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NCAA WOMEN'S REGIONAL SEMIFINALS AND FINALS: BRIDGEPORTMarch 26, 2016Vic SchaeferVictoria ViviansBreanna RichardsonDominique DillinghamBridgeport, Connecticut Connecticut - 98, Mississippi State - 38 THE MODERATOR: We'll start with an opening statement from coach and then take questions for the student-athletes. COACH SCHAEFER: Well, obviously, we didn't play very well, and I think you got to give, obviously, you got to give Connecticut all the credit for that. They played extremely well today, and I'm disappointed that we didn't play better. I'll take full responsibility for that. At the end of the day, it is my job to have our team ready and, obviously, we probably weren't ready. So, as a head coach, I'll wear that responsibility and make sure that we do better the next time. But I'm proud of my team. I've got a really good team. We just didn't show the country or you today really how good we are. And, again, that's my responsibility, and I'm disappointed in that. But again, you got to take your hat off to Connecticut. They are really, really good. They're well coached. As I told you all yesterday, defensively, they should get a lot more credit for how good they are defensively, because they are really, really tough in that area. I thought we got some good looks early. And what happens against them is if you don't make those shots early, you get a little dejected, and then it affects you on the defensive end and the next thing you know it's getting away from you. But I thought we had good looks early, they just didn't fall. And so I'm proud of our team, I'm proud of these girls, I love them to death. I'm not trading them for anybody and, you know what? We'll be back. THE MODERATOR: Take questions, please. Q. For all three of you, coach talked yesterday about UConn's runs. At the beginning of the game, was it like you feared it could be when you guys weren't making shots and the score started to mount? DOMINIQUE DILLINGHAM: I think just we were turning the ball over, and they were getting easy fast break layups. So I think it just -- everything started to pile up. So, it kind of got away from us. And we did start missing shots, so that kind of led to that, too. Q. Vivian, how difficult is it to shoot with Connecticut in the first quarter? Because it seemed like you guys were missing shots, but the length, was that a factor? VICTORIA VIVIANS: Me shooting in the first quarter and like the team shooting, they are a very good defensive team. They get a lot of deflections. But I feel like we were rushing -- well, I was rushing my shot when we first started. So it consisted of the shots not falling and yeah, their defense, they're very long and that kind of messed us up too. Q. Dominique, did you guys watch last night at all and get any sort of like hope of, you know what, South Carolina went down, Notre Dame went down, we can do it this morning or did you guys not even pay attention to that? DOMINIQUE DILLINGHAM: We definitely watched last night and just seeing the smaller teams, well, the lower seeds get -- upset the higher seeds, it definitely motivated us. But like coach said, UConn was watching the same games and in the back of their minds they're thinking, we don't want to get upset. So they were definitely ready for us too. Q. Dominique, Connecticut hasn't lost to a first time opponent in many years. What is different from watching them on film, scouting reports, and everything and actually seeing them on the court and what they do? DOMINIQUE DILLINGHAM: I think the game was just a little faster. And then when you turn the ball over and up top, the game can get out of hand really quickly. They get fast break points, and their transition game doesn't get enough credit. Q. Dominique, just getting this season, 28 wins for you, as a team, getting the Sweet 16 second time in program history. I know it's tough right now, but what do you take from this season when you look at the big picture of it? DOMINIQUE DILLINGHAM: The season was a great season for us, and we have done a lot of great things and this game we can just take experience. We got to the Sweet 16, we played the best team in the country, so next year, we have this in the back of our minds, we don't want to have this feeling again. Q. Breanna, coach talked yesterday about Breanna Stewart blocking 404 shots and altering maybe another 500. You tried to take the ball aggressively to her at times, the whole team did. Can you just talk about how she was a defensive presence and affected a lot of shots? BREANNA RICHARDSON: Like coach said, she does have 400 some blocks, so we knew either she was going to alter our shots or just have an impact, because she was in the paint. But we still had to attack. So, yeah, she's a great defensive player and everything like that, but I don't know, she's just great. I don't know. She had a lot of, a couple more blocks today. I don't know what else I could say. THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you. We'll continue with questions for coach. Q. In the context of what you've seen as a head coach in women's basketball, how would you describe this UConn team? COACH SCHAEFER: Well, today it felt like I was playing a WNBA team. That team right there probably finishes -- I don't know what team in the league, they can't compete with. They got all the pieces. So it's a frustrating proposition trying to deal with them, because they are so multi-dimensional. But again, they're