HONOLULU — The University of Hawai'i women's basketball team will enter its final season in the Big West as the favorite in the conference's preseason poll and two Rainbow Wahine returnees were voted to the preseason all-conference team.
 
Coming off a second straight Big West regular-season title, the Rainbow Wahine topped the Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll released on Thursday. UH picked up 91 points in the poll to place one point ahead of UC Irvine, with the 'Bows and Anteaters both receiving four first-place votes.
 
UC Davis received one first-place vote and placed third in the poll followed by UC San Diego, which drew two first-place votes.
 
UH senior forward Imani Perez and sophomore center Ritorya Tamilo were voted to the seven-member All-Big West Preseason Coaches' Team.
 
Perez earned All-Big West second team and All-Defensive Team honors each of the last two years. She was also an All-Freshman Team selection in 2023. She averaged 7.9 points per game last season and anchored a UH defense that ranked third nationally in field-goal percentage defense (33.5%) and seventh in scoring defense (53.1 points per game).
 
Tamilo was named the Big West Freshman of the Year last season while also earning a spot on the conference's All-Freshman Team. She set the UH freshman record for blocked shots with 41, breaking the previous mark of 33 that stood since 1984, and averaged 1.3 blocks per game. She averaged 7.3 points per game while shooting a team-high 47.9% from the field and led the team with 5.0 rebounds per game.
 
UH went 22-10 overall and 16-4 in Big West play last season to earn the program's sixth Big West regular-season title and third in the last four years. Head coach Laura Beeman enters her 14^th season with a roster featuring seven returnees and eight newcomers. The 15-player roster also includes 11 international players with six from Australia, three from New Zealand and one each from Canada and Italy.
 
The 'Bows will play exhibition games against Chaminade on Oct. 21 and Hawai'i Pacific University on Oct. 28 at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. They open the regular season on Nov. 4 against Portland State. Season tickets are on sale at etickethawaii.com and at the Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center box office (Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.).
 

2025-26 Big West Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll

Rank	Team (first-place votes)	Points
1.	Hawai'i (4)	91
2.	UC Irvine (4)	90
3.	UC Davis (1)	83
4.	UC San Diego (2)	77
5.	UC Santa Barbara	61
6.	Long Beach State	57
7.	UC Riverside	51
8.	Cal Poly	34
9.	CSUN	27
10.	Cal State Fullerton	20
11.	Cal State Bakersfield	14

2025-26 All-Big West Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Team

Student-Athlete	Year	Pos.	Team
Skylar Burke	Senior	G	UC Santa Barbara
Erin Condron	Junior	F/C	UC San Diego
Shelley Duchemin	Senior	G	UC Riverside
Hunter Hernandez	Senior	G	UC Irvine
Megan Norris	R-Senior	C	UC Davis
Imani Perez	Senior	F	Hawai'i
Ritorya Tamilo	Sophomore	C	Hawai'i