The immediate task is daunting enough to keep Laura Beeman’s attention from wandering past the next game, let alone the next month.

That said, the Rainbow Wahine basketball coach recognizes the potential down-the-line benefits in the challenges her team will face over the next two weeks at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Coming off a successful season-opening road trip, the Rainbow Wahine will take on three nationally ranked teams in their next five games, starting Friday against No. 14 California in their home debut this season.

They close the Bank of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine Classic against UNLV on Sunday and will then prepare for meetings with No. 6 Stanford — which ended No. 1 Connecticut’s 47-game win streak on Monday — and No. 11 North Carolina next week in the Waikiki Beach Marriott Rainbow Wahine Shootout.

The run of ranked opponents serves as a measuring point for a program looking to take the next step after consecutive WNIT appearances as well as preparation for the Big West season and, perhaps, beyond.

"That’s what this is about," Beeman said of the typically rigorous nonconference schedule. "If we get into the NCAA tournament there won’t be any fear of being on the road, being in adverse conditions, playing against a really good team. There’ll be no fear."

As it is, the Wahine enter this week’s tournament emboldened by a 2-0 road trip after pulling out close wins at Colorado State and Denver.

The Wahine leaned on their experience during their stay in Colorado with returnees Morgan Mason, Destiny King, Ashleigh Karaitiana and Shawna-Lei Kuehu providing the bulk of the scoring.

Junior transfer Connie Morris started both games at center and was relieved by freshman Dalayna Sampton, who provided key minutes coming off the bench as nine players averaged double figures in minutes.

"We learned a lot, especially how to keep our composure when things aren’t going our way, from the returners all the way to the freshmen," said Mason, the reigning Big West player of the week.

Mason scored a career-high 23 points in Sunday’s win over Denver and learned to trust herself when given an open look from the perimeter. She hit a key 3-pointer against CSU and was 3-for-6 from long range on Sunday.

"I’ve never shot so many and I’ve never made so many in one game, because I would get down on myself if I missed the first one or if I missed the second one," Mason said. "In this game I just kept shooting and I could hear from the sideline, ‘just keep shooting.’ So that really helped."

Hawaii will take its best shot against a Cal team that advanced to the Final Four in 2013, reached the NCAA tournament’s second round in March and topped this year’s Pac-12 preseason media poll, placing just ahead of Stanford.

The Golden Bears (2-0) defeated Nevada 76-53 on Tuesday before heading to Honolulu, led by 6-foot-3 All-Pac 12 center Reshanda Gray’s 17 points and eight rebounds. The Bears also return All-Pac 12 and honorable mention AP All-America guard Brittany Boyd, who averaged 12.5 points and 7.5 assists in Cal’s first two games.

"They’re incredibly good. They’re well coached, they’re athletic, they’re more talented than we are in just about every position," Beeman said. "But it doesn’t mean we can’t compete with them.

"It’s a game we can compete, it’s a game we can get better, and I need people to step up."

All four teams in the Rainbow Wahine Classic enter the tournament at 2-0. UNLV opened with wins over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Loyola Marymount. Missouri is also in town for the tournament and will face UNLV on Friday and Cal on Sunday.