On Thursday Jan. 1, the University of California, Riverside (UCR) women’s basketball team defeated the University of Hawai’i at Manoa 66-58. Hannah Wickstrom led the way scoring a career-high 36 points, en route to earning her second UC Riverside Athlete of the Week honor and Big West Player of the Week.
Wickstrom is coming off an impressive freshman year where she played in 30 games and was named to the Big West All-Freshman Team. She has continued to improve this season, emerging as an offensive force. Her scoring has jumped from 7.7 to 20.9 points per game, leading the Big West and ranking in the top 15 in NCAA Division I. She’s shooting 47.1% from the field, hitting 83.8% of her free throws and has recorded multiple 30-point games. She’s also made an impact defensively, averaging 2.8 steals per game.
The sophomore guard spent the offseason working on areas of her game she felt she needed to improve. “I got faster and stronger and added more variety to my game instead of just shooting the three,” said Wickstrom. A major factor in her dedication to offseason preparation was her expanding place in the rotation. “I knew coming into this year I was going to have a bigger role, not just offensively, but as a leader and returner.”
Wickstrom developed her love of basketball from her dad, who played professionally in Australia. “I was so obsessed [with basketball] growing up … I loved watching basketball,” said Wickstrom, commenting that her fascination with the sport started at a young age. She learned to shoot from her dad, modeling her technique after him, a skill they would often work on together.
She first joined a “dribblers league,” which focused on skills and fundamentals rather than competitive play. At 12, she joined her club team and eventually progressed to the senior program, staying alongside the same group of teammates as they advanced.
In the senior program, she played with athletes who had competed at the collegiate level in the U.S. “ I got to learn from a lot of these professional women … and [was] able to come over [to the U.S.] and use that experience and knowledge from them.”
The UCR standout noted that the biggest difference between playing in Australia and the U.S. was the athleticism of the players. According to Wickstrom, the girls are stronger and faster in the U.S., increasing the game’s intensity and pushing her to adjust.
She also discussed living in Southern California, sharing that she’s enjoying the experience and had long hoped to live in the state. “It’s good energy, I love the weather, the people,” the Melbourne native noted. She didn’t expect there to be an abundance of activities to do.
“SoCal is so cool because there are so many things around you and known worldwide places like Hollywood,” Wickstrom explained. She also mentioned that when she was home in Australia over the summer, she couldn’t wait to come back to California.
A year later, that sense of comfort has given way to a strong connection within the current team. “We’re all super happy for each other … when we’re all playing together and playing off each other’s strengths, it’s a really cool and fun environment,” explained Wickstrom. She added that the Hawai‘i game was especially enjoyable due to the bench’s high energy.
Elena Versage / The Highlander
Despite early-season injuries to key players such as Aaliyah Stanton and Shelley Duchemin, Wickstrom noted that the situation has only strengthened the team’s chemistry: “It just means we have more bench energy.” She emphasized that every teammate contributes to the team’s success, injured or not.
She expanded on the Hawai‘i game, calling it one of her favorite moments with UCR basketball. Wickstrom was proud of her performance and noted that playing in Hawai‘i is always a great environment. The New Year’s game, she added, is “something [she would] remember for a long time.”
The win marked a historic moment for the Highlanders, as it was their first victory at Hawai‘i since the 2018–19 season and their second consecutive win over the Rainbow Wahine dating back to last season, when UCR defeated Hawai‘i at home to clinch a spot in the Big West playoffs.
Looking ahead, Wickstrom remains focused on team success. A rough start to the season led to injuries that cost the team key pieces in the rotation, forcing adjustments that “allowed other people to take on bigger roles.” Despite the setbacks, the group has remained motivated. “We just want to win this, win the Big West.”
UCR women’s basketball currently sit 3-2 in conference play and occupy the sixth seed in the Big West Conference.