so good on both ends of the floor. They have the complete package, and they play like they played today, there's not anybody in the country that can beat them. I mean, they're really good. But, again, I think what separates them is there's lots of great teams across the country that have a lot of All-Americans. Coach Auriemma gets the most out of his. He doesn't let them settle. He develops them to the fullest. That team has developed to the fullest. They're good. And they made -- I think we're pretty good, ya'll, and we looked awful today. Like I said, I'm disappointed in so many ways. But I just thought we played better, but we didn't, and they had everything to do with that. Q. I want to take that question a little bit further, because I've been crunching numbers on UConn and it's amazing. Is it time for someone to finally say, this is one of the greatest college programs in history? Maybe in any sport, but you keep running into the Wooden thing and, oh, it's not men, it's a different era. Are they one of the elite programs of all time? COACH SCHAEFER: No question. And because it is a different era, I think it makes it even more difficult. There's more parity today in the game than ever before. Back in the -- let's talk, go back to the Wooden era, there wasn't that much parity as there is right now. And because there is so much parity, he continues to do it. Don't worry, he's going to get another great recruiting class. He's going to continue to recruit well. There's going to be another lineup like the one that played today. So, it isn't going to change. And again, I just think that you have to give them their due. Whether you like it or not, you got to give them their due. They're good, they have been good, and they're going to continue to be good. He's not running out of steam or ideas or juice. He's got a great staff. I mean, and that's the challenge for the rest of us is to compete. I told my team, I'm not chasing -- there's two teams in my league now within the first four years that I haven't beaten. So I've caught just about everybody. I want my team to chase that team. That's the next step to me for us. I want to chase that team. And so I just, I think they're, they are, they're outstanding, and I think it makes it even harder in today's world. Q. $64,000 question. How do you motivate your kids to use this 60-point loss as a challenge? It's going to be disappointing, I know, obviously. But, so, they get to the point where they can challenge Connecticut? How much of a hurdle is that going to be? COACH SCHAEFER: I don't think it's a big hurdle. I think I've got competitive kids. I think kids right now in that locker room are hurt, they're disappointed. They know they didn't play, we didn't play very well. And again, I think those kids will remember that. The film doesn't lie. We'll watch film at some point. I wish we could go watch it tomorrow and go back to work tomorrow, because I think this team would really grow and learn from it in a very short period of time, much like what happened to Kentucky this year. So, I've got great kids. They care deeply. They're disappointed like their coach. And so, I think it will be pretty fairly easy to grow and get better from this. Q. You talked about how the game got away from you. Dominique talked about it. In that first quarter, as you had to burn those two timeouts, what did you say to the kids to try to keep their morale up and not get overwhelmed by what was happening? COACH SCHAEFER: Well, again, I thought we got good looks early. So I was just trying to encourage them to keep running some offense and keep taking those good shots. I thought it really got away from us when our point guard play became a little careless, and we were coming down, and we had back to back, maybe two or three in a row, really bad decisions. Again, I know my team. Everybody knows their team. You see their heads start to hang a little bit and the disappointment. And, again, I've got a competitive group. So you just try to stay positive with them and keep trying to get them to, I mean, at some point shots got to fall. But as long as you're getting good shots, you got to keep doing that. Now defensively, we weren't back, but we were turning the ball over, and when you're turning the ball over against that group, it is a track meet. And it becomes then -- it's very difficult to get back. Again, they're like piranha's on a roast. When they go in transition, you can't get the bone out of the water fast enough. So, it's a difficult deal to deal with. Q. Along the same lines as Doug's question to Dominique, when you were watching last night, did you just get a headache or a bad feeling that, oh, no, UConn's going to get woken up now? COACH SCHAEFER: Dang right. I thought it worked against us. I didn't think it would work for me. I just felt like this was the worst thing that could have happened. I told my staff that. I said, that's the worst thing that could happen, is two No. 1's getting upset, because I know Geno will make sure them kids are ready. Those kids will be ready. I think we got their A game today, and I told my girls that. I said, hey, we're going to get their A game, and I wouldn't want it any other way. And we got it. Q. Yesterday, you talked about the speed of your point guard. How did Moriah's speed compare to hers? COACH SCHAEFER: Remember now, I recruited Moriah from a school where I was at previously. So I had already seen her up close and in person. Tonight, she really didn't have