Born in Burlington, Iowa, Lappe grew up in nearby Morning Sun and attended Winfield-Mt.

[2] As a freshman at Colorado in 1998–99 playing under coach Ceal Barry, Lappe led the team in scoring with 10.7 points per game.

[2] Lappe returned in 2000–01 as a redshirt sophomore averaging 7.0 points and 2.9 rebounds in 30 games (six starts).

[5] Lappe began her coaching career back in Iowa as an assistant at Drake University, a position she held from 2003 to 2006.

[8] On October 18, 2016, the University of San Francisco hired Lappe as women's basketball associate head coach.