and Colorado State). In addition, in the last four years, only two Mountain West teams have won 10 or more conference games all four years (UNM and UNLV).
The Lobos will present a different look this season with 10 newcomers and four returners from a season ago in Cumber, Lara Langermann, Paris Lauro and Hulda Joaquim. However, of the 10 newcomers, six are upperclassmen and nine of the 14 on the roster bring collegiate experience.
UNM’s season begins with an exhibition on Sunday, Oct. 20 at 2 p.m. and will have two exhibitions before the season begins against Northern Arizona on Nov. 4 at 11 a.m.
Preseason Co-Players of the Year
Emma Ronsiek, Gr., F, Colorado State
Allyson Fertig, Sr., C, Wyoming
Preseason Newcomer of the Year
Emma Ronsiek, Gr., F, Colorado State
Preseason Freshman of the Year
Kloe Froebe, G, Colorado State
2024-25 PRESEASON ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST TEAM
Pos. Name Yr. Team
G Milahnie Perry Jr. Air Force
G Natalie Pasco Jr. Boise State
F Emma Ronsiek Gr. Colorado State
F Mia Jacobs Jr. Fresno State
G Vianè Cumber Sr. New Mexico
F Adryana Quezada Sr. San Diego State
F Alyssa Brown Sr. UNLV
G Kiara Jackson Jr. UNLV
G Amarachi Kimpson So. UNLV
C Allyson Fertig Jr. Wyoming
2024-25 MW PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
Rank Team (First-Place Votes) Points
1. UNLV (21) 298
2. Wyoming (3) 251
3. Colorado State (4) 248
4. Boise State 221
5. San Diego State (2) 218
6. New Mexico 172
7. Nevada 125
8. Air Force 116
9. Fresno State 109
10. San José State 60
11. Utah State 41