Wahine “Hoopla” sold out

Hours before a fundraiser to support the Rainbow Wahine basketball program, coach Laura Beeman was already “overwhelmed” by the response the event had received.

According to the Wahine Basketball Hoopla web site, tickets for today’s event at Hukilau Honolulu are sold out with the proceeds to benefit the UH women’s program.

“It’s just a tremendous, overwhelming show of support,” Beeman said after today’s practice. “If you would have asked me year one if this was going to happen, I’d be like ‘probably not.’”

The final tally remains to be calculated, but Beeman — the subject of this week’s MidWeek cover story — said the event drew both corporate sponsorships along with individual sales and “a lot of people who can’t make it who are just sending in donations.”

“They believe in this team, they believe in the program and like I said it’s overwhelming,” she said.

Along with the fundraising boost, the Rainbow Wahine added to their active roster with the recent return of sophomore forward Dalayna Sampton and freshman guard/forward Lahni Salanoa to practice. Both have yet to play this season due to foot injuries.

Both are working up to game condition and it’s questionable whether they’ll see playing time in road games against Sacramento State on Sunday and San Jose State on Tuesday. More likely would be the Dec. 30 game at CSU Bakersfield and the Jan. 2 home game against Penn as they prepare for the Big West opener Jan. 7 at Long Beach State

Beeman said their return gives the Wahine “more depth in the post and the guard position with Lahni because she is so versatile as a stretch four, has a beautiful 3-point shot, can handle the ball pretty well, makes the right pass. It’s just going to be getting her in condition.”

The Wahine depart Friday for their Northern California road trip. After the SJSU game, the disperse to spend Christmas with their families and reconvene Dec. 27 ahead of the CSUB game.