WACO, Texas >> Amy Atwell didn’t know much about the NCAA Tournament the last time Hawaii appeared on this stage.

The reach of March Madness fell short of Australia’s shores and Atwell was a UH signee, still a few months away from attending her first class in Manoa, when the 2016 Rainbow Wahine basketball team captured the Big West tournament title to earn a spot in the bracket.

Once she arrived on campus, earning a tournament experience has driven Atwell over her six-year Wahine career. That long-awaited opportunity arrives today in Waco, Texas, when the Big West champion Rainbow Wahine take on national power Baylor in a first-round matchup at the Ferrell Center.

“I watched a few of their games the year before … and I was fortunate to play with a lot of those girls my freshman year and my sophomore year,” the UH forward said of the 2016 team that faced UCLA in the first round. “Definitely drew from their experiences, definitely used that as motivation and as a learning experience.

“It’s been a long journey — only took me six years to get here. It means a lot to be able to do it with Hawaii across my chest and say that I played at one school my whole six years and be able to play under Coach Beeman for the whole time. It’s super fulfilling to get here finally.”

The Rainbow Wahine (20-9), the 15th seed in the Wichita Region, face the second-seeded and host Bears (27-6) today at 10 a.m. in a game televised on ESPN2.

Seventh-seeded Mississippi and 10th seed South Dakota meet in today’s first game at 7:30 a.m. Today’s winners advance to Sunday’s second-round game.

Along with preparing to face a Baylor team that was a contender for a No. 1 seed going into Sunday’s selection show, the Wahine are taking the time to appreciate the moment.

“It’s been one of the emphasis from the coaching staff,” Atwell said. “We’re one of the last 64 teams in the country, so to be able to soak that in and take in every aspect of this experience is super important, but also to prepare for a really good Baylor team.”

UH will make the program’s seventh NCAA Tournament appearance and the second under coach Laura Beeman, and she’s leading by example in approaching the week with a sense of appreciation.

“I know for myself personally, I’m enjoying this moment a lot more than I did in 2016,” Beeman said during Thursday’s pre-tournament press conference, “and that’s why I’m telling the kids you’ve gotta enjoy this.”

The Wahine got their first look inside the Ferrell Center for Thursday’s practice, their final full session before facing a Baylor team that captured the program’s 12th straight Big 12 regular-season title, the nation’s longest active streak among men’s and women’s programs, before falling to Texas in the conference tournament final on Sunday.

A look up at the Ferrell Center’s dome — nearly an identical match to that of the Stan Sheriff Center — and the eyes are drawn to the banners commemorating Baylor’s three national championships and another Final Four appearance under former coach Kim Mulkey, who moved on to LSU this season.

Nicki Collen, a former WNBA Coach of the Year with the Atlanta Dream, took over a program headlined by 6-foot-4 forward NaLyssa Smith — a first-team All-American and unanimous Big 12 Player of the Year — and maintained the Bears’ place among the nation’s elite.

Smith averages 22.5 points per game and poured in 37 in a win over Oklahoma in the semifinals of the Big 12 tournament last week. Guard Jordan Lewis was the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year as a transfer from Alabama and averages 11.7 points.

The Wahine will try to draw upon their early-season experiences — albeit lopsided losses — against teams from Power Five conferences in taking on the Bears.

“I think any time you play against Power Five teams and you’re playing against potential pros, whether it’s our preseason or in the 64, you take that experience and you hold it tight,” Beeman said. “Playing against teams like Utah, Gonzaga, SC, they’re going to have some pros on those teams, so our kids have been on a stage where they’ve had some competition that’s going to be familiar to what we see (today).

“Baylor’s a monster, they are No. 2 for a reason, they potentially could have been a No. 1 (seed). We’re going to have to get in the flow of the game.”

Beeman said the Wahine “can’t get into a track race,” with the Bears, who have aspirations of playing for the title in Minneapolis in three weeks. That said, Lewis and Collen said Hawaii will have their attention today.

“Hawaii is a good team. Obviously, they’re in the tournament for a reason, and I think we’re going to have to guard our yard this game,” Lewis said. “They like to penetrate a lot, so it’s going to be important for us to keep the ball in front of us and not be in constant rotation all night.

“Just going into this game, obviously, being a two seed, it’s easy to overlook the first two rounds. But I think it’s important for us to take it as if it’s a Final Four (today), because you never know when your opportunity is over. So I think just making sure we’re focused from the start.”

NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament

At Ferrell Center; Waco, Texas

Hawaii (20-9) vs. Baylor (26-7)

>> When: Today, 10 a.m.

>> TV: ESPN2

>> Radio: 1420-AM / 92.7-FM