Ferd Lewis: Coach Laura Beeman eager to finally meet, greet Wahine on the court

Laura Beeman is starting her ninth year as the Rainbow Wahine basketball coach at the University of Hawaii, but she begs to differ with the official math.

“Seems more like my 50th year after COVID-19,” she sighs.

Consider, for example, that — fingers undoubtedly still crossed — this morning will be the first time her entire 16-member team is to gather at one time and in one place on campus since the last school year ended.

Between the late arrival of two European players, who emerged from their 14-day quarantine sessions in recent weeks, and three-week suspension of activities due to two positive tests in the program, some of the players will be meeting each other for the first time in a non-Zoom environment.

And it will be another week or more before they actually get down to running plays.

Still, Beeman says, “This will be the first time as a team that we are all in one place and at one time and we are really, really thankful for that.”

The Rainbow Wahine have been cleared to begin what athletic director David Matlin described as an “acclimatization period followed by modified practice.”

Beeman said that means they will begin today “in the weight room for the acclimatization period (with) nothing on the basketball court for at least a week to 10 days.”

The last time the Rainbow Wahine had a full squad together was for their virtual team banquet in April. Before that, basketballs in hand, it was the opening round of the Big West Conference tournament on March 11. The Wahine beat Fullerton soundly and looked forward to their semifinal round only to learn the next day that the tournament and, therefore, the remainder of their 16-14 season, was being canceled due to the pandemic.

Since then, their top player Julissa Tago, an All-Big West guard, is among the graduates. Three starters return and eight recruits, five freshmen and three junior college transfers, have been added to the roster.

The Rainbow Wahine who were in town this summer had been working out for about two weeks when sessions were suspended following the Aug. 18 announcement of a positive test for one member of the program. A positive test of a player from the dorms was announced three days later and workouts remained suspended until clearance was given for this morning.

There remains much to do — on and off the court. Sometime next week the Rainbow Wahine hope to have a better idea of when their season — if there is to be one — might get the go-ahead to start and what the Big West has in mind. Late November and early January remain two of the most talked about possibilities.

Then, there is the matter of the schedule. Most of what there was, prior to the pouncing of the pandemic, has long since been wiped out. Teams were either reluctant to travel for health and quarantine reasons, or they no longer have the financial wherewithal to do so. UH among them.

For the moment, however, the Rainbow Wahine will count their victories where they can find them. And finally assembling on campus is the first one.

“As a coaching staff and, speaking for myself, we are just incredibly excited to finally get our group together,” Beeman said.

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