This bloom was never late.
It was simply in the nick of time for Nihoa Dunn. The Kamehameha junior came into high school uncertain whether she would stick with soccer or basketball, but she had to pick one. The two sports run in the same season, winter, and there was no optimal way to pursue both.
“There was a time when I sucked at basketball. I was close to choosing soccer over basketball. I thought at tryouts maybe Coach Pua (Straight) will choose me because I was tall,” Dunn said. “At the time, I was so much better at soccer.”
Now a two-time Star-Advertiser All-State selection in basketball, there is no doubt. Her versatility and dominance as a center have a huge impact for the state’s No. 1 team. Life as a goalkeeper had to end.
“I don’t think about soccer a lot. I had lots of fun playing it. Basketball, I could see myself doing better,” she said. “I got to try out for Kamehameha my freshman year and I made the team. Wow, this is awesome.”
Soccer’s loss is Straight’s gain. A very young Kamehameha squad did not qualify for the state tournament two years ago, but last season, the Warriors reached the semifinal round by routing Kaiser 61-41 and Lahainaluna 64-38. They lost to powerhouse Konawaena 48-42 before beating Campbell to finish third.
This season, three weeks into nonconference play, the Warriors are 9-1, including a 45-36 win over No. 3 Konawaena at the Matsumoto Law Group Black & Gold Classic, and a 56-28 rout of No. 5 Kahuku over the weekend at the I Mua Invitational. Kamehameha gave nationally ranked Mater Dei a battle before falling 51-42 on Saturday in the tournament’s title matchup.
“I was super proud of my teammates for how we played. We came into the game with a nothing-to-lose mentality. The 16th-ranked team in the nation, we wanted to show them Hawaii teams can play basketball too,” said Dunn, who scored 10 points. “Maybe we’re underrated. They’re a really experienced team. We were poised.”
Mater Dei had a runaway win over ‘Iolani in the opening round, 71-43, and beat Maryknoll in the semifinals, 77-44.
Kamehameha will play Konawaena again Saturday at 3 p.m. at Maryknoll Community Center. Once the chaser, the Warriors are now the bull’s-eye target for every title contender, even though the program has not won a state championship since 2013.
Dunn played basketball for the Warriors in middle school. Coaches who saw her then saw the potential, especially with height being at a premium in the islands. A majority of talented, tall female athletes opt to play volleyball, and club volleyball in the winter, rather than a physical sport like basketball. The common refrain from former basketball players who settle on volleyball: “I don’t like running.”
Dunn is a two-time Star-Advertiser All-State selection in voting done by coaches and media. At 6 feet, 1 inch tall with deft footwork in the paint, an ambidextrous shooting touch on the block, clever passing skills, range to the 3-point line and an explosive Euro-step from the elbows, Dunn is as versatile a center as any seen in years. As a freshman, she was fifth in the All-State Fab 15. As a sophomore, Dunn averaged 15 points and nine rebounds per game. She was voted No. 2 in the Fab 15 behind Lahainaluna’s Lola Donez, now at Cal.
“I first saw her play her freshman year and immediately knew she was going to be a problem for the rest of the state,” ‘Iolani coach Dean Young said. “Her touch around the basket was really advanced. I fully expected her to expand her game and she’s very consistent in the mid-range, and she has developed 3-point range.”
He added an apt comparison.
“She reminds me a lot of Kalina Obrey in the paint with her reverse-pivot finishes and her shooting range,” Young said.
Very few, if any, promising youth hoopsters are unknown to Chico Furtado, Dunn’s uncle. The Maryknoll coach ran Hawaii Select in the 1990s, a travel team stacked with future college players like Brandy Richardson.
“I first saw Nihoa play as an eighth grader for Kamehameha’s intermediate team. She showed signs of being a good back-to-the-basket post player. Strong, good feet and soft touch around the bucket,” he recalled. “I’m not surprised by how much she has improved. She is the best post-up big in the state.”
Punahou coach Elyse Umeda-Korth played for a powerful Buffanblu squad in the early 2000s with center Becky Hogue and guard Rachel Kane. All three went on to play D-I college basketball.
“When she played against us in the 2022-23 season, she was just a freshman, but already a great finisher around the rim. Fast-forward a couple years and she’s a force to be reckoned with on the inside. She is, for good reason, the focus of Kamehameha’s offense and she’s a big defensive presence on the inside,” Umeda-Korth said. “It’s not surprising that she has grown her game every year. Her confidence grew and that helped her get better in all aspects of her game.”
