Kelsie Imai will be waiting with anticipation in Waco, Texas, on Friday when the No. 15 seed UH Rainbow Wahine take on No. 2 seed Baylor in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
The game between the Wahine (20-9) and the national contender Bears (27-6) will be televised at 10 a.m. on ESPN2.
UH was picked to finish fourth in the Big West preseason poll, but the Wahine have won eight in a row, knocking off UC Irvine 59-48 for the program’s third conference title.
The journey for the 2020 Waiakea graduate from the Big Island to the best team in the Big West still feels like a dream for Imai, who averages 4.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game over 20 minutes.
“To be able to win the Big West regular season and conference tournament while playing for my home state is like a fairy tale,” she said. “It’s still so unbelievable and knowing that I have so much love and support across Hawaii is the greatest thing about a part of the team.
“I’m excited to be able to compete against high-level competition and get the experience of March Madness.”
The Wahine are 1-6 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and 2-1 in the all-time series against the Bears dating back to 1995.
Texas beat Baylor 67-58 for the Big 12 championship, despite 6-foot-4 senior NaLyssa Smith’s 21 points and 10 rebounds.
The two-time Big 12 player of the year is averaging 22.5 ppg and 11.5 rpg. She will be a handful for UH’s Amy Atwell, the 6-foot graduate student, who is averaging 17.4 ppg and 6.7 rpg and was named the Big West player of the year.
The No. 7 Bears have been sharpened by Big 12 competition, where three teams are ranked in the Top 25.
The other starters are 5-7 guard Jordan Lewis (11.7 ppg), 5-5 guard Ja’Mee Ashberry (9.8 ppg), 6-3 forward Queen Egbo (10.9 ppg), and 5-6 guard Sarah Andrews (11.1 ppg).
Besides Atwell and Imai, a 5-7 point guard, UH’s other starters are 5-10 guard Daejah Phillips (10.3 ppg), 5-9 guard Olivia Davies (8.7 ppg), 6-3 forward Kallin Spiller (7.2 ppg).
Imai remembers last season when UH finished 9-8, had five games canceled and lost to UC Davis 64-52 in the Big West semifinals.
“Compared to last season, it was a way better experience,” said Imai, who’s a second-year freshman. “With COVID starting to slow down, we’re able to have fans, which means the most to me because my family was able to come watch me play in person.
“I take pride in being from Hawaii, and it’s been a goal of mine since I was a little girl to be able to bring home a championship title back to Hawaii.”
After the Wahine defeated the Anteaters 59-48 at the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nev., on March 12, Imai’s phone blew up.
“I had family, friends, old teammates, and coaches reaching out to me and congratulating me on the win,” Imai said. “My parents, brother, and cousin came out to Las Vegas for the tournament. My parents flew to Oahu for every home game, and I have family on Oahu who also came to my home games. I would like to thank the Antonio and Marxen family for taking me in as their own and constantly showing their love and support.
“My parents have done everything to get me to this point in my basketball career, and my siblings Kirsty, Kamie, Kirk, Natalie, and Keao have been my rock and always pushed me to be the best version of myself. I’d like to thank coach Alika Smith for continuing to support me and preparing me for basketball after high school, and coach Laura Beeman for not only being an outstanding coach but also a motherly figure who I can go to at any given moment.”