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University of Hawaii senior Amy Atwell was selected to the All-Big West Conference second team, senior Jadynn Alexander earned honorable mention recognition and freshman guard Daejah Phillips was named Best Sixth Player as the league announced its women’s basketball awards on Monday.
Atwell, a forward who earned the sixth-player honor last year and plans to return next season, leads the Rainbow Wahine with 12 points per game and ranks second in the conference with 2.2 3-pointers made per game.
“To have Amy come back is just going to give us more experience next year and that quick shot,” UH coach Laura Beeman said. “A healthy Amy with a preseason is first-team all-conference selection. We’ll take the second team, I think that’s deserved for her with her numbers.”
Alexander was named to the All-Defensive Team for the second consecutive year and Phillips was picked to the All-Freshman Team, along with UH guard Kelsie Imai.
Alexander started every game this season for the Wahine and averaged nine points and three rebounds per game.
“Jadynn has been an amazing defender for us all year long,” Beeman said. “That young lady works harder than anybody in our program night in and night out.”
Phillips started the first four games of the season but later thrived as the first player off the bench. Phillips enters this week’s Big West tournament averaging 9.5 points and 5.1 rebounds in 25 minutes per game and is the sixth UH player to win the conference’s sixth-player award in the past nine years.
“To have a freshman get it is really cool,” Beeman said. “The transformation that Daejah has been able to make in such a short period of time without a really great preseason, I think everyone should be incredibly excited about that kid’s future with our program.”
Imai was pushed into the starting point guard position early after Nae Nae Calhoun suffered a season-ending injury. Imai averaged five points, four rebounds and four assists per game for the Wahine.
Cierra Hall of UC Davis was picked as the BWC Player of the Year while Coach of the Year honors were shared by UC Davis’ Jennifer Gross and UC Irvine’s Tamara Inoue.
The Wahine departed for Las Vegas on Monday and are seeded fifth in the BWC tournament. The Wahine face No. 4 seed Cal State Bakersfield at noon on Wednesday at the Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay.
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