After dominating New Zealand secondary school basketball, standout guard Bailey Flavell found herself at a crossroads with her basketball future: deciding where to play in the United States.
Flavell received offers from numerous schools along the West Coast and had just returned from a visit to the University of Hawai‘i, but was nowhere near a decision.
Then came the call.
Rainbow Wahine head coach Laura Beeman was bustling through the airport hot on the recruiting trail when associate head coach Alex Delanian convinced her to get Flavell on the phone.
“Alex said, ‘Coach, get on the phone with her right now, let’s have a conversation,’” Beeman recalled. “And I said, ‘You know what, that’s a great idea. Let’s do it.’”
Walking from terminal to terminal, Beeman delivered her pitch.
“You liked it here. You know what we’re going to do for your game. It’s just a flight away from your family. All the stars are aligning,” she told Flavell. “What are we waiting for?”
Then, she got the answer she was looking for.
“Yeah, Coach, you’re right,” Flavell said. “Not going to Hawai‘i would be the wrong decision.”
Long before U.S. college basketball was in the picture, Flavell was lighting it up in Aotearoa.
A product of the New Zealand National Team youth program, Flavell showed promise early. In 2023, as part of the U16 Tall Ferns, she averaged 14.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists, helping her team earn a FIBA Asia Cup bronze medal.
She followed that performance with an even stronger showing at the 2024 U17 FIBA World Cup, averaging a team-high 18.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. Her performance earned her a call-up to the senior national team, joining UH teammate Ritoriya Tamilo.
“Me and Bailey go back to high school days,” Tamilo said. “We used to play each other — it was the Bailey-Ritoriya show the whole game. Now we’re playing with each other in Hawai’i.”
Flavell also knew sophomore forward Rebecca Moors, another Auckland native, from their days in the national youth program, which helped her feel at home when making her decision.
“I think it’s been such a big help,” Flavell said. “They’re like my older sisters.”
Flavell comes from New Zealand basketball royalty. Her father, Judd Flavell, was recently named head coach of the New Zealand Men’s National Team, the Tall Blacks. Her mother was also a basketball player.
“She’s a coach’s kid,” Beeman said. “She’s super focused. She wants to play basketball, she wants to win. She wants to compete every day she’s on the floor.”
Judd Flavell is one of the most respected coaches in New Zealand basketball, with 13 years of experience with the Australian NBL’s NZ Breakers and most recently a Coach of the Year nod in 2024 with the Canterbury Rams in the NZNBL.
“He’s helped me the most along my journey,” Bailey said. “It’s awesome to have someone with that much knowledge to help me out.”
Flavell says she talks with her parents every day, but the 4,000 miles of Pacific Ocean between Auckland and Mānoa is no small thing. Still, she’s all-in.
“Obviously, I miss my family,” Flavell said. “But I think it’s just part of the sacrifices that you have to make to chase your dreams. I just have to remind myself this is what I want to do — and part of the journey is making sacrifices.”
Now, with the season a week away, Flavell is eager to take the court.
“The community and culture here in Hawai‘i, it’s one of a kind,” she said. “It’s gonna be awesome to represent that, especially on the mainland.”
Though Hawai‘i returns key pieces like senior forward and All-Big West selection Imani Perez and reigning Big West Freshman of the Year Ritoriya Tamilo, Beeman believes Flavell will be a major contributor right away, and she’s already thinking about the long-term.
“We’re gonna have to retain her,” Beeman said. “People are going to see what she can do as a freshman, and we’re going to be in a battle to keep her here.”
The Rainbow Wahine return to action at 7 p.m. against the Chaminade Silverswords on October 21st at the Stan Sheriff Center.