Laura Beeman really does not take well to losing.
Coming off her first subpar record as Hawaii women’s basketball coach, Beeman employed a scorched-earth offseason campaign that saw her change out her entire coaching staff and re-install a tough-love approach that she withheld from a young team for much of last year.
To her, 12-18 (7-9 Big West) was the result of the leniency.
“(Last year) I didn’t think they could handle my intensity and the stress of college basketball, with so many incoming kids,” the sixth-year coach said this week. “So I really took a look at that and said, hey, gotta be who you are. And coach the way you coach, and trust that if the team can’t handle it, they will let me know. Offseason was a lot of reflection for me.”
| GUARDS
Returns: #0 Julissa Tago, 5-9 So.; #1 Rachel Odumu, 5-9 Jr.; #11 Tia Kanoa, 5-8 Jr.
Gains: None
Losses: Briana Harris, 4 years; Olivia Crawford, 2 years
Summary: It’s Kanoa’s show to run after sitting out a year transferring from Arizona State, and with Crawford’s recent departure from the team. Tago looks to build on a promising freshman season (5.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg) as the only 2016-17 player with more assists than turnovers. Odumu could break out after transferring from a quiet two years at Monmouth.
WINGS
Returns: #2 Courtney Middap, 5-10 So.; #5 Sarah Toeaina, 5-11 Sr.; #12 Leah Salanoa, 5-10 Jr.; #21 Lahni Salanoa, 5-11 Jr.
Gains: #15 Jadynn Alexander, 5-10 Fr.
Losses: None
Summary: Toeaina knows what she excels at, and that’s the mid-range game and strong drives to the hoop. It falls to the Salanoa twins — a combined 72 3-pointers in 2016-17 — and Middap to be the team’s primary 3-point threats. Both Salanoas shot above 35 percent from deep as sophomores, while Middap is the team’s long-range specialist. Alexander adds depth at the position.
BIGS
Returns: #25 Amy Atwell, 6-0 Fr.; #33 Taylor Donohue, 6-3 So.; #25 Makenna Woodfolk, 6-2 So.
Gains: #10 Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard, 6-3 Fr.; #14 Lauren Rewers, 6-4 Fr.
Losses: Adrienne Darden, 1 year; Keleah-Aiko Koloi, 1 year
Summary: With Donohue and Hoycard out indefinitely with injuries, Woodfolk leads the way up front for a baby-faced unit. She had a double-double in the exhibition against UH Hilo and showcased a 3-point shot not seen in her freshman year (5.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg). Rewers, a true center, is raw but potentially impactful with her size. Atwell adds depth coming off a redshirt injury season.
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Brian McInnis, Star-Advertiser
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Enter Tia Kanoa, a player after Beeman’s own heart.
The 5-foot-8 point guard out of Kamehameha and Arizona State watched from the sidelines as Hawaii struggled last year. She’s claimed the 2017-18 starting job — and probably not just because incumbent Olivia Crawford decided to leave the team a handful of days ago for personal reasons.
“Her level of competition is phenomenal every day,” Beeman said. “She brings intensity. At times it’s almost like, hey, tone it down a notch. She has one drive, and that is: I’m going to do what it takes to win, and you better be on this train with me or we’re going to have a problem. And I love that level of intensity — that’s what you need in a Division I point guard, that’s what you need in a Division I program.”
Kanoa played a total of nine games in two years at Arizona State, partially due to an injury her freshman season. She and Monmouth transfer Rachel Odumu inject new life into the Wahine backcourt.
They, returning BWC first-teamer Sarah Toeaina (13.5 ppg), and the Salanoa twins — Lahni and Leah — are the primary reasons Hawaii was picked to finish in the top half (fourth) of the Big West this year.
But UH is injury-hit to start the year, with bigs Taylor Donohue and Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard out indefinitely. Someone else will have to step in as backup point guard with Crawford gone, and forward Keleah-Aiko Koloi is not expected to return after missing the entire preseason for undisclosed reasons.
“Everybody’s gotta step up, basically,” Kanoa said. “We all have our roles the coaches have given us. And as certain people have different injuries and certain people can’t play as much, we step up in different areas that Coach wants us to.”
Hawaii continues its tradition of opening up on the road every year under Beeman, with games at Portland of the West Coast Conference today (5 p.m.) and Seattle University of the WAC on Sunday (11 a.m.).
The Pilots went 6-24 last year, while the Redhawks were 15-18. UH will have 10 or 11 players available, depending on the day-to-day status of wing Courtney Middap.
“It gives this young group a lot of confidence to go on the road and say, hey we gotta win,” Beeman said. “We at least gotta go 1-1 on this road trip.”
