Coming off the trials of a truncated season, Laura Beeman walked into Gym II on Thursday energized by the prospect of a fresh start to her 10th year leading the University of Hawaii women’s basketball program.
“The great thing is this group has brought some excitement back for me in what we have to look forward to,” Beeman said prior to the first official practice of the season. “Not just because it’s after COVID, but the personalities on this team are very different, they’re refreshing, they’re fun to be around.
“So when you bring in nine new players … when you have a team that makes it enjoyable to come to work, it helps that transition.”
Following an abbreviated 9-8 season (which included five pandemic-related cancellations), the Rainbow Wahine began in earnest the process of blending the skills of an 18-player roster into the team’s system.
The sizable group of newcomers includes four Division I transfers in guards Ashley Thoms (Weber State) and McKenna Haire (Princeton), forward Kallin Spiller (Seattle) and center Maeve Donnelly (UMass).
They add experience to a roster that returns three starters in senior forward Amy Atwell and second-year freshman guards Kelsie Imai and Olivia Davies, as well as guard Daejah Phillips, voted the Big West’s Best Sixth Player last season.
Guard Nae Nae Calhoun, a Big West All-Freshman team pick in 2020, played in just one game before suffering a season-ending knee injury prior to the conference opener in January. She also returns to the backcourt two years after she set a UH freshman record with 104 assists.
“I’ve been working hard every day coming in knowing Kelsie and everyone is here to push me,” Calhoun said. “Confidence, everything, I feel 100%.”
Atwell could relate to Calhoun’s journey, having spent her first year in the program (2016-17) as a redshirt as she rehabbed from a knee injury. She decided to return for a sixth year after leading the Wahine with 12.6 points per game and 36 3-pointers and earning a spot on the All-Big West second team last season.
“It’s crazy how different it feels, even physically,” Atwell said in comparing the atmosphere from last season to Thursday’s practice. “I feel so much in better shape than I did last year just because we were able to get a full load of summer workouts and this preseason chunk. Physically and mentally, it’s a lot different this year.”
Although some of the younger players, such as Phillips (9.6 points per game) and Imai (team-high 68 assists), saw substantial playing time last season, Beeman is preparing them for their first full taste of Division I basketball this season.
“COVID basketball is like playing in the NFL with two-hand touch,” Beeman said. “They got minutes last year, but they didn’t get minutes having a postseason and a preseason. They didn’t get minutes against teams that are going to be in the Division I shape that they’re going to be in this year.
“If anything we’ve had to slow it down a little bit, and make sure everyone is on the same page, tweak some things to our new players. … I’m thankful for what they did (last season) and I’m excited to see their growth because they have a lot coming.”
The growth process included individual skill sessions leading into the start of practice, which gave the coaches a glimpse of the chemistry the team has already formed.
“We have a long ways to go, but there are some really fun combinations to watch already,” Beeman said. “So we’re excited as we get into the meat of our practice to grow that even more.”
The Rainbow Wahine are scheduled to face Hawaii Pacific University in an exhibition game on Nov. 3 and open the regular season with road games at San Diego on Nov. 9 and USC two days later.
