The University of Hawai'i women's basketball team opens the 2024-25 season with a two-game road trip to the Pacific Northwest to face Portland on Thursday, Nov. 7 and Portland State, on Saturday, Nov. 9.
 
Laura Beeman leads the Rainbow Wahine into her 13^th season as head coach with a roster stocked with eight seniors and 10 returning letterwinners from last season's 20-11 team that captured the Big West regular-season championship.

GAMES 1 & 2  | HAWAI'I (0-0, 0-0 BIG WEST) AT PORTLAND (0-0, 0-0 WCC) |  AT PORTLAND STATE (0-0, 0-0 BIG SKY)
Date | Time				Portland — Thursday, Nov. 7 | 6:00 p.m. (PT) / 4 p.m. (HT) Portland State — Saturday, Nov. 9 | 7:30 p.m. (PT) / 5:30 p.m. (HT)
Location				Portland — Chiles Center; Portland, Ore. Portland State — Viking Pavilion; Portland, Ore.
Television				None
Live Stream				Portland — ESPN+ Portland State  — ESPN+
Radio				None
Live Stats				Portland — portlandpilots.com Portland State — goviks.com
Game Notes				Hawai'i | Portland | Portland State
Social Media				@HawaiiWBB | #HawaiiWBB | @hawaiiwbb | Facebook

  
HEAD COACH LAURA BEEMANAt Hawai'i: 200-159 (13th year)

SERIES VS. PORTLANDRecord: Portland leads 6-2
Last meeting: Portland, 70-54; Nov. 9, 2022, Portland, Ore.
 
SERIES VS. PORTLAND STATERecord: Hawai'i leads 5-4
Last meeting: Hawai'i, 71-68; Nov. 21, 2021, Honolulu

TIPOFF

• The Rainbow Wahine will play their first two games on the road for the fourth straight season.
• UH will be seeking its first victory in a season opener since 2019 vs. San Diego State. The 'Bows last won a season opener on the road in 2015 at Grand Canyon.
• UH's preparations included two neighbor-island exhibition games. UH earned a 69-50 win at Hawai'i Hilo and defeated Chaminade 73-31 on Maui.
• The 'Bows return 87% of their scoring from last season's team and three players who earned All-Big West honors last season.
• UH's returnees include three fifth-year seniors in Kelsie Imai, MeiLani McBee and Daejah Phillips.
• Phillips was named to the All-Big West first team last season after averaging 10.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, and was named the Big West Sixth Player of the Year for the second time in her career.
• Wahinekapu was an All-Big West second-team pick last season and led the team with 11.6 points per game overall and 13.0 ppg in conference games.
• Forward Imani Perez, the team's lone junior, was a second-team All-Big West pick and was also named to the All-Defensive team last season.
• Along with the 10 letterwinners, the 'Bows also welcome guard Jovi Lefotu back to the rotation. Lefotu redshirted last season as she recovered from a knee injury suffered in January 2023. 
• UH's five newcomers include four from Down Under with the additions of Rebecca Moors and Ritorya Tamilo from New Zealand and Kira-May Filemu and Danijela Kujovic from Australia.
• Tamilo, a 6-foot-4 freshman center, averaged 13.5 points and shot 11-for-14 from the field in UH's two exhibition wins.
 PRESEASON ACCOLADES• The Rainbow Wahine were voted first in the Big West Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll for the third consecutive season.
• The 'Bows enter the season at No. 19 in the Collegeinsider.com Preseason Mid Major Top 25.
• Daejah Phillips and guard Lily Wahinekapu earned places on the Big West Preseason Coaches Team for the second straight year after earning all-conference honors last season.

THE MATCHUPSPORTLAND PILOTS
Head Coach: Michael Meek
Record at Portland: 99-57 (sixth year)
2023-24 Record: 21-13, 10-6 WCC

• UH won the first two meetings with Portland in 1989 and 1992, the Pilots have won the last six meetings since.
• UH and Portland have met four times since 2017 with Portland winning twice at home and twice in Hawai'i.
• UH's last win in the series came on Dec. 4, 1992, 80-54 in Honolulu.
• Portland captured the WCC Women's Basketball Championship for the second straight year and the third time in five years last season. The Pilots ended the season with a loss at Kansas State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
• The Pilots were picked third in the WCC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll and received two first-place votes.
• Senior guards Maisie Burnham and Emme Shearer were named to the All-WCC Preseason Team.
• The Pilots warmed up for the season with 93-44 exhibition win over Willamette. 

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS
Head Coach: Chelsey Gregg
Record at PSU: 28-63 (fourth year)
2023-24 Record: 8-23, 3-15 Big Sky

• UH has won the last two meetings with Portland State, in 2011 and 2021 with both games in Hawai'i.
• UH is 0-2 in road games against the Vikings and last played at Portland State on Dec. 2, 2010, a 77-66 PSU victory.
• Portland State was voted ninth in the Big Sky Coaches Poll and 10^th in the media poll.
• The Vikings roster includes eight returnees, including three starters, and eight newcomers.
• UH senior guard Mia 'Uhila will face her former team when UH takes on Portland State on Saturday. 'Uhila played three seasons with the Vikings and started all 31 games last season before transferring to UH.
• Portland State has one player from Hawai'i on the roster, sophomore guard Laynee Torres-Kahapea (Punahou School).
• Portland State picked up a 63-55 exhibition win over Montana Tech on Nov. 3.

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