Wahine working through injuries

The Rainbow Wahine basketball team’s numbers dipped with injuries to two freshmen this week.

But there also was a sense of relief that the knee injuries sustained by forward Keleah-Aiko Koloi and guard Courtney Middap in Monday’s practice at the Stan Sheriff Center weren’t more severe.

UH coach Laura Beeman said Koloi could be back in a week to 10 days while Middap is likely to miss between three to four weeks. Although the freshmen will be sidelined for a chunk of preseason practices the news was “as good as we could expect,” Beeman said.

“No surgeries needed, now it’s just rehab, getting them strong,” Beeman said after Wednesday’s practice.

Beeman is hopeful Koloi will be ready for the Nov. 11 season opener at USC. Middap is likely to be questionable for the opener.

The Wahine had 10 players available for Wednesday’s session in Gym II and Beeman hopes to soon add a men’s scout team to practices.

The Wahine have routinely practiced against male students over the years and Beeman said they’ll join practice when they’re cleared by UH’s compliance department. In order to participate in practices, the scout team players must be full-time students, pass a physical and go through the NCAA clearinghouse.

“They have to do everything a regular student-athlete has to do,” Beeman said. “Once that happens we can get them on the floor.”

Beeman said they have a pool of players awaiting clearance to participate in practices and give the Wahine a chance to work “against bigger, faster, stronger competition, (and) it takes reps off our legs so we don’t have to go five-on-five against each other,” she said.

“If we’re lucky we’ll get about five guys who understand their role isn’t to play pick-up, it’s to make us better. I think it gives the guys a fantastic opportunity to understand women’s basketball, so I think it’s a great eye-opening experience. It teaches our girls how to play against guys and the respect that develops is awesome. I think it’s just a win-win situation.”