CORAL GABLES, Fla. – They’ve spent hours together in the gym, on the court and in the weight room preparing for the season that awaits.

They’ve also spent time together at the movies, at the beach, out at dinner and even playing cards and games together with one simple goal: to build the kind of chemistry they’ll need to be successful when grinding through months of competitive ACC basketball.

Now, as the Hurricanes prepare to tip off their third season under head coach Tricia Cullop, the hope – and expectation – is that the bonds they’ve built off the court will translate in clutch moments on the court.

“I think that’s our biggest focus this year, actually hanging out with each other and getting to know one another and taking it further than just putting the ball in the hoop,” said junior guard Ahnay Adams. “Last year, me and Gal [Raviv] weren’t as close as we are this year. Now, I mean, we work out every morning together. I think just doing stuff like that, it allows us to play with one another better, and like Coach [Cullop] says, trusting each other. Now, I trust that she’s going to hit the shot because I watch her shoot it every day. So, I have full confidence and if there’s 10 seconds on the clock and she’s hot, put the ball in her hands. I think that’s going to be the biggest thing that’s going to separate us from being top 10 in the league to top five.”

Added Raviv, “I think the biggest thing is we want it. It’s not coming from the coaches. We decide we want to hang out together. We decide to go and do stuff together. And I do think it definitely shows on the court already, so we’re just going to keep doing it and it’s going to help us on the court.”

Adams, Raviv and senior Amarachi Kimpson are three of the veteran leaders expected to help set the tone for the Hurricanes this season.

All three were a part of the Hurricanes’ roster last season and all three know what their coaches expect of them, how to run Miami’s system and know that the Hurricanes’ success will flow through them, especially since they’re Miami’s top returning scorers from a season ago.

Raviv, who spent part of her summer in Lithuania representing Israel in the FIBA U20 Women’s EuroBasket tournament, averaged 14.0 points and 2.6 rebounds while totaling a team-high 120 assists last year.

At EuroBasket, she averaged 28.1 points and strengthened her 3-point shooting, something she hopes helps make a difference for the Hurricanes this season.

Kimpson, meanwhile, averaged 11.7 points and 2.0 rebounds per game, while Adams averaged 8.9 points and 4.8 rebounds while totaling 93 assists. That ranked second for the Hurricanes, behind only Raviv.

“They know what drills we run, they know our expectations [and] they’re teaching the new players,” Cullop said of Miami’s veteran trio. “And I do feel their experience, their scoring ability, how they share the ball with each other and even that chemistry that takes a while to build, it starts with them and it bleeds over to everyone else. And it’s really been amazing to watch.”

And for their part, Adams, Kimpson and Raviv say they are embracing the opportunity to be leaders for Cullop and the Hurricanes, who will be looking to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the program’s historic Elite Eight run in 2023.

“I mean, I don’t look at it as pressure. I look at it as a privilege. It’s a privilege. It’s something you should embrace,” Adams said of the opportunity to step up as one of Miami’s leaders this season. “It means that all the hard work that people don’t see is paying off and that [Cullop] sees something in all three of us that no one else really sees and that we can guide our team. But like she says, it starts with us three, so we’ve got to hold each other accountable.”

Added Kimpson, “To me, it means consistency, coming in every day not being too high, not being too low, but I mean, high is always the best thing that will help our teammates be better every day. So, always picking each other up, I think, helps and making sure that we as a team are consistent because that will help us throughout conference [play] and the postseason.”

Along with Adams, Kimpson and Raviv, the Hurricanes return sophomore forward Soma Okolo from last year’s team and sophomore forward Natalie Wetzel. They’ve added three talented freshmen in forward Anna Liepina from Latvia, guard Maja Uranker from Slovenia and center Jess-Mine Zodia from France.

Transfers Gianna Corbitt (Chattanooga), Mya Herman (Southeastern) and Dayana Mendes (USC) will round out the roster and bring additional experience to the floor.

It’s a roster that Cullop believes can hold its own in the ultra-competitive ACC.

“We recruit, and we’re very picky. They’ve got to fit us. They’ve got to fit our culture. They’ve got to fit our style of play. They’ve got to fit our priorities and at the end of the day, this is what we landed on,” Cullop said of Miami’s 11-player roster. “It doesn’t mean that that’s what we’re going to land on in the future, but I also didn’t want to pick a player that didn’t fit us because it only takes one to upset the whole team and I think we picked players that I do feel like get along really well. They’re in it for each other and it shows on the court and that matters.”

Miami, which posted an 18-15 record last season, was picked to finish 11^th in the conference ahead of the season, but the Hurricanes say they’re looking forward to proving their strengths – and they say playing with a little bit of motivation isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“I think we’re coming in as an underdog this season, and I like that. We all like that,” Raviv said. “I think that it gives us extra motivation in practice and then just coming into games and wanting to win that game more than the other team.”

Said Adams, “I’m really excited about all the pieces that we have because I feel like we have the perfect pieces. Everybody plays their role. No one’s trying to do too much. I’m excited watching everyone develop. [Kimpson] is so consistent. Gal’s confidence is through the roof right now. I’m excited for people to actually see how everyone really, really plays and how we’re playing and wanting to run through a wall for each other.”