Polynesian women's basketball players take pride in sharing heritage while growing game

To fully understand and appreciate the pride Utah women’s basketball standout Alissa Pili feels for her Polynesian heritage, one needs only to look at her right leg. 

Tattooed there, in prominent display from ankle to hip, is a spiral of Polynesian tribal symbols. In ancient times, ink like that — especially full sleeves — was typically associated with warriors. 

That’s also a fitting description for Pili, the reigning Pac-12 player of the year, a tough, relentless forward who averages 21.0 points and 6.4 rebounds for the No. 22 Utes. But because the senior, who is Samoan and Alaska Native (Inupiaq), also values femininity, she asked her tattoo artist to add flowers, too. 

“Women aren’t known for being super feminine in our Polynesian culture, but I think it’s important to not just be stuck in a box that other people (put you in),” Pili told USA TODAY Sports. “For me, I grew up playing football with my brothers and cousins, I was a tomboy. But I also like to be feminine. And if you want to wear the (fake) lashes or put on makeup or do your nails, it’s OK to show that side of you, too.” 

Across women’s basketball this year, Polynesian players like Pili are starring for some of the best teams in the country, signifying to the sports world that their culture doesn’t solely thrive in football (or on the women’s side, softball and volleyball). 

Besides Pili, there’s South Carolina’s Te-Hina Paopao, a Samoan guard who’s arguably the most impactful transfer in women’s hoops this season. On the West Coast, Oregon State combo guard Talia von Oelhoffen (Native Hawaiian) and Stanford point guard Talana Lepolo (Samoan and Native Hawaiian) have put their teams in position to host the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament.

In women's basketball, Polynesian 'culture is booming’

If it seems like Polynesian stars are suddenly everywhere, well, that’s how they planned it. 

“The culture is booming,” Paopao said. “And we’re going to keep it growing. I’m going to do everything I possibly can to keep inspiring the next generation so people know we don’t only play football and softball.” 

For decades, most sports fans have associated Polynesian star power with football, specifically linemen. This is particularly true at West Coast colleges, where top recruiters have long traveled to Hawaii, American Samoa and Tonga in search of players whose size can belie their athleticism. 

But in the past few years, that narrative has shifted, first on the football field with skill players like Marcus Mariota and Tua Tagovailoa. While Polynesian softball players have also dominated the sport — former Oklahoman All-American Jocelyn Alo, widely considered the best hitter of all time, is of Samoan and Native Hawaiian descent — it’s only recently that women’s college basketball players have excelled on the national stage. 

And it matters to these players that they’re examples to young women who look like them. 

“When you think of a (Polynesian) woman you think of this big bully, someone who plays rugby or something,” said Lepolo, who hands out 4.1 assists per game for the No. 2 Cardinal. 

“It’s beautiful to see us playing basketball, and I love playing against (other Polynesians). Last year when I played against Paopao and Pili, I didn’t know them, but there’s just this immediate respect. And I think we know the weight we carry, because there’s only a few of us.” 

Why Te-Hina Paopao’s brother moved with her to South Carolina

In Polynesian culture, family and community, and showing respect to those entities, matters above all else. That explains why, when Paopao decided to transfer from Oregon to South Carolina — a geographical area not known for Polynesian diversity — her older brother went with her. 

“That was actually my first question on my official visit, ‘Are there any Polynesians here on campus?’ ” Paopao recalled, laughing. “Everyone was like, ‘Uh, no.’ ” 

So Te-Hina, 21, and brother Israel, 28, started the Polynesian population themselves. 

It was nothing new for the siblings. When Te-Hina moved to Eugene to start college at Oregon in 2020, her parents sent Israel there, too. 

“At first I was like, ‘Why are you doing this, I want to live my life!’ ” Te-Hina admitted. “But he’s been amazing.” 

Israel, who has his own place, acts as the bridge between Te-Hina and her parents, who are still in Oceanside, California, and don’t like to travel. He’ll tell them if she’s having a rough day or slammed with other commitments. When she decided to enter the transfer portal last spring, his opinion carried a lot of weight. 

