Rod Pa‘ahana, president of the Villages of Leiali‘i, and John Plu (back) make lei outside the Lahaina Civic Center on Wednesday during the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. The Maui News / DAKOTA GROSSMAN photo
Amy Bonner, the first female referee in Maui Jim Maui Invitational history, said it takes an “odd breed” to officiate in a highly competitive and fast-paced sports environment.
“You have to have a little bit of an ego or you won’t survive this; you have to have a thick skin because of the comments,” Bonner said with a laugh before preparing for the Ohio State-Cincinnati matchup on Tuesday afternoon outside the Lahaina Civic Center. “You have to have a love for the game, you can’t be afraid to make a mistake, you know, you have to be a little vulnerable and put yourself out there, and be willing to make a tough call and hopefully get it right and be able to live with the times you get it wrong. … No one hates a missed call more than a referee.”
Bonner has officiated in the WNBA, NBA G-League and NCAA.
The University of Missouri graduate started refereeing in recreation leagues over 20 years ago, mostly with girls and women’s teams, and slowly moving up to NBA’s developmental league and NCAA Division I contests.
Referee Amy Bonner signals a free throw during the second half of Monday’s game between Creighton and Texas Tech. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
She started officiating men’s games about three years ago. Last season, Bonner was the first woman to call Big 12 men’s games and then last season became just the second woman to officiate men’s NCAA Tournament games.
When she received the invitation to officiate the Maui tournament, it took her a minute to let the news sink in.
“Like any other official, I want to work the best games and have the tough calls, but I never envisioned myself at this tournament,” Bonner said. “It’s an iconic men’s basketball tournament. As a basketball fan, I’ve watched it for years and years and thought ‘what an exciting event this is,’ the venue, the energy.
“But I’ve never thought about being the first woman, I just feel fortunate as a referee to have a chance to work at this venue, so for me, that’s all it’s ever been about,” she said.
BRING A BIT OF ALOHA TO MAUI INVITATIONAL
Rod Pa’ahana has been making and selling lei from a booth at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational for 14 years.
Pa’ahana is the president of the Villages of Leiali’i, a Hawaiian homestead property near the Lahaina Civic Center.
Pa’ahana’s handmade yarn and kukui nut lei, with some adorned in the colors of participating teams, have become a staple at the tournament.
“Part of it is teaching them our culture,” Pa’ahana said. “We do it as a fundraiser for our community, but we want people to understand our culture, respect the culture and teach them about aloha and the purpose of the lei. The lei is a symbol of love.”
The Villages of Leiali’i community started crafting the lei months ago in preparation of the tournament — each lei takes about 3 hours to make and about 500 were made this year, Pa’ahana said.
The fundraiser supports the homesteaders’ infrastructure needs, and the association hopes one day that it will contribute to education scholarships.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2023 TOURNAMENT FIELD
The Maui Jim Maui Invitational’s field for 2023 is filled with college basketball blue bloods, but only one is undefeated on the Valley Isle.
Defending national champion Kansas? Mark Few’s Zags? All-time national title leader UCLA?
Nope. Only Jim Boeheim’s Syracuse Orange can boast a perfect record on Maui. And not just in this field — they are the only team to have competed in this premier event and never leave the Valley Isle with a loss.
The Orange are 9-0 on Maui, winning the title in 1990, 1998 and 2013.
Bill Self’s Jayhawks also have three Maui titles, including the 2019 crown that was the last awarded on the Valley Isle before the pandemic pause, and have gone 15-6 here. Kansas also won in 1996 and 2015.
Gonzaga has a 11-4 record on Maui, with titles in 2009 and 2018, while UCLAis another past Maui champion (2006) and has gone 9-9 here, including 1-2 in 2019.
The 2023 field also includes Marquette, Purdue, Tennessee and host Chaminade.
Referee Amy Bonner signals a free throw during the second half of Monday’s game between Creighton and Texas Tech. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo 
Rod Pa‘ahana, president of the Villages of Leiali‘i, and John Plu (back) make lei outside the Lahaina Civic Center on Wednesday during the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. The Maui News / DAKOTA GROSSMAN photo 
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