You never know what to expect from the Wahine nowadays

They're fun.

They're inconsistent.

They're like Forrest's mama's box of chocolates, this Rainbow Wahine team.

(Incidentally, life IS like a box of chocolates: fattening, full of calories, occasionally accompanied with guilt and regret -- ooh, shouldn't have eaten that many, wish I could stop myself -- but, mostly, a lot of fun along the way.)

On the right night, these Rainbow Wahine could probably play with anybody. You get that feeling, they really could. They've got some players, they have the coach. We've seen flashes of it. We saw flashes of it last night. You could see it all coming together, you really could.

On the wrong night they could pull a cartoon coyote, and step off a cliff.

Mostly, somewhere in the middle of the two, like last night, they're interesting. They're fun. They get the pulse racing, which is really all you can ask for in sports.

They're probably not going to be dominating, this Rainbow Wahine team. It definitely doesn't look that way so far this year. Even when they are actually dominating, as in Game 2 against Santa Clara last night, a 30-20 pounding, it didn't feel that way. It felt like any crazy thing could happen, like they were still all over the place.

The days of Lily and Kim and uno, dos, adios are over.

This might be the team that teaches us to count to five.

(Cinco?)

And you know what? That's not always such a bad thing. It's never boring. It's been interesting, it's already been a heck of a ride. Last night was a heck of a ride. This season is going to be a heck of a ride.

With this team, no matter what happens, odds are it will be a heck of a ride along the way.

That's really all you can ask for in sports.

They've got some players on this team who I really enjoy watching play. Seeing them interact with each other. Seeing their emotions in the moment. Watching them grow.

No, this is not a dominant UH team. It might be even more exciting than that.

It hit me for the first time, last night, that it reminded me a little bit of Colt Brennan's sophomore year. He would make a brilliant play one moment, then run around like a chicken with his head cut off the next. Then he would throw up through his face mask. Then he would come back with a touchdown pass.

You never knew what was going to happen next. It drove June Jones crazy.

The rest of us had never had so much fun.

This team isn't dominant. It's more exciting than that.

Last night, there was a little bit of everything, out on the court. It was a Forrest's mama's sampler pack. One with a happy ending at the end. The very best kind.

It was a night when you could squint your eyes during certain moments and imagine them putting it all together. Maybe they've finally found a lineup.

Last night they only made us count to four.

(Cuatro?)

It's starting to look like you might never know what you're going to get with this team. But that's not all bad. There are studies out now that say chocolate can actually be good for you.

In moderation, at least.

Kalani Simpson can be reached at ksimpson@starbulletin.com