Fresh off a weekend of team bonding activities on the North Shore and at Kualoa Ranch, the Hawaii women’s basketball team began the process of forging on-court chemistry Monday morning.

The retreat led into the opening practice of the season for the Rainbow Wahine and could have payoffs once the season rolls around in mid-November.

"The benefits we got out of this weekend will pay huge dividends on the basketball court for us," third-year coach Laura Beeman said after Monday’s two-hour-plus session at the Stan Sheriff Center.

With a roster featuring eight returnees and nine newcomers, getting the groups to mesh was a preseason emphasis, and leading up to Monday’s practice Beeman noted that the players had taken the lead in that process.

The weekend getaway provided one more chance to get to know each other away from the gym before getting started on blending their games on the court.

"Learning to play with different people, that’s definitely something we need to work on," UH senior Ashleigh Karaitiana said. "It’s coming slowly, but it’s going to be evident once game time comes around."

Karaitiana is the team’s leading returning scorer after averaging 10.4 points per game last season as the Wahine went 17-14 and 10-6 in Big West play on their way to a WNIT bid.

Shawna-Lei Kuehu followed with 10.1 points per game and sees promise in the group of newcomers.

"These girls pick up on things really good, they’re coachable, that’s what makes it a lot easier," said Kuehu, back for her sixth year in the program.

"We all want to win, and we all want to compete. When you have that mind-set and goal it’s easy to play with anybody. It’s been a joy, never been easier to play with a bunch of girls than this year."

Five freshmen and four transfers comprise the incoming group and Beeman is looking for an immediate impact out of the class, particularly in the front court, where 6-foot-4 Utah transfer Connie Morris now tops the team’s height chart.

Their ability to adapt to concepts and adjust was among the facets Beeman focused on in the team’s first practice as a full unit.

"We wanted to see them work hard, we wanted to see how they were going to work with each other and I wanted to see how many things I could throw at them that would be new and how they would handle the confusion. … They really just dug in harder and they worked really well together," Beeman said.

"For a first day, couldn’t be more pleased with the returners and the newcomers."

The Wahine will take Tuesday as their off day and resume practice Wednesday through Saturday.