Women’s Hoops Adds Hawai‘i High Schoolers to 2020 Squad

HONOLULU – Chaminade University women's basketball head coach Arthur King announced Tuesday two former Hawai'i high school standouts will be joining the Silverswords as members of the 2020 recruiting class.
 

Taeya Blakeney is a 5-11 post from Kaiser High School in Honolulu. A three-time O'ahu Interscholastic Association Eastern Division selection, she was fourth among the OIA Division I ranks at a 13.7 points per game clip while shooting 60.7 percent from the floor to earn All-OIA East First Team kudos for the second straight year while garnering ScoringLive All-Hawai'i Division I honorable mention honors.
 
Blakeney was also an All-OIA East Second Team pick as a sophomore in 2018 and helped the Cougars to appearances in the Hawai'i High School Athletic Association Division I Championships in her sophomore and senior campaigns.

"Taeya is an unselfish leader who always involves her teammates," King said. "With Taeya joining our basketball ohana, we become an improved rebounding team, offensively and defensively."
 
Sasha Phillip is a 5-8 wing from Hawai'i Baptist Academy in Honolulu. A two-time Interscholastic League of Honolulu Second Team selection, Phillip averaged 11.5 points and ranked 11th among Division II schools in the state in scoring as a senior. She also hit 73.5 percent of her free throws to earn ScoringLive All-Hawai'i Division II honorable mention recognition.

 
Phillip was a force in the 2020 HHSAA Division II Championships, recording a pair of double-doubles including an 11-point, 14-rebound performance in the Eagles' upset over No. 2-seed Seabury Hall in the quarterfinals. She was also a key member for HBA during its 2019 state championship run, averaging 10.7 points and 7.7 boards in the tournament.

"I've watched Sasha improve during the last three years," King said. "She has a great understanding of team basketball. Sasha can shoot from the 3-point line, drive to the basket and has developed a medium-range game with a pull-up jump shot.

"We are very pleased to have these two student-athletes decide to play here at Chaminade. Taeya and Sasha come from winning high school programs and bring confidence and talent to our program."
 
The duo joins Carsen Bridges (Leesburg HS; Groveland, Fla.), Emily Laham (Maize HS; Potwin, Kan.) and Emma Morris (Tanque Verde HS; Tuscon, Ariz.) as members of this year's recruiting class.