Paradise Found Central Valley Grad Crystal Lee Relishes Another Winter Of Basketball In Hawaii
She shares a seven-bedroom, four-bathroom house with six others. They have four phone lines and seven computers and when they’re not at class or online, they’re working on their tan lines.
Waikiki Beach is 1-1/2 miles from their front door.
“I love living here,” said 1997 Central Valley High graduate Crystal Lee, a senior on the University of Hawaii women’s basketball team. “I love going to school here. Going to school at any other university would be depressing.”
Lee says that now, particularly because she’s playing the best basketball of her college career. That’s not to say life has always been one big happy pig roast for this Spokane Valley woman. Fact is, she hit a major speed bump on her way to the all-you-can-eat luau following her sophomore year. Lee’s game disappeared faster than a Spokane tan in October.
“We didn’t think she was putting enough effort her junior year,” longtime Hawaii coach Vince Goo said.
After starting all 27 games her sophomore year, averaging 10.3 points per game, Lee was relegated to the bench the following season.
“It was a fair decision,” said Lee, a speech major. “But it’s tough. Starting in every game to not playing at all. It’s easy to lose motivation. Going from 40 minutes … there was a point in the season I didn’t play one minute.”
And there were plenty of coach-player talks.
“It reached a point in midseason where I realized, if I don’t get my act together, I’m going to reside on the bench the rest of my career,” she said. “That wasn’t something I was looking forward to. They told me what I needed to do and I did it. You can say it’s a story with a happy ending.”
The happy ending started during the final stretch of last season. Lee started in the last six games as the Rainbow Wahine finished 20-9 before losing to Saint Mary’s in the first round of the WNIT.
She’s been rock-solid her senior year, averaging 18.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Lee’s making 52.4 percent of her shots and has converted 11 of 24 3-pointers (45.8 percent) and 46 of 58 (79.3 percent ) from the free-throw line.
“By the time you’re a senior, you kinda know what you need to do on offense and defense,” she said. “I’m just glad I figured it out.”
During the first week of the season, Lee averaged 21.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals in three games. She was named WAC player of the week and Hawaiian Regent Classic tournament MVP. The following week, Lee put up a career-high 31 points against UC Irvine. She was named to the Asahi Rainbow Wahine Basketball all-tournament team. She also made the Hawaii Invitational all-tournament team last weekend.
Beginning Monday, the Rainbow Wahine (6-2) play host at the Ala Moana Hotel Paradise Classic, their fourth and final preseason tournament at home. Among the invitees is Eastern Washington University (3-4), which plays Houston (4-4) on Monday, Hawaii on Tuesday and Detroit Mercy (5-3) on Wednesday.
“My teammates are asking me, `Do you know any of the Eastern Washington players?”’ Lee said. “I’ll probably recognize some of them.”
Among the familiar will be fellow Greater Spokane League alums junior Allie Bailey (Mead) and senior Kelli Pilkington (Shadle Park). Lee is one of four Rainbow Wahine players from Washington. Two are from the West side and the newest member is 5-10 freshman guard Christa Brossman of Pullman.
“She’s my favorite freshman,” Lee said. “As the game goes on, she’s getting more minutes.”
Brossman, who has played in three games, scored seven points in the team’s latest game against Akron.
“She’s one of the best freshmen we ever had coming in as far as work ethics go,” added Goo.
As for Lee’s turnaround, one of her “rewards” is the 15-day break in the schedule after the final tournament and before the WAC season begins.
“We make Crystal get home for the snow and blizzards in Spokane,” Goo said. “That’s good because she’ll appreciate the paradise here.”
Zags at Cougs
One might think the Cougars would feel good about this next one coming up. They play Gonzaga, a team with an identical 3-5 record Sunday afternoon in Pullman. WSU has defeated Gonzaga 11 of the last 13 games.
But there’s no comfort in past numbers, said WSU coach Jenny Przekwas, who still must be feeling the hurt of last weekend’s 0-2 showing at her team’s Cougar Shootout.
“Tradition and history is important, but maybe not right now. Gonzaga beat us last year (82-68), so they have the edge on that. We have the edge playing at home. We’re going to have to take our best game and put it on the court, no doubt about that.”
Washington State could be without senior forward Yvonne Volkman, one of the bright spots on the team. Volkman has a knee problem that could be related to stress fractures. Senior Victoria Harrod, junior college transfer Whitney Martindale and freshman Rebecca Jordan should see their minutes increase.
Because of injuries, the Bulldogs still only suit up eight players. Jessica Malone continues to put up the best numbers of any player around. The junior forward averages 21.1 points per game, tops in the West Coast Conference.
Vandals improving
Idaho (3-7) shows signs of life, winning two of its last three and coming out on the short end in an overtime game against Portland. With junior post Julie Wynstra out indefinitely because of a foot injury, coach Hilary Recknor is looking for other inside players Laura Bloom and Chavaughn Brown to step up. They’ve been doing that, and so has the whole team.
“Our defense is improving. It’s just us growing as a team. I knew it would take time,” Recknor said.