Women's Basketball Faces UC Irvine in Big West Semifinals

Fourth-seeded Rainbow Wahine look to continue winning streak against top-seeded Anteaters

Mar. 13, 2026 at 3:18am

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The University of Hawai'i women's basketball team, riding a nine-game winning streak, will face top-seeded UC Irvine in the semifinals of the Big West Championship on Friday. The fourth-seeded Rainbow Wahine advanced to the semifinals with a 72-61 overtime victory over Cal State Fullerton in the quarterfinals. Hawai'i and UC Irvine have met 56 times previously, with the Anteaters winning the regular season matchup 50-47 in January before the Rainbow Wahine evened the season series with a 55-50 victory later that month.

Why it matters

This semifinal matchup features the two most successful Big West women's basketball programs over the past five seasons, as Hawai'i and UC Irvine have combined to win the last five regular season titles. The winner will advance to the Big West Championship game, with the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line.

The details

Hawai'i is led by freshman guard Bailey Flavell, who is on track to become the first Rainbow Wahine freshman to lead the team in scoring since 2010-11. Senior forward Imani Perez has been a defensive force, blocking 52 shots this season to tie for seventh on the program's single-season list. UC Irvine is paced by senior guard Hunter Hernandez, the Big West Player of the Year, and junior guard Jada Wynn, who ranks in the conference's top 10 in several statistical categories.

  • The semifinal matchup is set for Friday, March 13, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. PDT (9:00 a.m. Hawai'i Time).
  • Hawai'i defeated Cal State Fullerton 72-61 in overtime in the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 12, 2026 to advance to the semifinals.

The players

Bailey Flavell

Freshman guard for the University of Hawai'i who is on track to become the first Rainbow Wahine freshman to lead the team in scoring since 2010-11.

Imani Perez

Senior forward for the University of Hawai'i who has blocked 52 shots this season, tying for seventh on the program's single-season list.

Hunter Hernandez

Senior guard for UC Irvine and the Big West Player of the Year, ranking second in the conference with 19.5 points per game.

Jada Wynn

Junior guard for UC Irvine who ranks in the Big West's top 10 in several statistical categories, including third in assists per game.

Tamara Inoue

Head coach of the UC Irvine Anteaters, in her 10th season with the program and having led the team to at least 21 wins in each of the last five seasons.

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What they’re saying

“We must be ready to face a very talented UC Irvine team that has had an outstanding season. Our focus will be on continuing to play our brand of defense and finding ways to score against their tough defense.”

— Laura Beeman, Head Coach, University of Hawai'i (hawaiiathletics.com)

What’s next

The winner of the Hawai'i-UC Irvine semifinal will advance to the Big West Championship game on Saturday, March 14, 2026, with the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line.

The takeaway

This semifinal matchup features two of the Big West's premier women's basketball programs, as Hawai'i and UC Irvine have combined to win the last five regular season titles. The winner will have the opportunity to compete for the conference's automatic NCAA Tournament berth, making this a high-stakes game for both teams.