Konawaena two-sport standout Chanelle Molina is the Gatorade Hawaii girls basketball player of the year for the third time in a row, the Gatorade Company announced Thursday.
Molina, who led the Wildcats to a 26-1 overall record and the state Division I championship, was named the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s player of the year last week. She also made the newsapeper’s girls volleyball All-State team in the fall.
The 5-foot-7 senior guard averaged 19 points, eight rebounds and 7.6 assists per game, including a 24-point night in a 44-34 win over Maryknoll for Konawaena’s second straight state title. She was also a Big Island Interscholastic Federation player of the year four times in a row.
Molina has a 3.45 grade-point average and has volunteered on behalf of the Women’s Basketball Coaching Association’s Pink Zone initiative to promote breast cancer awareness and as part of an elementary school literacy-outreach initiative.
“Chanelle Molina is a phenomenal player and probably one of the best to come out of Hawaii,” Elizabeth Kam, the head coach at rival Punahou, said. “It’s not only her athleticism and skill set that set her apart, but also her basketball IQ and ability to read defenders and make the right plays consistently are on point. From what I’ve observed while coaching against her, she is a very humble, gracious and hard-working player. Each year she consistently got better, but did so with humility and great respect for the game of basketball, her coaches and her team.”
Molina has signed a national letter of intent to play basketball on scholarship at Washington State.
The Gatorade award recognizes athletic excellence, high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character.
‘Iolani’s Jamie Smith in 2008 was the last player from an Oahu school to be named the Gatorade Hawaii girls basketball player of the year.
Recent Gatorade Hawaii girls basketball players of the year
>> 2016: Chanelle Molina, Konawaena
>> 2015: Chanelle Molina, Konawaena
>> 2014: Chanelle Molina, Konawaena
>> 2013: Aliyah Pana, Hilo
>> 2012: Dawnyelle Awa, Konawaena
>> 2011: Maiki Viela, Lahainaluna
>> 2010: Maiki Viela, Lahainaluna
>> 2009: Kanisha Bello, Waiakea
>> 2008: Jamie Smith, ‘Iolani
>> 2007: Shawna-Lei Kuehu, Punahou
Enough already. She didn’t play a full season. Should have given the honor to someone else.
Totally agree! Great player, but not enough games played. Here sister should have won.
I can certainly see the case for her getting the award. She had a fantastic preseason against a level of competition that was unmatched by any other HI school. And she proved again that she was the best player in the state in the state tourney. So even with the missed time, she was the reigning POY and nobody made a convincing enough case to knock her off.
I see your point Ram33. But by definition, POY is a total year. Now if this was Best Player in State Award, she wins it every year (no question!). But this award is based on the entire year. The wear and tear on the body from practices and games. She was FRESH. Her sister carried the team as a sophomore until she got back. That’s awesome, I would say that’s POY too. Would anyone be happy if a co-worker was named EOY, the following year that same employee missed half the year being sick, but because no one did better than that employee, he/she was named EOY again? I think the best player for the year should be someone that played a full season, but please don’t misundrstand me, Chanelle is the “BEST” player in the State, just unfortunate in was incomplete because of her injury.
I guess the question is then, if not Chanelle then who?
Her sister.
Chanelle is the best player in the state but Player of the Year should’ve gone to Cherilyn
I somewhat agree with her sister being the POY, however, although Chanelle didn’t play most of the regular season games, it really didn’t matter. She would have sat out anyway with most of the games being blown out. She did play in the two games that did matter against Hilo, and they really needed her in the first game.
If she played on the Punahou Vars or California Storm should we start but would be probably be the third or fourth option. ILH talent is through the roof when compared to the NIs or the OIA.
Okay Education First whatever, tired of hearing nonsense from you. Remember, Kona won the State championship the past two years. You sound dumb by insisting the Molina girls can’t play or they not worthy of recognition. Just stop already, or at least leave them alone.