The deadline to submit a design of a special edition uniform for the Hawaii women’s basketball team to wear in a game next season is July 17.

As for the submissions UH has already received, head coach Laura Beeman isn’t taking any sneak peaks at any of the completed designs.

“I have seen a couple of partial ones, but I kind of want to go in blind and not know who is doing what,” Beeman said in a phone interview Monday. “I will probably recuse myself from the voting. I will have input, I’m sure, but I think it needs to be left up to the girls on the team and maybe a couple of people from the community.”

The University of Hawaii Athletics Department announced last month The Aloha Spirit Collection — Fan Edition Uniform Design Contest, offering fans a chance to design a special uniform.

The winner will receive a $1,500 cash prize and round-trip airfare to Honolulu for a game on Jan. 25, 2025, when the team is expected to wear the uniform.

The contest is a fun way of supporting a Rainbow Wahine basketball team that had its share of fun this summer.

The team spent 10 days in Japan in early June and played two exhibition games. Fourteen players on the active roster, including 11 returnees and three freshmen, were on the travel roster, which also included last year’s seniors Ashley Thoms and Olivia Davies.

UH also ran a clinic in Shibuya for more than 80 young kids who got to spend nearly two hours with the Rainbow Wahine playing games and running drills.

“I think for our kids, that was probably one of the highlights,” Beeman said. “Even though there was a language barrier, basketball broke the barrier.”

Freshmen Rebecca Moors, a 6-foot-2 forward, and Ritorya Tamilo, a 6-foot-4 center, are from Auckland, New Zealand, and played alongside their new teammates for the first time, as did Danijela Kujovic, a 6-foot-1 freshman forward from Victoria, Australia.

Last week, UH announced the addition of two more players for next season. Kira-May Filemu is a 5-foot-11 freshman guard from New South Wales, Australia, and Mia ‘Uhila, a 5-foot-8 guard, will use her final year of eligibility to play at UH after starting all 31 games at Portland State last season.

‘Uhila’s family is originally from Maui before they moved to Alaska.

“She’s going to bring us so much composure, experience and leadership to that point guard position,” Beeman said. “Bringing someone like Mia back where she gets to play in front of family and play where she was born and has spent a lot of time is really remarkable and really special. I think that right now, one through 15 could play a big role on this team.”

Jovi Lefotu, who missed all of last season recovering from an injury, also played in the exhibition games.

Hawaii is coming off the fourth 20-win season in Beeman’s tenure. The Rainbow Wahine won the Big West regular season and advanced to a postseason tournament for the third consecutive year, losing to Cal in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament.