HONOLULU — University of Hawai'i women's basketball head coach Laura Beeman announced the additions of two signees for the 2026-27 season on Friday.
 
The Rainbow Wahine kept the program's pipeline Down Under flowing with the signing of Ella Barmentloo, a 6-foot-3 wing from Perth, Australia. The 'Bows also maintained their connection with the Pacific Northwest by adding 6-foot-2 forward Payton Mills from Lynden, Wash., to the signing class.
 
Barmentloo attended St. Mary's Anglican Girls School in Perth and played for the Perry Lake Hawks in Australian NBL One. She helped the Hawks capture the Western Australian Basketball League U-18 championship and place second in the national championship in 2024. She also played for Western Australia Metro in the 2025 Under 18 National Championships and averaged 11 points and 11 rebounds and was named the Defensive Player of the Tournament. She is slated to play for the Perth Redbacks in NBL One in 2025-26 and will become the 15^th player from Australia to play for the Rainbow Wahine and the seventh in the last four years.
 
Coach Beeman on Ella Barmentloo: "Ella brings a versatile wing onto our roster. She has the ability to score at three levels and she's established herself as one of the best up-and-coming defenders in her country. She is a genuine two-way player. Ella has a do-what-it-takes mentality on the floor and will fit nicely into the culture of winning we have established over the years."
 
Mills is a senior at Lynden High School and helped the Lions win back-to-back Washington 2A state championships. She was named the Most Valuable Player at the 2024 state championship and was an All-Northwest Conference first-team selection and first-team All-State pick. She averaged 15 points, nine rebounds and three assists per game last season and reached the 1,000-point mark in her junior year.
 
Coach Beeman on Payton Mills: "Payton is an incredibly high IQ player with the skills to back it up. She can use her size to post up or use her passing ability to thread the needle. She is a true matchup problem because of her ability to shoot and make plays. Her skill set will fit nicely into our style as a scorer and a facilitator."
 
"Both Ella and Payton love our culture and understand the opportunity to represent the state of Hawai'i on and off the court."
 
2026-27 University of Hawai'i Women's Basketball Signees

Player	Pos.	Ht.	Hometown (High School)
Ella Barmentloo	W	6-3	Perth, Australia (St. Mary's Anglican Girls School)
Payton Mills	F	6-2	Lynden, Wash. (Lynden HS)