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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 4, 2015Chelsea LindsayAudra SmithGREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA Georgia Tech – 80 COACH SMITH: First of all, I'd like to give credit to Georgia Tech. They played an outstanding game tonight. They shot the three ball unbelievably, 8 for 14, and they played a very good ballgame. Kaela Davis got into foul trouble and it was a good sign for them obviously when she went out with the foul trouble that the rest of their players were able to sustain the lead, and in addition push the lead and play without her. So just want to commend them on a great game. Also want to talk about my players. The seniors, it's unfortunate, I would have liked to have had a win for them today so we could have advanced on to tomorrow, but I want to thank them for the two years that I've had with them and how hard they've worked and what they mean to this program. And also for our newbies, which we have quite a few of, how hard they played tonight and how hard the entire team played tonight. We continued to battle, we continued to fight, so I'm excited about the future of Clemson women's basketball and where we're going. We're a very, very young team, so coming to this tournament with the caliber of players and the caliber of coaches that are here, it can be a little bit of intimidating, and with this being your first time and your first trip. I'm just excited about the fact that they continue to fight hard. We made a valiant run there and cut it to 10 but just couldn't get over the hump. But we have a lot to look forward to in terms of our future. Q. You guys went into halftime down 21 and you came out like a house of fire, cut it to 10. What adjustments did you make in the locker room? COACH SMITH: I just told them that they have to continue to fight. I've been in these situations a lot where we've been down and I told them what's going to happen. I said they're a little complacent and they're going to get a little comfortable. Typically, the team that has the lead it, always happens, and we just have to chip away and be patient and we have to make shots. In the first half, we couldn't buy a basket. And I also stressed the fact that we needed to attack the basket. And as you know, we attacked the basket and that's how we were able to cut that lead to 10. But with Georgia Tech, they have some very, very good scorers and they were able to knock down some shots and pushed the lead back up to 14 before we knew it, then 16, then 19, and it was tough, and then we tried to dig ourselves out of the hole again, but by that time it was too late for us. Q. You mentioned how hard your players fought. Is this a tough game to get people motivated for when you have to win the whole tournament to make the NCAA? COACH SMITH: No, it's not. You focus on one game at a time. And like I said, with this young group, I think about my nine freshmen last year at this time, and you think, a whole year, that's a long time to be in college basketball, but it's not. It's a huge adjustment. But last year at this time my nine freshmen, their seasons were over. They were done. For them coming in, I mean, it was‑‑ it's been a long, long year for them. But no, it wasn't a situation where it was hard to motivate them and get them ready to play.  They were ready to play. I just felt like Georgia Tech just came out on fire. I mean, they were hitting threes, and again, Rogers is phenomenal. She's a very, very tough kid to defend, and she did a great job. That was part of it. Q. Chelsea, obviously not the ending you wanted here, but could you talk a little bit about the progress you've seen the program make the last couple years and where it's headed from here with the younger players coach mentioned? CHELSEA LINDSAY: Well, I'll talk about the younger players. I think that in the off‑season, they'll work hard and for the next season they'll be a little bit more ready and prepared because they'll have a little bit of experience under their belt. As for me, I'll just try to get better every year, working on my game, making sure I'm more aggressive on the offensive end. Q. Chelsea, what's been the best thing about playing four years at Clemson and being a student at Clemson? CHELSEA LINDSAY: I would say the fans. They're great. They're always supportive. They come out regardless. Q. Coach, you're two years in now. When you first came in, you wanted to change the culture as far as bringing up the intensity. How close are you to what your vision is? COACH SMITH: We're getting there. I mean, obviously we're not there, but the culture has been changed in terms of the type of players that I want in my program. They're hard workers. They are great kids, and they give me everything that they have within their abilities. And so I think we're well on our way. We have a great group of young kids coming in next season to add to the kids that are returning, so we're headed in the right direction. It's just going to be a matter of time in terms of experience. That was our biggest downfall this year. With nine freshmen, a sophomore and two seniors, it's the experience. You can't teach experience. You have to go through it. So I'm hoping that with everything that they had to encounter this year, finishing the season 9 and 21 and just not being able‑‑ we haven't won a game since January 2nd, so I'm just hoping that they'll learn and they'll have that experience, they'll understand what it takes and the level of commitment at this level, because for freshmen, when they come in, they come in and they have these grandiose ideas that they're going to be all world when they get to college, but it's a totally different ballgame and they don't realize it until they step on the floor. Non‑conference is a totally different deal. When you step onto the court in the ACC, you're playing pros every night, so it's a huge, huge adjustment. But I feel like we're headed in the right direction. We'll have a great postseason. We'll have a good summer. We'll take an international trip to play some games and experience some different culture and get better, and then next year this time I'm hoping that we'll be sitting up here as winners and moving on to the next round. Q. You'll be honored still here this weekend. Any thoughts on that personally for you here? COACH SMITH: It's funny, I was teasing Jane Miller when she called me and I said, Could you not find anybody else? Is this a joke? But no, it's an unbelievable honor for me to have played in the ACC for four years, coached in the ACC for ten, leave the ACC for nine and then be back and have coached for two more years, and to have it is an unbelievable honor of being an ACC Legend. It's just unbelievable. And I have so many fond memories of Greensboro Coliseum, and I'll go all the way back to Rock Hill and Winthrop Arena there and all the way back to Fayetteville and the arena there. So I have so many fond memories of the ACC and the coaches and just how grateful I am to have had the opportunity to attend the University of Virginia, to have played under the legendary and Hall of Famer Debbie Ryan, to have worked under Debbie Ryan, who really helped prepare me for this level, and to be back in the ACC and coaching in the ACC, I am just so ecstatic. Actually honestly, kind of funny, I think my husband, Anthony Oliver, who was also a student‑athlete at University of Virginia, and my son A.J. are more excited than I am. When guys start talking about, hey, what are we supposed to wear, then it's a big deal. I'm really excited. I'm humbled, I'm honored, and I feel very fortunate and blessed to represent UVA as this year's ACC Legend. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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