As the sound of squeaking sneakers and bouncing basketballs clattered behind her at the University of Hawai‘i's Gym II on Wednesday afternoon, it was hard for Khalilah Mitchell to contain her anticipation for what's to come in her new role.
"Honestly grateful, excited, nervous, confident, prepared all at one time," the first-year Hawai‘i women's basketball head coach said prior to her team's practice, one of the first ahead of the team's 2026-2027 season.
Mitchell's life changed rapidly following the surprise retirement of former head coach Laura Beeman on March 31. Mitchell, who served as an assistant coach under Beeman for seven seasons, threw her hat in the ring to become her successor and left an indelible impression on UH athletics director Matt Elliott. On April 21, Mitchell was announced as the program's new head coach and was formally introduced at a press conference the next day.
One of the noticeable ways Mitchell has made the program her own since taking over is in the team's roster size. The Rainbow Wahine are carrying just 12 players this season, three under the NCAA limit of 15 for Division I women's basketball.
"I love that because that gives everybody an opportunity to play and perform," Mitchell said. "It makes everybody's task that much bigger. I look at the girls as a puzzle — every piece is so vital to complete this this puzzle that we have."
Another mark of a Mitchell-led team? The fast pace on offense. Wednesday's practice featured lots of running.
"It's a read-and-react offense," Mitchell explains of her team's attack. "I don't know who's going to score at any given time if I'm being completely honest. They make the reads, they react to what the defense does, and because of that, that allows opportunity for free throws. Everybody gets an opportunity to score."
At this time last year, when Mitchell was an assistant coach for the Rainbow Wahine, players would frequently visit her to ask for extra work in the gym or simply just to chat. Mitchell says those visits are far less frequent now that she's in the head chair, though she's made it clear to her players she'll always be there for them.
A pair of standout underclassmen in center Ritorya Tamilo and guard Bailey Flavell chose to return to Mānoa for another season, despite being the type of mid-major players that would be highly coveted in the transfer portal.
"It was definitely tough," Flavell said of the unexpected coaching change. "That transition period of just not knowing who was going to be our coach. But I think the most important thing is that we all just stuck together. We all trusted the process, and now we're all here, and we're all super excited for the season. I think like the best thing about our team is just our culture within the girls and all our relationships."
A sense of relief was provided to the team when Mitchell got the job, and the squad has put their full trust in her.
"The transition has been pretty easy for us," Tamilo said. "We're really comfortable with Coach K, and so we know what she's doing."
With over a month before the season officially starts, the 'Bows plan to be intentional with how they use their time.
"Every day, I ask them, 'What are you preparing for?' They need to be the best version of themselves," Mitchell says of her players. "We're not comparing them to anybody, with the past or with the future. We have to hold our standard, and you really have to be competitive with yourself."
Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
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