Saturday the University of Hawaii athletic department will pay tribute to the late Judy Mosley-McAfee, the most dominating basketball player in the school’s history.

It is scheduled to unveil a banner in the Stan Sheriff Center at halftime of the game with Cal State Northridge, celebrating the school’s first All-American in women’s basketball and all-time leader in scoring and rebounds, who died of cancer in 2013. 

But while the banner is said to carry her number (32), UH says it is retiring her jersey, not the number.

In that Mosley is the first example of an eight-month old "retirement of jersey policy" policy that draws the curious distinction between the two.

The policy notes, in bold italics, that "although the honoree may be celebrated with their jersey number (if applicable), the jersey number will not be ‘retired.’"

The number is what carries symbolic and larger meaning here. As one of her contemporaries put it, "it wasn’t like somebody was going to wear a 25-year-old jersey, anyway."

You can see where such a policy could come in handy at a school that turns out All-Americans at a bulk rate and they might be in danger of running out of available numbers. But UH isn’t that place and hoops, even with 55 numbers, isn’t that sport.  

Officially, a UH spokesman said, across all of its sports offerings, just three numbers have been retired in the school’s nearly 105-year history. 

Initially, there was Tommy Kaulukukui (32), its first All-American in football in 1935, though it apparently took a while before they got around to putting the number aside. A couple generations later in 1997, UH took the numbers of pitcher Derek Tatsuno (16) and his coach, Les Murakami (11), out of circulation.

So far there have been none in basketball, according to UH, not Tom Henderson, Bob Nash, Anthony Carter, Nani Cockett or Raylene Howard. 

So, it wasn’t like UH was running low on numbers or adding to budget deficits by retiring them at a spendthrift pace.

In fact, when the issue came up two years ago, few were sure if there was even a policy on such things. Not until last May was one promulgated. 

Athletic director Ben Jay said, "Our executive staff developed a formal policy with input from our head coaches. The feedback we received was to honor and celebrate our student-athlete greats by retiring their jersey with their name, but not the number. 

"This is not uncommon with other athletic departments around the country. Some ‘retire’ a number and others do not and keep the number in use."

Mosley-McAfee’s considerable body of work includes two honorable mention All-America selections, leading UH to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (1988-89 and 1989-90) and playing two years in the WNBA. She remains the only player — female or male — to lead UH in scoring and rebounding for four consecutive seasons.

Saturday, Mosley-McAfee’s family is scheduled to be presented with a framed jersey replica.

It would be altogether appropriate if the policy, however well intentioned, was revisited so that the number could go along with it.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.