HONOLULU – University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine Basketball head coach Laura Beeman announced six players that signed National Letters of Intent to join the program in the 2016-17 season: Amy Atwell, Taylor Donohue, Courtney Middap, Julissa Tago, Makenna Woodfolk and Brittany Wunhym.
 
Three of the players join the Rainbow Wahine from Australia while three range from three different states on the mainland, giving the team a diverse mix of styles and backgrounds to build upon the success of last year's Big West Championship.
 
"Our staff and team is eagerly anticipating the arrival of the 2016 recruiting class," Beeman said. "Not only do each of these student-athletes fit our system, they are wonderful young ladies off the floor. They understand and embrace what it means to play for our program and represent the state of Hawaii."
 
Atwell is a 6'0" forward from South Perth, Australia with an accomplished international resume. At the Under-18 State Championships in 2015, she averaged 15.1 points (5^th overall in the tournament) and 7.9 rebounds per game. She won Western Australia Basketball League championships in 2012 and 2013 and has been a member of the Australian National Intensive Training Program since 2012. She has also been invited several times by the Western Australia Football Commission to try out for their talent academy. She said she chose Hawai'i because it "ticked all the boxes" with basketball, coaches and academics, particularly the Shidler School of Business.
 
"Amy will bring us great versatility at our forward position," Beeman said. "With her ability to shoot the three and post up, her value will be immense in filling the shoes of Destiny King. She has a high level of work ethic and we are looking forward to her competitive disposition on our floor."
 
Donohue is a 6'3" center from Trabuco Canyon, CA who last season averaged 10 points, nine rebounds and six blocks per game for Santa Margarita Catholic High School. A longtime softball player, Donohue picked up basketball just three years ago as a high school freshman and was identified early by the Orange County Register as a "Varsity Freshman to Watch." She has since led her high school to a CIF Championship in 2014 and a runner-up finish in 2015. Donohue is also a talented artist, receiving academic awards in advanced 3D sculpture and design.
 
"Taylor is a blue collar player," Beeman said. "She is not afraid to take a hit or give one for that matter. Her athleticism in transition will fit our system incredibly well. She epitomizes what a great teammate should be off and on the floor."
 
Middap is a 5'10" guard originally from Wynyard, Tasmania who relocated to Victoria to further her athletic development and has been a standout player every step of the way. In 2013, she was named the Tasmanian Female Basketball Player of the Year and then received a scholarship to the Victoria Basketball High Performance program. She was a member of the 2014 Victoria Metro Under-18 team were gold medalists at the State Championships and was a camp invite to the Under-17 national team later that year. She also participates with the Southern Peninsula Sharks in Basketball Victoria's Big-V league. She chose Hawai'i because of the coaching staff and the "close knit family environment."
 
"Courtney is another player that has played at an extremely high level in Australia," Beeman said. "Her ability to see a play before it has developed is exciting in our share-the-ball style system. She can shoot the three, get to the basket and facilitate on the perimeter."
 
Tago is a 5'9" guard from South Medford, Oregon with roots in the islands. Last season she averaged 17.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game for South Medfrod High School, boasting a diverse offensive skill set that challenges opponents. The past two seasons she was named 1^st team All-State and was a 2014-15 nominee for Gatorade Oregon Player of the Year. As a senior, she was named South Medford School President and says she chose Hawai'i because it "felt like home and the coaches and players welcomed me in and made me feel at home."
 
"We are very excited about Julissa," Beeman said. "She will be an immediate impact player at multiple guard positions. She has wonderful basketball instincts and makes players around her better."
 
Woodfolk is a 6'2" forward originally from Tacoma, Washington who last season attended Todd Beamer High School and helped lead her team to a Division and Regional Championship. She was a first team All-League player while averaging 9.9 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks per game. She was the 20^th-overall ranked forward in the 2016 recruiting class according to ESPN and is very active in volunteering and community service activities
 
"Makenna's ability to run the floor both offensively and defensively will be an immediate asset to our team," Beeman said. "At 6'2" she can stretch the floor on offense and become a matchup problem. Her length will also give us additional size on the boards."
 
Wunhym is a 5'6" point guard from Melbourne, Victoria with a championship pedigree. She won national championships with the Victoria Metro team at every age level, including the Under-16 tournament in 2012, Under-18 tournament in 2014 and Under-20 tournament in 2015. She was named a team captain of the U16 and U18 teams and was most recently named the Victorian Defensive Player of the Year in 2014. She also plays club basketball with the Nunawading Spectres, averaging 11.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
 
"Brittany's experience at the point guard position is exciting," Beeman said. "She has been a captain of a very talented Victoria Metro team and helped lead them to a championship. We look forward to her high IQ and leadership abilities in our program."
 
The 2015-16 Rainbow Wahine squad, who defeated Grand Canyon on Friday afternoon in Phoenix, Ariz. continue their season-opening road trip on Sunday, Nov. 13 at Northern Arizona at 2:00 p.m. MST.