It’s tough to depart from a place where one has spent most of her time growing into the individual she is today, while developing unforgettable moments and friendships. At West Virginia University, two senior women’s basketball players are closing in on the end of one chapter of their lives, but they will cherish their Mountaineer family as they get ready to move on to the next one.

 

West Virginia will honor seniors Lanay Montgomery and Desiree Rhodes before Monday’s 7 p.m. contest against Kansas at the WVU Coliseum.

 

Montgomery has spent all four years in the Old Gold and Blue uniform, graduated with her bachelor’s degree in May and is pursuing her master’s in organizational and corporate communication studies. Rhodes only spent two years at WVU after transferring from Wabash Valley Junior College, where she played from 2014-15. After just knowing each other for two years, the two can undoubtingly say that they created an everlasting friendship and this team is like a family to them.

 

“This is just like my second family, it will always be my second family,” Montgomery expressed. “It was always that home away from home.”

 

“I’m glad I came here, only if it was for two years,” said Rhodes. “I wish it was for four.”

 

Having known this WVU squad from the beginning, Montgomery has been through it all. When she first arrived on campus she was hit with devastating news of loss of her closest cousin, and her new teammates were already there for her.

 

“My teammates were all so nice to me my freshman year,” said Montgomery, a native of Pittsburgh. “My first day here I found out my cousin died, so that was a really difficult time for me, we grew up like sisters. Everyone was so nice to me, our coaches came and got me and took me to their house and my teammates came over. It’s been amazing here at WVU.”

 

Montgomery, a 6-foot-5 center, now serves as a co-captain to Carey’s Mountaineer team, but it wasn’t easy to obtain this leadership role.

 

During Montgomery’s first two years at WVU, she battled some hardships. As a freshman in 2012-13, Montgomery was suffering from a knee injury and had to sit out that first season. She didn’t see playing time until the next season, where she appeared in 24 games, totaling 41 points, 47 rebounds and 10 blocked shots.

 

“My dad told me coming into college that it would be, especially college athletics, would be coaches breaking me down and then building me up. My first two years here were my breaking down moment,” said Montgomery. “For coach Carey to eventually build me up from the time I stepped on campus to where I am today, he has been amazing, coach Carey has been amazing. He has been a great leader for me and my teammates. He’s a great guy and regardless how he may get on you on the court, that doesn’t lead to off the court how he treats you.”

 

As a sophomore in 2014-15, Montgomery excelled with 294 rebounds, 156 points and 124 blocks in 38 games, while netting 11 double-figure rebounding games, three double-doubles and three double digit scoring efforts. The following year, her confidence boosted, she was named a team and started and played in all 35 games, which is tied for fourth all-time in games started and seventh in games played. She led West Virginia with 284 rebounds and 97 blocks and was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team and All-Big 12 Second Team.

 

Throughout the 2016-17 season, she has earned Preseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention, Allstate Good Works Team Nominee, Senior CLASS Award Candidate, was selected as Hero Sports’ toughest defender in Division I women’s basketball. Montgomery has etched her name in the record books as she is the No. 2 all-time shot blocker (312), No. 4 all-time offensive rebounder (309), No. 5 all-time rebounder (889) and is on pace to set the school career record for field goal percentage (59.8%).

 

For Rhodes, her path to Morgantown was a little less traditional than that of Montgomery. Playing basketball at a junior college is a lot different than playing at a Division I school. When Rhodes, a native of Aurora, Illinois, was looking to transfer after her final season at Wabash in 2015, she had no problem finding where she would play next. Months later, she stepped foot on WVU’s campus to play for the 2015-16 Mountaineers.

 

“I was recruited by (associate head) coach (Chester) Nichols and this was my only visit that I took, and it really was my only visit because I loved it,” said Rhodes. “What I felt (on that visit) was good enough to make me come here and just make me forget about any other schools.”

 

In Rhodes’ first season as a Mountaineer, she played in 21 games, finishing with 21 points, 36 rebounds, four blocks and four steals. Rhodes was a huge contributor to WVU’s win at Kansas, scoring five points, four rebounds and four steals.

 

“A memory that stuck out to me, was when I got to help my team against Kansas,” Rhodes said. “It was really my first game, I probably didn’t play for the majority of the year, and I finally played at Kansas. I was productive. I got to help my team to a win when Lanay was in foul trouble, and that was pretty cool to me because that was really my first game getting actual minutes.”

 

So far in her final season, Rhodes has grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds in WVU’s win over Charleston Southern and a career-high three blocks in a win versus Coppin State. Rhodes scored four crucial points at Texas and grabbed five key rebounds in a double-overtime setback at Oklahoma.

 

She shared one word that best describes this team in her eyes and that word was easy for her to shout out.

 

“Amazing,” said Rhodes. “Amazing people, amazing experiences, amazing vibes, just everything about this team is amazing.”

 

As the duo finishes up their collegiate career at WVU, they look forward to those new beginnings.

 

“Sadly I think my basketball career has come to an end. I would love to continue, but I just think that I’m going to go further in my education,” said Rhodes, majoring in sociology and anthropology. “I have met great friends here that I think I’ll have for the rest of my life. Coach Carey has taught me a lot since I have been here, on and off the court he has taught me lessons. He always relates basketball to real life, and I know that when I leave West Virginia, I will be ready for the real world, thanks to coach Carey.”

 

The saying around here is true that once you’re a Mountaineer, you’re always a Mountaineer and these two seniors will never forget the Old Gold and Blue.

 

“It’s going to be hard for me to deal with that fact that I’m not going to be in Morgantown anymore on a strict schedule, but I think that coach Carey has helped me grow into a young woman and be tough enough to deal with anything after college. I’m excited for my future,”
Montgomery noted.

 

“My goal is to continue to play basketball whether it’s WNBA or overseas, and just to give back to my community to try to make where I grew up in Pittsburgh better, so kids are aware to take advantage of your opportunities, and that you can go far.”