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NCAA WOMEN'S 1ST AND 2ND ROUNDS: AUSTINMarch 16, 2017Sandra RushingMaggie ProffittBrianna MullinsAustin, Texas Q. You get the distinction of playing the host team on their host floor. What do you expect that to be like with the crowd against you and stuff in the first round of the NCAA Tournament? BRIANNA MULLINS: I mean, we're just excited to be here. It's been a pretty long season, but it's been a very rewarding season, too. Playing on the home court, I feel like we're just going to have to come out focused and ready to execute our game plan. Like any other gym, any other court, we're just going to have to come out and play basketball just like we've done the rest of the season. Q. Maggie, you guys played in the NCAA Tournament last year; how can that benefit you this time? MAGGIE PROFFITT: Yeah, I think it's definitely going to be beneficial to us. Kind of going back to Bri's question, we played Louisville on their home court last year with a bunch of their fans. That was a fun experience, and I felt like maybe we were a little kind of nervous last year, but since we've been there, coming into this year we kind of know what to expect, and maybe we can come out and play better than we did last year. Q. If I remember, you guys were leading that game in the second quarter. Does that give you not hope but a thought that you can go here, you can go anywhere and win? MAGGIE PROFFITT: Yeah, I think that definitely gives us some confidence. Coach always tells us, last year we got too shot happy against Louisville. Maybe like I said if we can come in a little more relaxed and just play our game and try to execute on offense and get stops on defense and see where we are at halftime and then maybe be able to come out better in the second half than we did last year. Q. Looking up and down the roster, Texas has a lot of size on you; how do you deal with that? How do you play against that kind of stuff? BRIANNA MULLINS: I mean, as far as the size, I feel like my teammates and I, we can play with anybody. I feel like we have the confidence to go out and just play the game that we've been playing all season. Q. Brianna, what challenges does playing against somebody that's four to five inches taller than you, what are the challenges for you? BRIANNA MULLINS: I mean, they're bigger, like you just said. I'm sure they may be a little stronger, maybe a little quicker. But regardless of all that, I feel like my teammates and I have the heart to come out and just play basketball. Q. Do you feel like it's a David versus Goliath, you go in there and want to take down the big man, the host school, coming into a game like this? MAGGIE PROFFITT: I'd say, yeah, definitely. Probably last year nobody heard of the Sugar Bears. Nobody knew who they were, and we got picked to play Louisville, and there's probably still people out there who have no idea who we are now, and they all know who we are coming to play Texas, and obviously Texas in the Big 12, they're a big school, obviously the bigger conference, like Bri said, bigger, faster, but that's not going to stop us from come out and playing basketball and just giving it all that we have. Q. Maggie, they've got a lot of good players, but any particular players that you really have to focus on? I know, for example, Brooke is a great three-point shooter, but any one or two players that you have to shut down? MAGGIE PROFFITT: I would definitely say Brooke McCarty. She's one that we're really focusing on. Even all their bigs inside, like we're undersized, but I know KJ is going to come out and she's going to play like she's 6'5", too, isn't though she isn't her size. We've just really got to stop, like you said, Brooke from just being able to shoot the three whenever she wants, and if we can stop some of their other quicker guards from getting to the rim and just be able to really stop the post from just shooting over the top, then I think we'll have a good shot. Q. How different is your program now than when you first arrived as freshmen? BRIANNA MULLINS: It's extremely different. We were the first group to ever even come to the NCAA Tournament. We were the first group to win the regular season and the conference tournament, so we're a group of firsts, and I feel like we had a big part of where our program stands today. MAGGIE PROFFITT: I'll just agree with Bri. I feel like we were Coach Rushing's first true recruiting class coming in, and I want to say there was -- how many of us, seven freshmen? And we always joke me and Bri and Raquel Logan were the three that made it all four years. We've just really grown so much together, and I feel like that shows on the court with how well we play together. We're just excited. You never know what can happen. It's kind of bittersweet being our senior year, but we're just ready to go give it all we have. Q. I was asking the players, Texas's size, they've got a lot on you up and down the roster. How do you neutralize that, play against that sort of size? SANDRA RUSHING: That's a good question. I can guarantee you we're not going to grow 12 inches by tomorrow, okay. But Texas is Texas, and Karen has done a great job, and they're loaded with talent, and we're just excited about having the opportunity to play the caliber team of Texas, and being back here at the