HONOLULU — The University of Hawai'i women's basketball team makes its debut with an exhibition game against Hawai'i Hilo on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at SimpliFI Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. The game will be UH's lone exhibition prior to the regular-season opener on Nov. 8 at No. 15 Stanford.
| HAWAI'I HILO VULCANS (0-0, 0-0 PACWEST) AT HAWAI'I RAINBOW WAHINE (0-0, 0-0 BIG WEST) |
| Date / Time |
Wednesday, November 1, 2023 | 7:00 p.m. |
| Location |
SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center |
| Television |
None |
| Radio |
ESPN Honolulu (1420-AM / 92.7-FM) — Dave Kawada (play-by-play), Kallin Spiller (analyst) |
| Live Stats |
HawaiiAthletics.com |
| PDF Notes |
Hawai'i | UH Hilo |
| Social Media |
@HawaiiWBB  | #HawaiiWBB | @HawaiiWBB  |
HEAD COACH LAURA BEEMAN
At Hawai'i: 180-148 (12th year)
Collegiate Record: 570-258 (27th year)
TIPOFF NOTES
• The Rainbow Wahine and Vulcans last met on Dec. 20, 2020 in a regular-season game in Manoa. UH won that meeting 71-54. … The Vulcans went 10-16 overall and 7-13 in the PacWest Conference last season.
• UH enters the 2023-24 season as the two-time defending Big West champion after winning back-to-back conference tournament titles. The Rainbow Wahine made consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time since the 1989 and '90 seasons and earned the program's eighth berth overall. They ended the season with a loss to eventual national champion LSU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Baton Rouge, La.
• The Rainbow Wahine return 11 letterwinners off of last year's team, including three who earned conference honors, and were voted first in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll for the second straight year.
• Two Rainbow Wahine junior guards —
Lily Wahinekapu and
Daejah Phillips — were named to the Big West Preseason Coaches' Team. … Wahinekapu made the All-Big West first team last season after leading the Rainbow Wahine with 12.5 points and 2.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game in her first year at UH. She also ranked second on the team with 45 made 3-pointers and scored in double figures 24 times while starting all 33 games. … Phillips averaged 11.1 points and 3.9 rebounds and closed the season by scoring in double figures in each of the last nine games. Phillips was an All-Big West honorable mention pick after the regular season and was named the Most Valuable Player of the Big West Championship.
• Starting guards
Kelsie Imai and
MeiLani McBee also return along with
Ashley Thoms, the lone senior on the roster, and sophomore forward
Imani Perez, a member of the Big West's All-Freshman team last season. Guard
Olivia Davies returns after being limited to three games due to injury last season.
• McBee led the team with 51 made 3-pointers last season on 161 attempts. She delivered her most memorable shot in the quarterfinals of the Big West Championship with a 3-pointer to force double overtime against Cal State Fullerton.
• The class of newcomers adds size and depth to the roster with the additions of 6-foot-4 Michigan State transfer
Brooklyn Rewers, 6-foot-4 freshman center
Vivienne Berrett, 6-foot-2 freshman forward
Brooke Murrell and 6-foot freshman guard
Jade Peacock.
#HawaiiWBB