“The official visit to South Carolina, he told me from the get-go, ‘Hey, we’re coming here. This is the program you’ve dreamed of, you’ve always wanted to play for coach Dawn (Staley), the girls are phenomenal,' ” Te-Hina said. 

Clearly, having Israel close has helped Paopao transition seamlessly from the Pac-12 to the SEC. She shoots a nation-best 48.6% from 3, and averages 11.5 points. In a boon to South Carolina’s 2025 title hopes, Paopao announced Monday that she plans to use her COVID year and return for her fifth season. 

Even 2,400 miles from home, Paopao tries to incorporate Polynesian tradition into everyday life. Last summer she gifted the team customized South Carolina kukui nut leis, historically worn by Polynesian royals and considered symbols of protection and peace. (The chocolate-covered macadamia nuts she passed out were a hit, too.)

Alissa Pili gets emotional during Alaska homecoming

At Utah, Pili also makes sure her heritage is front and center. 

In November, Pili got a warm homecoming in Anchorage, her hometown, when Utah traveled to the 49th state to play in the Great Alaska Shootout. Born in Barrow, now known as Utiqiagvik, a sea town of just over 4,000 people located north of the arctic circle, Pili and her family moved when she was in elementary school. She grew up surrounded by the Indigenous community, learning its customs and values. 

She passes that on now to her basketball family: In Anchorage, her grandmother gifted the coaching staff traditional handmade jackets, called Atikluks, an honor reserved for few outsiders.

Like Pili’s tattoo, an Atikluk is a mix of hard and soft: a pretty, stylish outer layer — the ones made for Utah’s staff have custom stitching down the arms — over a thick, warm parka.

She got emotional presenting the jackets to her coaches as family and friends watched proudly. Pili, who is the second of nine children ranging in age from 25 to 3, grew up playing every sport imaginable with her brothers and cousins. When she fell in love with basketball, she had no idea it would give her the opportunity to share the most important parts of herself. 

“It’s such a special position to be in,” Pili said. “I know girls who are Polynesian or Indigenous don’t always put themselves out there. I hope seeing us doing our thing is going to be the push they need to see they can do it, too.” 

Polynesian players also want to bring attention to their communities beyond sports — especially when they need help. 

Each December, Oregon State hosts a holiday tournament on Maui. After wildfires destroyed most of Lahaina, torching the town center and killing more than 100 people, von Oelhoffen, whose dad is Native Hawaiian, hosted a kids camp to raise money for relief efforts. Profits from Oregon’s State preseason exhibition game went to help fire victims, too. When Oregon State hosted its December tournament — in a different part of Maui — von Oelhoffen’s aunt had the team over for a luau. And yes, they dug a hole to roast a pig in the ground, a Hawaiian tradition. 

“Being Hawaiian is a huge part of who I am, even though I’ve never lived on the islands,” said von Oelhoffen. Helping her people and her family — including cousins she’d never met until that luau — meant “so much to me.”

If anyone understands the stereotype of Polynesians thriving in football, it’s von Oelhoffen. Her dad, Kimo, played defensive tackle in the NFL for 14 years, winning a Super Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Her background had a direct impact on her decision to play for No. 15 Oregon State, where she averages 10.8 points, 4.9 assists and 4.2 rebounds for the Beavers.

“At my core, what I believe in is loyalty and family, because that’s what our (Polynesian) culture is about,” she said. “That’s a big part of why I chose Oregon State and why I love this program so much, because it’s about the same things.” 

Those values resonate with these players and their communities, wherever they go.

When Utah traveled to Arizona State in January, dozens of local Native Americans came to watch Pili play — none of whom knew her personally. It was a moving reminder of the impact she’s having as an Indigenous woman. 

At Stanford, Lepolo is always startled, in a joyful way, to learn she and others who look like her already have made a difference. 

“Even here in Palo Alto, I hear from little girls who come to games, or people from the Islands who message me and say, ‘We’ve been watching, you mean so much to us,’ ” Lepolo said. “It’s a good reminder — we are doing this for a purpose.” 

Follow Lindsay Schnell on social media @Lindsay_Schnell