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NCAA WOMEN'S 1ST AND 2ND ROUNDS: WACOMarch 24, 2019Lauren CoxNaLyssa SmithWaco, Texas Q. Lauren, have you guys gotten to take a look at Cal yet? They seem a lot like you guys in a lot of ways. Do you see that at all? LAUREN COX: Yeah, we just finished the scouting report. They have posts that can bang with us inside. They've got some size. They've got some good guards that can shoot on the perimeter. So it's going to be tough. We're going to go over their sets in practice today and prepare as best we can. Q. Lauren, obviously they have Anigwe inside. She had like 22 rebounds yesterday. That's always a point of emphasis anyway, but is it more the focus now knowing that she's there? LAUREN COX: Yeah, for sure. I mean, Coach said we're not going to shut her out and not let her get any rebounds, but as much as we can limit her, she always says it's just as important that she doesn't get it as like one of us gets it. Q. NaLyssa, first tournament experience, getting to play a lot of minutes. What was that like for you? How are you handling the tournament so far, and do you feel like that's going to help you going forward? NaLYSSA SMITH: It was fun so far being that it's my first NCAA game, and I did play that big amount of minutes. It was just a fun experience, and I just want to keep going. Q. Lauren, you always like a challenge, so this Anigwe, you're going to be facing her, are you looking at it as a personal challenge tomorrow, or is it going to be Kalani on her? LAUREN COX: Well, to start the game it'll be Kalani but we're going to throw a bunch of different people at her because it's going to be a team effort trying to stop her. Like you said, I like a challenge, so it'll be fun. Q. NaLyssa, you've played a pretty big role in some of the games this year because the first person coming off the bench for one of the other bigs. You've got a pretty big responsibility. Do you feel like some of the games, Arizona State in particular, have gotten you ready for what you might see tomorrow? NaLYSSA SMITH: For sure. The games in the beginning have prepared me a lot for what's going to be heading down to the NCAA Tournament, so from there I just have to perfect the things that I did before and just make sure I use it in the tournament. Q. NaLyssa, I'm not sure how much you pay attention to the bench when you're in, but when the starters are out, they're just going nuts over there on the sideline. How much do y'all feed off of that if you see it because Didi and Lauren, they're going crazy when you do anything. NaLYSSA SMITH: We feed off of it a lot, just knowing that your team supports you how they do, and when you score it's just a boost of momentum to see like your teammates going crazy, especially the starters. It just sets the tone of the games. Q. Lauren, Recee' Caldwell runs the point for them, graduate transfer running the point, a lot like you guys have. Do you see similarities between her and Chloe, and what do you remember about her from Texas Tech? LAUREN COX: She's a shooter with some deep range. Chloe is more of a mid-range shooter. She likes to shoot the three. I think a lot of times when she drives she's looking to kick it. Chloe is looking to score if she can when she drives. But it'll be a good match-up. Q. You guys had a 12-day layoff. Did you feel like going in yesterday you might have a little rust trying to get in a rhythm, but that didn't happen? LAUREN COX: It was one of those things where you have to get back in game shape because you can practice all you want, but running up and down the floor is different. It was kind of that first five minutes of the game, and then once that media time-out hit, you kind of caught your second wind. Q. Lauren, Coach has talked about you all looking forward to, you and Kalani, when you play a team similar in size to you guys. Just kind of elaborate on that, playing a team that has a similar size match-up. LAUREN COX: I know me and Kalani like it because they might still throw a double-team at us, but it's not going to be three and four people coming and crowding around us because they do have the size and they can bang around with us inside. When you have smaller guard-like posts on you, they're just all up under you, you can't really move much, and they're just trying to be physical with you. Q. NaLyssa, coming in as a freshman, what were your expectations for the NCAA Tournament? What are your expectations going forward, how much you're going to play, the nerves, the quality of competition, that type of thing? NaLYSSA SMITH: Expectations, I really didn't know what to expect going into the tournament, so really it's just whenever Coach calls my name I just know I need to go out there and perform, when she does call my name. Q. Elaborate on that a little bit. Aquira said at the last game in Oklahoma City that Coach called her name, she wasn't expecting it early in the contest. What's that like when you're sitting there, you're having to pay attention to the game but also listening for her to call, and she said she was shocked when she got called in that early in the game. Does that happen sometimes? NaLYSSA SMITH: That doesn't really happen with me because I know like whenever a post player gets tired I know it's my turn to go in the game next. But I guess like Aquira, she doesn't know when she's going to get her name called, so she always has to be ready. Q. Lauren, can you think of another team you've played this year that has the kind of size Cal has that might be comparable? LAUREN COX: I think the physicality of Cal is similar to Stanford. Stanford really pushed us around, was really physical with us, wore us out. So I think they have that similarity. Q. Lauren, y'all took and hit more threes than y'all normally do. Was that sort of just the pace of the game, or is that something that you know you can do and keep in your back pocket? LAUREN COX: I think it's something we know we can do. It depends who's hitting. Juicy was hitting her shots. I think when Aquira hit that first one she got the confidence to take a few more shots. Honesty hit one, Moon hit one. It's something we're capable of doing, but it's just kind of the flow of the game and who has confidence. Q. Lauren, I guess it doesn't count as a block, but was that out-of-bounds kill, was that one of the more satisfying times that you've had that kind of play? LAUREN COX: I honestly didn't think I was going to hit it like that. If anything I was just going to get a tip or something like that. But I think it's just -- I think the sound of it is more -- like gives you more momentum than anything because it's just that loud bank and everybody was just like, huh, just gives you some excitement. Q. Lauren, we want to clarify, so you didn't look up there and see Cal's player sitting up there and give them a message, right? LAUREN COX: Well, it actually almost hit one of them because they weren't paying attention. But they know that we're shot blockers, and I mean, they are, too. They have the size. They knew that about us. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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