This season, the mid-range shots have been absolutely minimal. Dunn has hovered on the low post much of the time, which puts maximum pressure on defenses, even those of perennial powerhouses. With Dunn in close range, snapping up almost every possible offensive rebound, Kamehameha and its deep stable of speedy guards have their insurance policy on cold shooting nights from the perimeter.
Tough and mindful on the floor, as swift and active as most guards, Dunn is used to low-post double teams. Taking the occasional elbow to the head from a smaller defender without getting the call. The extra forearm shiver to the back. Sometimes, her post-up doesn’t follow through with an entry pass from a teammate, even though she is the premier low-post scorer in the state. In a “splash city” world of finesse-heavy video highlights and perimeter glory, she has embraced life in the trenches for the sake of her team.
Straight would like to see Dunn operate both on the block and mid-range. So would her uncle, the coach at Maryknoll, which has moved back from Division II to D-I this season.
“My only surprise is that she is not more dominant offensively. She tends to bounce out of the post too much. I think her next step to be an all-around offensive threat would be to increase her range,” he said.
Dunn’s patience is everything. She keeps working on her full package of skills.
“I like to have fun. I definitely don’t try to limit myself to the 5. I know in college I’ll be a 4 or 3 or maybe even a 2. That day is going to come,” she said.
It would make sense for any college scout to line up a prospect’s skill set with what the program would need from her at the next level. That’s what club tournaments are about, particularly when it is a live period and dozens of college coaches are on site making evaluation reports. For this winter, it’s possible Dunn is determined to lock down and dominate in the paint. Determined to lock down a state championship for Kamehameha, which moved up to No. 1 in the Star-Advertiser Top 10 today for the first time this season.
Dunn is averaging 11 points and 11 rebounds per game so far this season. Last year, in a 57-50 upset win over then Arizona 6A defending champion Hamilton, Dunn had 18 points against 6-6 and 6-4 defenders. Hamilton coach Trevor Neider knew it would be a challenge to contain Dunn.
“She’s a really good player. We watched her in a couple of the prior games. She’s got a 15-footer, can put the ball on the floor a little bit. She did a little bit of everything,” he said. “I think she shot it really well. She’s got a high ceiling. She’s a nice player. The whole team’s a really tough team. Even contested shots with a hand up, she was still knocking shots down.”
It is all part of the process for a Kamehameha squad that is gaining experience. Last year, the Warriors pushed ‘Iolani hard before the Raiders stepped up for their fifth straight state championship. The Warriors are wiser, stronger, faster and more skilled this season, but there is still a learning curve. Straight exudes an open, positive team environment. Dunn, one of the youngest players on the roster in her first two years, is now one of the cagey veterans.
“She wants everyone to feel happy, to feel good. She finds it hard to be a leader because she doesn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. I love that about her,” her mother, Tish, said. “She cares about other people. In life, that will be a good thing.”
Straight enjoys watching the maturation of her players from young student-athletes into women aiming high and far. Competitiveness and compassion.
“Nihoa is a very relationship-oriented kid. She thrives on those relationships with her teammates and coaches. In terms of vocal leadership, over the years she’s definitely developed that. After every game, we let every girl speak and share her thoughts. Nihoa pretty much says something, genuine feedback every time, whether it’s pregame, halftime or after the game. She’s really grown.”
From the start, there was something different. Good, but different.
“I remember that she was heavy. I was pregnant once before her, and she was different,” Tish Dunn said. “When she was born, part of her sac was still on her face. Hawaiians say that is a sign of having sight. Premonitions.”
Mom and Dad chose a name from the family tree: Chiefess Nihoa.
“Nihoa is a family name on my grandfather’s side. It comes from Kauai and the island named Nihoa,” Liloa Dunn said. “Her great-great-grandmother (Nihoa) sat on the court of Kaumualii.”
The history of King Kamehameha and Kaumualii, the last independent alii aimoku of Kauai and Niihau from 1794 to 1810, is ingrained in the establishment of the Hawaiian kingdom. After two planned invasions of Kauai by Kamehameha failed, Kaumualii chose peace, giving up his rule without bloodshed.
Dunn’s full first name, Nihoaokeali’iwahineokaleimaileonaonaikawana’aohou, honors a cousin of Liloa, who died at 25 in a car accident on the mainland.
Like Coach Straight, Dunn was a colic baby.
“I remember thinking, oh, my gosh, will she ever stop crying?” Liloa Dunn said.