NCAA. My players have played extremely hard this year, worked hard, showed a lot of pride, and I'm just proud of them. But that's a good question. You know, I'm hoping that Texas has a bad game, but I can promise you, we're going to go in and we're going to fight it and we're going to try to do a couple things to disrupt them, and I don't know if we can disrupt them, but I just want my players to go out and not be scared and not be intimidated. I heard you ask them about the crowd, and I know there's going to be a great crowd, and it's going to be a great atmosphere to play in front of. Q. Going off of your comments there, what are the challenges that come with playing Texas, not just the height and the size and all that stuff, but the fact that you're playing them on their home court and they don't have to travel anywhere, you guys are out of your element, what are the challenges that come with that? SANDRA RUSHING: Well, also with that, a lot of teams are having to do that. That's why you want to host it, and Texas is hosting it, and somebody has to play Texas, and it's us. But you know, again, it's going to be exciting. I want us to play on the big, big stage, and we're having the opportunity to play on the big, big stage. Especially I'm happy for my seniors. I think you heard Bri and Maggie talk about the first -- this was my first recruiting class that's getting ready to graduate, and they've been able to go back-to-back. I'm really proud of them, but I'm also, on the other hand, excited that my young kids, the ones that are going to be returning next year, they get to experience this. Nothing takes the place of experience, and you can always bring this up: Remember, win. And this is what we want to do every year to continue to get back to the NCAA and have an opportunity to win a game in the NCAA. Q. Last year here in the NCAAs you played Louisville, actually had the lead in the second quarter. How much does that game -- is that relevant at all for your players that are back, to come into this game here? SANDRA RUSHING: Well, I think it helps. Last year we were nervous, really nervous, and I'm sure we're going to be nervous tomorrow. But that just goes along with the game. But we had the chance to experience that last year, and it's something we talked about all season long, about getting back to the NCAA and wanting to experience this again. Like I said, I'm sure there will be some nerves tomorrow, but I just want to go out and let's play hard, let's compete, and this is great exposure for us, our program, our university, and just have an opportunity to play on the big stage on national television and everybody is watching and seeing. Of course we want to go in and represent the Southland very well. Q. Maggie was saying nobody knew who the Sugar Bears were last year. Maybe they still don't. You said it's a great opportunity for your program. For the folks in Austin, who are the Sugar Bears? What are the Sugar Bears all about? SANDRA RUSHING: Well, I think we've got the best mascot in the country, all right, and I get asked that all the time, the Sugar Bears. Somebody asked me where did it come from, and I said, it's just because we're sweet, Sugar Bears. We're a program that really does the right thing. Our kids graduate. They work hard. They represent the community and our University well. They're gaining a whole lot of experience on and off the floor. I've got a great group of young ladies that, like I said, I'm really proud of, and just to watch them experience this and go through this really -- it warms your heart as a coach because you keep telling them hard work is going to pay off, and they're seeing the end result. It keeps them hungry to go back and want more. Q. I was asking your players the difference now in your program compared to the first time -- I didn't know you had seven freshmen at the time. The biggest difference with your program now as opposed to -- SANDRA RUSHING: I didn't know I had seven, either, sorry. I was just thinking -- I had to think back. Sorry, go ahead. Q. The biggest difference between their freshman year and their senior year with your program. SANDRA RUSHING: Maturity. Absolutely, maturity. When you have freshmen coming in, of course they're superstars, and they're used to playing and shooting a lot, and I emphasize defense, and they bought in. That's the thing, you've got to have your players buy in if you're going to be successful. I've been very fortunate that this senior group has bought in, and Maggie and Bri, they have a very special chemistry on the floor, and that has come over time by them coming in and having to play. They've been starting since their freshman year, and that just -- that says a lot about this program and where we started and then we've been able to bring people in to help contribute and help get us where we are. Q. Will this be the first time that you guys have been on national TV this year? SANDRA RUSHING: This year? Yeah, this year. CBS Sports, this year. But last year, of course -- Q. Is that relevant when you're recruiting players, hey, we were on ESPN? SANDRA RUSHING: Absolutely, that's a selling tool, yes, absolutely. Q. You had the A&M game on SEC Network. SANDRA RUSHING: Oh, yes, we did. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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