Rainbow Wahine Fall to Oregon 87-54 in Season Opener

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Rainbow Wahine Fall to Oregon 87-54 in Season Opener Despite Flavell’s 24 Points

EUGENE, Ore. — The University of Hawai‘i women’s basketball team opened the 2026–27 season with an 87-54 loss to Oregon on Monday afternoon at Matthew Knight Arena, marking the beginning of a new era under first-year head coach Khalilah Mitchell.

Despite the loss, Bailey Flavell delivered an impressive performance for the Rainbow Wahine, finishing with a game-high 24 points on 7-of-11 shooting while converting nine free throws.

Hawai‘i struggled to find its rhythm early as Oregon jumped out to a commanding 28-10 lead after the opening quarter. The Rainbow Wahine responded with their strongest offensive stretch in the second quarter, outscoring the Ducks 23-19 to cut the deficit to 47-33 at halftime.

However, Oregon regained control after the break, outscoring Hawai‘i 24-10 in the third quarter to put the game out of reach. The Ducks maintained their advantage throughout the final period to secure the 33-point victory.

Turnovers and rebounding proved costly for the Rainbow Wahine. Hawai‘i committed 23 turnovers, which Oregon converted into 36 points. The Ducks also dominated the glass, outrebounding UH 50-35, including a 24-9 advantage in offensive rebounds.

Offensively, Hawai‘i shot 35.7% from the field and connected on just three of its 17 three-point attempts. Oregon finished with 11 three-pointers and received balanced scoring contributions throughout its lineup.

Mallory Heyer led the Ducks with 16 points, while Ehis Etute recorded a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds. Katie Fiso added 14 points and nine assists, while Ari Long contributed 14 points and six steals.

The loss drops Hawai‘i to 0-1 as Mitchell begins her first season leading the program. The Rainbow Wahine are also entering their inaugural season as members of the Mountain West Conference following their move from the Big West.

Up Next: The Rainbow Wahine will look to bounce back when they continue their season-opening road trip against San Francisco on Thursday, November 5.

Rainbow Wahine Unveil 2026-27 Schedule Ahead of First Mountain West Season

HONOLULU — A new era of University of Hawai‘i women’s basketball is set to begin this fall.

The Rainbow Wahine have officially announced their 2026-27 schedule, featuring a challenging nonconference slate, 15 home dates at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center and the program’s first season competing in the Mountain West Conference.

The upcoming campaign will also be the first under head coach Khalilah Mitchell, who took over the program in April following seven seasons as an assistant coach. Hawai‘i enters the new season after finishing 22-11 in 2025-26, winning 16 of its final 18 games and reaching the Big West Championship game.

Challenging Start to the Mitchell Era

Hawai‘i will get its first action on Oct. 21 with an exhibition against Hawai‘i Pacific at Bankoh Arena before officially opening the season on the road.

Mitchell’s first regular-season game as head coach will come Nov. 2 at Oregon, a 2026 NCAA Tournament participant. Three days later, the Rainbow Wahine travel to San Francisco before returning home for the annual Bank of Hawai‘i Classic.

UH will face Saint Mary’s on Nov. 13 and LMU on Nov. 15 in the Classic.

The Rainbow Wahine then head to Lā‘ie for the North Shore Showcase, where they are scheduled to face California and Gonzaga. Gonzaga was also an NCAA Tournament team last season, giving Hawai‘i another early test against postseason-caliber competition.

Loaded Rainbow Wahine Showdown

One of the biggest stretches of the nonconference schedule arrives during Thanksgiving weekend with the American Savings Bank Rainbow Wahine Showdown.

Hawai‘i will play three consecutive games at Bankoh Arena, taking on San Diego State on Nov. 27, Columbia on Nov. 28 and Stanford on Nov. 29.

All three visiting programs participated in the 2026 Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament. Columbia won the tournament championship, while Stanford and San Diego State both reached the quarterfinals. Following the Showdown, Hawai‘i hosts Chaminade on Dec. 13 before closing its nonconference schedule with road games against Pepperdine on Dec. 20 and Fresno State on Dec. 22.

Mountain West Era Begins

The Rainbow Wahine will officially begin their first Mountain West campaign on Dec. 30 when Nevada visits Bankoh Arena.

Hawai‘i then hits the road for three straight conference games against fellow Mountain West newcomer UC Davis, Wyoming and Air Force.

The 18-game conference schedule will feature home-and-away matchups with several opponents, including Nevada, UC Davis, Wyoming, Air Force, New Mexico, UNLV, Grand Canyon, San José State and UTEP. UH’s regular season concludes with three consecutive home games — Wyoming on Feb. 24, UTEP on Feb. 27 and UNLV on March 2.

The Rainbow Wahine will then head to Las Vegas for their first Credit Union 1 Mountain West Basketball Championships, scheduled for March 7-10 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

With a new head coach, a new conference and 

a schedule featuring numerous teams coming off postseason appearances, the 2026-27 season will mark the beginning of a significant new chapter for Rainbow Wahine basketball.