On the short list of greatest girls basketball players in Hawai'i history, Punahou's Shawna-Lei Kuehu is at or near the very top. She certainly was the most highly recruited by colleges across the country.

Kuehu burst upon the scene as a freshman, earning All-State first team honors and helping the Buffanblu win a state championship. As a sophomore she placed herself in the record books with a spectacular 37-point performance in a state title victory over Roosevelt and was named Advertiser State Player of the Year.

That summer, Kuehu drew national attention at Mainland tournaments against elite competition, starting a steady barrage of recruiting from some of the bigger programs in college basketball. She suffered a setback her junior year, when a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee sidelined her for the entire season.

Kuehu, though, bounced back in a big way as a senior, averaging 15.6 points per game and leading Punahou to its third state championship in four years, scoring 20 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, blocking four shots and making one steal in the title game. She capped her career by again being named Advertiser State Player of the Year.

During her sophomore year, Kuehu also played volleyball and was a starting middle blocker, helping the Buffanblu advance to the state championship match.

Kuehu ended the intense recruiting battle in November by signing a national letter of intent with the University of California at Berkeley.