Re-connecting with a familiar family helped the University of Hawaii women’s basketball team replenish its frontcourt.

The Rainbow Wahine, coming off a second straight Big West Tournament title, added height and depth to the post group in announcing the signing of 6-foot-4 Brooklyn Rewers as a transfer from Michigan State on Monday.

Rewers will enter the program with two years of eligibility with the Wahine. Her sister, Lauren, played at UH for three seasons, from 2017 to 2020.

“I think it’s huge in both directions of that relationship,” UH associate head coach Alex Delanian said of the family’s background with UH. “Lauren’s experience helps Brooklyn know what she’s going to get (at UH), and we know the type of person that we’re getting. Brooklyn, on top of being a talented basketball player, is a super great kid.”

The UH coaching staff initially recruited Rewers during her decorated career at Lake City High School in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. She ultimately signed with Michigan State and played in 13 games as a freshman with the Spartans. She made 17 appearances off the bench last season, going 16-for-31 from the field with 21 rebounds.

She joins a UH post group that returns 6-foot-4 Imani Perez, who averaged 10.3 points over the last eight games of her freshman season. Center Kallin Spiller (8.7 points per game, 6.8 rebounds per game) completed her two-year Rainbow Wahine career in UH’s loss to eventual national champion LSU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 17. Forward Nnenna Orji (3.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg) announced on social media last month that she is entering the transfer portal after spending three seasons with the Wahine.

Along with Rewers, UH’s signing class includes 6-4 center Vivienne Berrett. 6-2 forward Brooke Murrell and 6-foot guard Jade Peacock.

“We knew we could play a lot of different styles because we had three different post players,” Delanian said of last season’s rotation of Spiller, Orji and Perez. “We have now a few different varieties of post players and styles and how they score and how they defend. It’s flexibility in the different lineups you can play.”

UH is also slated to return forwards Jacque David and Avery Watkins after both suffered season-ending injuries during the conference schedule.

Along with Orji, sophomore guard Eva Ongoongotau also announced she would enter the transfer portal.

Rainbow Wahine basketball signing class

Name Pos. Ht. Cl. Last School

Vivienne Berrett C 6-4 Fr. Stanwood (Wash.) H.S.

Brooke Murrell F 6-2 Fr. Thomas Jefferson (Colo.) H.S.

Jade Peacock G 6-0 Fr. Hillcrest Christian College (Australia)

Brooklyn Rewers C 6-4 Jr. Michigan State