to do a lot of scoring or she was a facilitator and defender, and she was very good at both of those. She was disruptive and, again, she will be -- she's a great one for them. She does exactly what he wants her to do. And so, yeah, up close and in person's always a little faster, a little quicker as the film doesn't show that a lot of times. Q. You talked about getting their A game. How impressive is it that they always bring their A game, it seems like. There's no let up, there's no, okay, well, this is a game we know we can win, they bring it, no matter who they're playing, no matter where it's being played. COACH SCHAEFER: Again, I think that's the challenge of any head coach. You have to give Geno credit for that. He doesn't allow them to not bring their A game. Y'all covered them. You know if certain players have not brought it, he doesn't hesitate to sit them. And I've tried to do the same thing with mine. That's a part of coaching and teaching. Again, they're a very mature basketball team. Obviously, now where they are right now. And I think they realize their numbers are dwindling as far as their opportunities, this is it. And, obviously, they're highly motivated to do what hasn't been done and that's win four back to back to back to back. In all four years that they have played. So, they don't need any more motivation. They don't need any No. 1's getting upset or anything like that. I think they got plenty in that locker room. Q. With the success you had this season, there weren't a whole lot of games like this for you. You did didn't play a game like this all season. What did you tell the girls after the game? COACH SCHAEFER: Just told them that that's who we're chasing. To me, that's what I want. I want my team to be Connecticut. I think we're at a stage now in our program where that's who I want, that's who I want to us chase and try to emulate. I was proud of our group in the fourth quarter. I know we were going against -- our kids were out there competing, and I was proud of how they competed and came off the bench and competed. So, I was proud of my point guard, my freshman point guard. I thought little Jazz came in and was really good. And she will grow and get better from this. So, again, we're disappointed. I know my girls are heart broken about it. I am too. But, again, I want them to walk out -- I told them walk out of this locker room, you can be disappointed, but you walk out with your head hung high. We won 28 games this year with a really, really young, inexperienced basketball team. So, I've been around long enough I can see past just what happened in the last two hours and I'm not going to let that cloud my judgment or cloud the success this team had this year. Q. In terms of Breanna Stewart's afternoon, when someone has that type of success, sort of across the board, skills-wise, against one of the best defensive teams in the country, what do you think we learned from that today and just in a broader sense, what do you think it says about what kind of player she is, just historically. COACH SCHAEFER: Well, when you get a player of her size that has the skill set that she has, there's not a handful of those in the country. So, that in and of itself is hard to deal with. Most teams probably have to put a four player on her and she's not a four player. She's a guard. So, but I think when you're dealing with her and she's scoring and making three balls, she's going over the bounce and shooting it from 15 in the mid-range game. Then when she gets to the rim she can finish over everybody. You can't get a butt on her to rebound. She goes to offensive boards. And so, again, you're talking about one of the elite players in the country. I mean, she's probably, in all likelihood, the best player in the country. So, it's hard to deal with all of that, so you're going to have to find a player on somebody else's team, tonight it was mine, tomorrow whoever is going to be, but you got to find somebody that can deal with all those things. You take away the three ball, she will take you off the bounce. You back off of her, she will make the three. If you put somebody that's six foot tall on her, she's going to take you down there and post you up. I mean, it's a nightmare. So, it's hard to deal with a player like that. And then, oh, by the way, you know what? She plays pretty good defense. So you can try to attack her all you want, or you cannot try to attack her and let her go to help where she's even better. So, what do you do? Do you try to engage her and make her guard the ball or do you engage everybody else and let her be a help defender? It's a challenge. Again, that's what great players do. That's what great teams have. But if you -- with this particular team, they are multi-dimensional, with multiple players that can hurt you. And again, I think that's what the world hasn't seen on a consistent basis, other than here over the last few years. He doesn't have one or two good ones. Year in and year out, he's got a bunch of good ones. But again, he doesn't let those kids settle. He demands from them. He makes them and gets the very best from them. And that's why they're the team that they are. That's why nobody can hardly touch them. THE MODERATOR: Thank you. COACH SCHAEFER: Thanks for all you do for our great game, and I appreciate everybody for being here. And one last time, praise the lord and go Dawgs. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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