Rainbow Wahine favored to win Big West basketball

GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM
Hawaii’s Daejah Phillips made her move to the hoop against UC Davis’ Sydney Burns on Feb. 29.

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GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM

Hawaii’s Daejah Phillips made her move to the hoop against UC Davis’ Sydney Burns on Feb. 29.

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Hawaii guard Lily Wahinekapu gets around UC Irvine guard Shirel Nahum on Feb. 3.

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JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM

Hawaii guard Lily Wahinekapu gets around UC Irvine guard Shirel Nahum on Feb. 3.

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On the day the University of Hawaii made official its full-time move to the Mountain West Conference, the Hawaii women’s basketball team was picked to win in its current home.

The Rainbow Wahine earned six first-place votes to edge defending champion UC Irvine by a single point as the league’s top choice to win the Big West Conference for a third time in four years.

UH was the two-time defending champion and top seed in the BWC Tournament when it was upset by UC Davis in the semifinals last year.

Hawaii returns 10 letterwinners, including senior guards Daejah Phillips and Lily Wahinekapu, who earned spots on the preseason coaches team for the second straight year.

Phillips made the All-Big West first team last season and was named the Big West Sixth Player of the Year.

Wahinekapu, an ‘Iolani alumna, made the All-Big West second team averaging a team-best 11.6 points per game.

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“All of the girls anticipated that we could go one or two based on how we finished last year and what we have returning,” Hawaii coach Laura Beeman said Tuesday. “They are going to look at that, we’re going to talk about that and then it’s get to work.”

UH will play an exhibition game at Hawaii Hilo on Oct. 27 and then open the regular season on Nov. 7 at Portland. UH’s home debut will be on Nov. 22 against Louisiana Monroe in the Bank of Hawaii Classic.

“Our goal is to win the conference, our goal is to win the tournament, our goal is to get back (and get) a NCAA bid,” Beeman said. “We were disappointed that didn’t happen last year, and so I think there is a lot of motivation to put us back in that position.”

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2024-25 Big West Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll

1. Hawaii – 96 (6)

2. UC Irvine – 95 (5)

3. UC Davis – 81

4. Long Beach State – 63

5. Cal Poly – 61

6. UC San Diego – 60

7. UC Santa Barbara – 52

8. UC Riverside – 40

9. Cal State Fullerton – 25

10. Cal State Bakersfield – 18

11. CSUN – 14

Big West Preseason Team

Déja Lee Sr. G UCI

Alyssa Marin Sr. G UCSB

Daejah Phillips Sr. G Hawaii

Tova Sabel Sr. G UCD

Sumayah Sugapong So. G UCSD

Lily Wahinekapu Sr. G Hawaii