UNLV to sponsor Frohlic fan bus

Steve Guiremand

Tuesday, May 7, 2002 | 9:12 a.m.

Linda Frohlich will have her own rooting section when she makes her WNBA debut for the New York Liberty on May 25 against the defending champion Los Angeles Sparks.

Cynthia Ritchie is a big reason for that.

Ritchie has organized a one-day bus trip to the Staples Center for that game. Fans will leave the Thomas & Mack Center parking lot about 6 a.m. that day. The group will stop for breakfast and make it to the Staples Center in time for the noon tipoff.

Ritchie expects to leave Los Angeles about 3:30 that afternoon, stop for dinner and return to Las Vegas later that night.

Price for the bus trip will be $27 which does not include the ticket for the game, which is expected to be an additional $16.

"Actually, the idea for this came from the women's basketball office (at UNLV), but since Linda is no longer on the team, I kind of took over the logistics," Ritchie said. "We have to have a minimum of 48 people for the trip. So far we have 14 people signed up, basically supporters of the Lady Rebels, but we just sent out fliers promoting the trip at the end of the last week."

Frohlich, who is writing a rookie diary on the WNBA.com website, was a second-round pick of the Liberty last month. The three-time Mountain West Conference Player of the Year was the first Lady Rebel ever chosen in the WNBA draft.

"I didn't get to know her real well, but she was just such a super-nice girl to everybody here," Ritchie said when asked why she would help organize the trip. "She was just a sweetheart. She'd take time out for everybody and just stay around and talk and sign autographs for everyone."

For those interested in reserving a spot on the bus, contact Ritchie at 567-1249 by May 15.06