That critical first step. It has to be quick. It has to be decisive.

Whether it’s on a drive to the basket or signing that inaugural recruit, that first step establishes the base of what is to come.

Ask Laura Beeman — a former point guard at Cal State San Bernardino — how important it is. When she was hired as Hawaii’s women’s basketball coach in 2012, Beeman didn’t hesitate when taking that first step toward building her first Division I program as head coach.

Her first phone call after accepting the Rainbow Wahine job was to Destiny King, a solid 5-foot-10 ‘tweener whose versatility had her sliding almost effortlessly between positions 1 through 4 (point guard through power forward) for her Long Beach (Calif.) Poly High team.

"She was my first recruit," Beeman said. "I told her ‘I need you to come with me, be a trail blazer.’ It was, ‘You got it, coach.’

"What’s her best position? Honestly, it’s 1 through 4. I can put her anywhere. She’s deceptively quick, whether it’s that first step off the dribble or that first step on the post move off the block. I just loved her game."

That ease of being able to transition from one position to another is part of King’s DNA. Her father is African-American, her mom is Samoan and "It’s never been one or the other," said King, who identifies with both cultures. "My father and mom always told me and my (eight) brothers they wanted us to have variety, they wanted us to be diverse and we are very diverse.

"I have family here (on the North Shore where her mother grew up) but we had never visited. I came to Hawaii because of the coaching staff. I knew Coach Beeman from when she was at USC (as an assistant). I felt this was the staff I wanted to be with for my four years of playing."

King is the only Rainbow Wahine to have started all 18 games this season, extending her consecutive starting streak to 43. With the new year came a new King in terms of scoring: she has 45 points in her past three games, including consecutive career-high 17-point efforts that jump-started Hawaii’s current three-game winning streak.

That streak is on the line Thursday when the Rainbow Wahine (11-7, 3-2) host Big West leader Long Beach State (17-2, 4-1). The Beach was one of several schools recruiting King, who grew up about 15 miles away from the campus.

The only extra incentive for King is in wanting to knock off the top team in the conference.

"I take it just like any other game," said King, who leads the team in conference-only stats in scoring (12.0 ppg), free throws (13 of 17) and steals (8). "I have to continue to do what I’m doing, which is helping my team any way I can. We have two big games this week and you can’t make one bigger than the other."

Hawaii hosts CSUN (14-6, 4-2) at 5 p.m. Saturday. The visiting Matadors handed the 49ers their first Big West loss last Saturday, ending Long Beach State’s 15-game winning streak.

King’s versatility has impressed senior Shawna-Lei Kuehu — who has often floated between guard and forward spots — almost as much as her maturity.

"When she first came in, she was really aggressive and relied a lot on that," said Kuehu, UH’s leader in scoring (12.3 ppg) and rebounding (6.9 rpg). "Now she is taking more of a leadership role, showing love and giving love.

"I love her versatility and how she brings that energy to every position she plays. I’m glad she came to play here."

Now about that first step.

"That’s the funniest thing, people saying, ‘Oh, wow, I didn’t know it was that fast,’ " King said. "I’ve gotten that all my life. I can’t help it that I’m built this way. It is what it is."

And that would be quick. And decisive.