Projected to be a centerpiece for the University of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine basketball team next season, center Megan Huff plans to instead continue her college career with another program.
Huff, UH’s second-leading scorer this season, confirmed on Wednesday she intends to transfer and has been granted a release from the school.
A two-time Big West Sixth Player of the Year, Huff announced her plans to leave UH on social media on Tuesday night. In a text to the Star-Advertiser on Wednesday, Huff said she’s “still in the process of weighing my options on which school I plan to go to. I’m waiting to see where God leads me on this journey.”
WAHINE LEAVING
CENTERS
>> Megan Huff
>> Kalei Adolpho
>> Connie Morris
>> Brianna Kennedy
GUARD/FORWARD
>> Destiny King
GUARDS
>> Ashleigh Karaitiana
>> Marissa Wimbley
UH head coach Laura Beeman confirmed she’d given Huff a release to transfer, but declined further comment.
Huff, a 6-foot-3 center, played in all 32 games in her sophomore season with four starts, providing consistent production off the bench while helping the Rainbow Wahine (21-11, 12-4 Big West) capture the conference tournament title and advance to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1998.
She averaged 9.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game and led UH with 33 blocked shots while earning second-team All-Big West honors. She was UH’s top scorer in seven games and shot 50.9 percent from the field, good for fourth in the conference, in just over 21 minutes per game.
She closed the season by posting a game-high 18 points and 13 rebounds in UH’s 66-50 loss to UCLA in the first round of the NCAA tournament on March 19 in Los Angeles.
“I’ll always have love for the islands but I know the decision to pursue my dreams at a different university will help me blossom to the player I aspire to be,” Huff wrote in a post on Instagram on Tuesday. “I have to follow Gods path for my future and have faith that he is leading the way! Thank you for all the support in my journey, Mahalo.”
A two-sport standout at Todd Beamer High School in Federal Way, Wash., Huff began her UH career with the Rainbow Wahine volleyball program in 2014 and joined the basketball team that December. She averaged 6.9 points and 4.9 rebounds as a freshman and was named Big West Sixth Player of the Year, an award she retained this season.
She played in seven matches with the volleyball team last fall before deciding to commit to basketball full-time.
Huff’s departure leaves UH without a returning center next season. Kalei Adolpho and Connie Morris completed their senior seasons in March. Junior Brianna Kennedy will graduate in May and forego her final year of eligibility.
In all, UH stands to lose six of this season’s top eight scorers. Along with the centers, first-team All-Big West guard/forward Destiny King and guards Ashleigh Karaitiana and Marissa Wimbley finished their UH careers with the NCAA tournament appearance.
Guards Briana Harris (8.4 points per game) and Sarah Toeaina (6.7) enter the offseason as UH’s leading returning scorers. Dalayna Sampton, a 6-foot sophomore forward, is the team’s lone returnee in the post after averaging 1.8 points while having her playing time limited by injury.
Given the anticipated losses heading into last fall, the Wahine coaching staff added interior depth in a six-player signing class in November.
UH’s group of incoming freshmen include 6-2 center Makenna Woodfolk, another product of Todd Beamer High; 6-3 center Taylor Donohue of Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Southern California and 6-foot forward Amy Atwell.
The Wahine also signed wing players Courtney Middap of Australia and Julissa Tago of South Medford (Ore.) High and Australian point guard Brittany Wunhym.
The regular signing period opened April 13 and runs through May 18.