HENDERSON, Nev. — Four members of the University of Hawai'i women's basketball program received postseason recognition as part of The Big West 2023-24 All-Conference Team announced on Tuesday.
 
Laura Beeman was voted Coach of the Year for the third time in her UH career and the second time in the last three seasons after leading the Rainbow Wahine to the Big West regular-season championship.
 
Guard Daejah Phillips was named the conference's Best Sixth Player for the second time and represented the Rainbow Wahine on the All-Big West first team. Guard Lily Wahinekapu and forward Imani Perez were all-conference second-team selections and Perez earned a spot on the All-Defensive Team.
 
Beeman led the 'Bows to a 20-9 record overall and 17-3 in Big West play and UH captured the conference regular-season title for the third time in her 12-year tenure at the school. She was previously voted Coach of the Year by her peers in the 2014-15 and 2021-22 seasons. Beeman picked up the 200^th victory of her UH career in the regular-season finale at CSU Bakersfield and enters the Big West Championship with an overall record of 200-157 and 129-69 in Big West games.
 
Phillips elevated her game to All-Big West first-team status after earning honorable mention recognition the past two seasons. She started the first two games of the season then came off the bench in 25 of her next 26 appearances and finished the regular season averaging 11 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Her numbers jumped to 12.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in Big West play. The junior from Las Vegas scored in double figures in 12 conference games and went for over 20 three times, including a career-high 29 at Long Beach State on Feb. 24. She shot 48.3 percent from the field in Big West games and joined UH's 1,000-point club on Feb. 17. She was twice named Big West Player of the Week and is the second UH player to earn the Sixth Player award twice in a career, joining Megan Huff (2015 and '16). A UH player has claimed the honor seven times in the 12 years since the Rainbow Wahine rejoined the Big West.
 
Wahinekapu closed the regular season as UH's leading scorer overall (11.6 points per game) and in Big West games (13.0 ppg). The junior scored a season-high 22 points in the regular-season finale at CSU Bakersfield and hit double figures in 15 Big West games. She shot 42.8 percent from the field overall and 46.1 percent in league play and ranks second on the team in three-pointers made (31), assists (62) and steals (36) while averaging 28.5 minutes per game. Wahinekapu was an All-Big West honorable mention pick in 2022 at Cal State Fullerton, when she was also named Freshman of the Year, and made the All-Big West first team last season.
 
Perez was a member of the Big West All-Freshman Team a year ago and was honored for her play on both ends of the court as a sophomore. The 6-foot-4 forward averaged 9.6 points while shooting a team-high 58.3 percent from the field overall. In Big West games, she averaged 9.9 points on 60.8 percent shooting and six rebounds per contest. She led the 'Bows with 136 total rebounds, averaging 5.7 per game. She also led the team with 29 blocked shots and her average of 1.2 per game ranked third in the conference.

UC Irvine's Deja Lee was voted the Big West Player of the Year. UC San Diego's Sumayah Sugapong was the Freshman of the Year and UCI's Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba was the Newcomer of the Year. UCI's Diaba Konate was voted Best Defensive Player and UC Riverside's Matehya Bryant won the Best Hustle Player award.
 
The Rainbow Wahine enter the Hercules Tires Big West Championships as the two-time defending champions and the No. 1 seed in the women's bracket. They earned a double-bye into the semifinals and will open their title defense on Friday at noon Pacific Time (9 a.m. Hawai'i time) at the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nev.