“She was terrible. We always had to carry her. She always needed to be held and moving. She had a lot of issues,” Tish Dunn said.
Those include absence seizures.
“Not like grand mal, but where she would look off into space and faze out for 30 seconds,” Tish Dunn said. “Her teacher noticed that in preschool. The neurologist told us she could grow out of it.”
The option to have Nihoa take drugs was declined.
“We were very anti-meds,” Tish Dunn said. “She could never go in the pool without me being there for two years. Then, she grew out of it. Doctors know better, but it’s important to have faith. Kids grow and develop, and that alone can change their bodies. We were scared, and I’m a tough mom. I always thought she was ignoring me. I feel like if you honor your kids, take them seriously, it’s not even about sports. It’s about what kind of human being they are. Don’t always trust what doctors say. Trust your intuition. Support your kids.”
Nihoa was soon on the move.
“She walked kind of early. We kept our kids busy with sports. None of them showed any dedication or commitment until the right coach shows up,” Tish Dunn said.
With club coach Simon Bitanga, then Kalani Silva, Nihoa Dunn’s interest in basketball grew into a calling.
“She played with girls who were committed in a different way and she started trying harder. When she saw success with that, that helped her so much. Kalani taught her to want to succeed,” Tish Dunn said. “We went to Oakland, we kept winning. Watching them win together, that’s what I care about.”
Liloa Dunn has spent countless hours with his daughter and sons on the court, getting reps in one at a time. Soccer, and now basketball.
“She always had that twinkle in her eye. when I looked at her, always looking at me for approval while she played soccer.”
She’s not a little girl anymore, but dad is there at every game.
“Yeah, I still look for him. He always tries to blend in. I look at him a lot, maybe not so much in the game because I’m locked in, but before the game when we’re warming up,” Dunn said.
She learned to surf from her father at Sandy Beach Park. For a decade, the family spent time in the summer snowboarding in Montana. Time has flown by.
“I love Nihoa surfing Sandy’s. She loves the ocean. She’s so dedicated to basketball, but I love when she’s in the ocean,” Tish Dunn said. “It’s freedom for her, just having fun. She’s an amazing body boarder. She’s beautiful. She’s brown. She is so kind.”
Nihoa Dunn favorites and Q&A
Kamehameha basketball • Junior
Top 3 movies/shows
1. “The Notebook”
2. Anything Marvel Universe or Star Wars
3. “Gossip Girl”
“I’ve seen ‘The Notebook’ only once. It was written so well and it’s so sad. My favorite (in MCU) is ‘Iron Man’.”
Top 3 foods/drinks
1. Ahi poke (Foodland)
2. Sushi
3. Hot Cheetos
Top 3 homemade food
1. Steak
2. Mom’s Japanese-style chicken curry
3. Grandma’s tutu salad
“Tutu salad is a mix of beans and cilantro and it has lemon in it. It’s so good.”
Top 3 music artists
1. Drake
2. 21 Savage
3. Brent Faiyaz
Favorite athlete: Kevin Durant.
“I like watching a lot of athletes. Kevin Durant. Aja Wilson.”
Favorite teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Wildcats.
“I like watching college basketball way more than pro basketball. My mom and dad are both Steelers fans.”
Funniest teammate: “I think I’m pretty funny. Everybody on the team makes me laugh.”
Smartest teammate: “Probably Averie Owan.”
GPA: 3.5
“I try to get my homework done early. I do it during free periods. If I don’t get it done, I have to stay up late.”
Favorite teacher: “I like my teachers, but I don’t have a favorite one.”
Favorite class: Advanced Basketball
“Coach Pua teaches that class. And Honors English.”
Favorite motto/scripture: “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”
Hidden talent: Surfing and snowboarding.
“I learned from my dad at Sandy’s.”
New life skill: “I just got my driver’s license. My parents send me to pick up my brothers, drop off my brothers. I don’t really mind because I get to drive to places.”
Bucket list: “I never even thought about this. I want to travel to Switzerland. I heard it’s really pretty. I want to go to Japan. Primarily, out of the country.”
Time machine: “I would probably travel back to when my parents were my age. I think that would be so interesting.”
Youth sports: Soccer, basketball.
If you could go back in time, what would you tell your younger self?
“Just keep on working. Don’t give up. Don’t get lazy. Just be patient and trust the work you put in to anything.”
Shout-outs: “My parents, my brothers, my coaches.”
