Hawaii’s Lily Wahinekapu named Big West Player of the Year
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM
Hawaii senior guard Lily Wahinekapu was named the Big West Conference Player of the Year three days after playing her final home game at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center against Cal State Northridge.
Hawaii senior guard Lily Wahinekapu was named the Big West Conference Player of the Year, becoming the third Rainbow Wahine to earn the honor, the conference announced today.
Post player Ritorya Tamilo was named the Big West Freshman of the Year and Laura Beeman earned her third Big West Coach of the Year honor in the last four seasons.
Wahinekapu, who began her career winning the Big West Freshman of the Year award at Cal State Fullerton, earned the conference’s top honor leading the Rainbow Wahine to a 16-4 record in conference play and No. 1 seed in the Big West tournament beginning Wednesday.
Wahinekapu led the team in scoring for the third straight year at 11.1 points per game while also grabbing 4.1 rebounds per game. She also averaged 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals per contest.
Wahinekapu is the third player from Hawaii to win the award, joining Judy Mosley (1989-90) and Amy Atwell (2021-22).
Tamilo set a program record for a freshman with 38 blocks this season while averaging 5.2 rebounds per game.
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Beeman has won the coach award four times in her 13-year tenure.
Wahinekapu is one of six players to make the All-Big West first team after she earned second-team honors last season.
Hawaii junior forward Imani Perez was named to the All-Big West second team.
UH’s next game is in the semifinals of the Big West Conference tournament in Henderson, Nev., on Friday at 9 a.m. Hawaii time.
