We are still about 5 weeks away from the tip-off of the college basketball season, which means that we have plenty of time to prepare for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with Hawaii JR G Lily Wahinekapu, who talked about making the NCAA tourney last March and her expectations for this season.
You were born in Oahu: how did you enjoy growing up in an island paradise?! I loved growing up in Hawaii. It is very family-oriented and there is sunshine all year so it is a great place to grow up.
You are 5’7”: do you see your size as an advantage or a disadvantage on the court? Size does not really matter: even though I am not tall I am 1 of the fastest players on the court. Growing up some people said I could not play basketball due to my height…but I can!
You began your college career at Fullerton, where you scored 14.7 PPG as a freshman en route to being named 2022 conference ROY: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It meant a lot to prove to myself/my family what I could do. I missed my senior season of high school when it was canceled due to COVID so I just worked out every day, and that was 1 of the goals I wrote down on paper.
Why did you decide to transfer, and what made you choose Hawaii? There were a lot of reasons to choose Hawaii but ultimately I did so because it was home. My sister committed here and it was our dream to play together. I was kind of homesick in California but having my family at my games now is very important to me.
Last year you led the team in PTS/AST/STL: what is the key to being a good PG? I am just trying to focus on improving the little things. I can communicate better with my teammates now after spending a year in our system. I want to be a more vocal leader: we push each other during practice and have worked on our weaknesses.
Take me through the 2023 postseason:
In the Big West tourney quarterfinals you scored a team-high 20 PTS in a 7-PT 2-OT win over Fullerton: how exhausted were you after playing 47 minutes vs. your former team? Very exhausted: it was a long game! Both teams were hitting shots so it was a tough game but I was proud to face my old team. There were no hard feelings and we wished the best for each other. I had to get in the ice bath after the game: the travel to Vegas took a lot of toll on my body.
In the Big West tourney title game you had 19 PTS/0 TO in a 2-PT win over UCSB: how were you able to erase a 15-PT 2nd half deficit, and what did it mean to you to win a title? The 1st half did not really go our way so we just tried to stay positive and take it 1 PT at a time in the 2nd half. We tightened up on defense, hit some shots, and tried to work smarter/faster. We made a run in the final quarter and it felt really good. It was a tough year due to all of our team’s injuries but the title made it worthwhile. I hope we can do it again this season.
In the NCAA tourney you scored 11 PTS in a loss to eventual champion LSU: where does tourney MOP Angel Reese (34 PTS/13-20 FG/15 REB/3 BLK/3 STL) rank among the greatest college players that you have ever seen? She is definitely in the top-25. She is very athletic/tall and pursues the ball very well.
1 of your teammates is your younger sister Jovi: who is the best athlete in the family? It is definitely me, even though I am the shortest. She is faster and we push each other: I would not be here if she were not here with me.
What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? Our overall goal is to win another Big West title and advance to the 2nd round of the NCAA tourney. I would like to increase my PPG/APG and advance all of my numbers.