Hawaii women’s basketball picked to 3-peat in Big West preseason poll
STAR-ADVERTISER
Hawaii guard Lily Wahinekapu drives to the basket ahead of UC Santa Barbara guard Anya Choice during the first half of a game, on March 4, at SimpliFi Arena. Wahinekapu and Daejah Phillips were two of six players named to the Preseason Coaches Team.
The two-time defending Big West champion University of Hawaii women’s basketball team was picked to repeat in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll released today.
UH received six out of 11 first-place votes for 95 points to edge out No. 2 UC Irvine (88) and No. 3 UC Davis (85). The Anteaters received two first-place votes and the Aggies earned the other three.
Hawaii has been picked to place first in the poll in consecutive years and three times overall since joining the league in 2012.
Junior guards Lily Wahinekapu and Daejah Phillips were two of six players named to the Preseason Coaches Team.
Wahinekapu, an ‘Iolani alumna, led UH averaging 12.5 points, 2.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game last year in her first season since transferring from Cal State Fullerton.
Phillips averaged 11.1 points and 3.9 rebounds last season and scored in double figures in each of the last nine games, helping Hawaii win the conference tournament and advance to play eventual national champion LSU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
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Wahinekapu made the All-Big West first team last year while Phillips earned honorable mention honors. Phillips was also the Most Valuable Player in the Big West Tournament.
UH opens the season with an exhibition against Hawaii Hilo on Nov. 1 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. The regular-season opener is a week later on Nov. 8 at Stanford.
