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NCAA WOMEN'S 1ST AND 2ND ROUNDS: STANFORDMarch 24, 2019Tara VanDerveerLacie HullLexie HullMaya DodsonStanford, California THE MODERATOR: Let's go ahead and get started with Maya Dodson, Lacie Hull, and Lexie Hull. We will now open the floor for questions. Q. Maya, in what ways does BYU get your attention and what are the things you need to focus on? MAYA DODSON: I think their biggest thing is their three-point shooting, so that's the biggest thing we're going to have to focus on during the this game, so I think that's the biggest red flag for us. Q. Maya, what were your big take-aways for the win over UC Davis and how you can build on that against BYU? MAYA DODSON: I think the first quarter we came out strong on defense and also offensively and I think if we build on our first quarter, we're going to have a great run during the tournament, so I think just focusing on that and just coming out with energy and working hard each game is our goal. Q. Lacie, your thoughts? LACIE HULL: I agree with Maya. I think it's not important to focus on the scout and the defense and then also just taking the open shots, the right shots, and sticking together is really important. Q. Lacie, you guys have obviously been a main stay in the NCAA Tournament for so many years. BYU is one of the newcomers. What is it about this program and the way that Coach VanDerveer runs it that makes it so consistent? LACIE HULL: Our coaching staff is amazing and I think they prepare us for every game with the scout, and I think just the culture here is really important, valuable, all the players play for each other, play for the coaching staff, play for the school, so I think that's one thing that is really valuable for us. Q. How much was the one home loss you've had this year kind of a wake-up call and what would you say has been kind of consistent in not having lost a game since? MAYA DODSON: It was definitely a wake-up call. We knew that we could play better than we did, and it was definitely a hard loss to take, but I think looking back that it really helped us after that, and it was just a learning experience. LACIE HULL: A lot of things happened in that game that brought to light we had to work on and ever since that game I think we have been improving and taking those things into account for the rest of the games. LEXIE HULL: I think it gave us a lot more motivation, especially in the Pac-12 Championship game, to redeem ourselves from that big loss. Yeah, so we took a lot of things and improved on certain aspects of our game. Q. Lexie, any initial thoughts on the BYU Cougars? LEXIE HULL: They're a great team, and we need to focus on their three-point game because they can get hot and we've seen that in a lot of film. Q. You lost to a Gonzaga team that BYU beat three times. In a transit of properties game, is there anything you can take from that in terms of caliber of play and what you might expect from BYU and that kind of thing? MAYA DODSON: I think the biggest thing is not underestimating, especially with good three-point shooters, and also making sure that we come out with a lot of energy. I think the Gonzaga game we kind of didn't come out with a lot of energy and Gonzaga has a great crowd out there, and they really got them pumped. I think we have a great crowd, too, but we can't rely on our crowd for us to get energy. We need to play with energy because we want to win and in order to win we have to come out with energy each game. Q. You were talking about the three-pointers. They have a 6'7 big. Does they present any specific problems for you guys? LEXIE HULL: For sure we have to know where she is at all times because we don't have anyone her size, so she is definitely going to be a challenge, but we have to figure out a way to be able to guard their three-point but also make sure she is contained. Q. Lacie, if you would address this team from the beginning of the season until now, what's transformed on this team, what's gotten better and improved over the course of the season? LACIE HULL: I think it's interesting that our first game was UC Davis, and our last game was UC Davis, as well and between those two games we have seen a lot of improvement and a lot of changes. I think it boils down to our focus on both the scout and our offense, just the motivation. I mean, I think that first game, especially for us freshmen, there were some nerves there, it's the first game we've played, but then like yesterday we were settled in, it was time to go, and I think just everyone sticking together throughout the season and being focused on one main goal in the end has been very important for our team, and I think that's what's been the biggest improvement for us. Q. Presuming you got to see some of the BYU/Auburn game in person, was that helpful for you to see it beyond film and beyond three-point shooting, what other impressions were you left with? LACIE HULL: They're an aggressive team and I think we need to be aggressive and not wait for them to start that aggressiveness, and watching that brought it to light. We can't come in being, like, slow. We need to be ready to go right from the start. MAYA DODSON: They're very poised. Auburn has -- during their press they are aggressive but they found a way to stay poised through that, so seeing that shows that we can't think we're going to rattle them, and that's the way we're going to win. We're just going to have to play our game. THE MODERATOR: Thank you, ladies. Joined now by Coach VanDerveer. Coach, congratulations. If you will begin our press conference with an opening statement. TARA VANDERVEER: We're very excited to be playing in the game Monday night, and BYU has an excellent team. They had a great win over Auburn. We have a lot of work to do today to get our team prepared, but we will be ready, and we're really happy to be playing. THE MODERATOR: With that, questions for Coach. TARA VANDERVEER: Do you recall Tom Holmoe's time as a coach at Stanford, and can you describe any interactions you had with Tom at the time? TARA VANDERVEER: I do. He's not the AD anymore? Q. He still is. TARA VANDERVEER: I was are wondering, because someone asked me that yesterday. He always seemed very upbeat, he worked on the football staff and worked with Bill Walsh and just a real positive kind of encouraging person, enjoyed having him at Stanford and I wasn't sure -- I lost track a little bit. I wasn't sure if he was still at BYU but obviously doing great job there. Q. (Away from mic.) TARA VANDERVEER: Well, he might have been there, I just didn't know it. Mostly interaction in the halls and talking in coaches meetings and things like that. Always enjoyed the time I spent with him. Q. Coach in what ways does BYU get your attention as you prep for this game? TARA VANDERVEER: They have a lot of very capable players. I think starting inside with somebody 6'7, that gets your attention. They have a lot of players that shoot the ball very well. With someone making 86 threes, that would get your attention, but they pass the ball well, they shoot the ball well, they're a strong, fundamental team and very well coached team. They play a lot of people so you've got to get to know a lot of different personnel, and they played in a very tough league, winning their conference tournament, obviously. They've had a great season. Q. You said 6'7 gets your attention. What particular problems does Hanson present for you guys? TARA VANDERVEER: Well, she blocks a lot of shots, she changes things in the paint when you go in there. I'm glad that we have played against teams that are that big already this year with Baylor with Kalani Brown, different build, but 6'7 and also the young lady at Oregon State, 6-8. So I think if you're not used to playing against that at all you turn and she is going to block your shot. She scores, they run a lot of really nice pick-and-roll action with her. That's a big part of their game. Q. Coach, the question was asked to your players before, in what ways was that February 10th a wake-up call for your team? What have you seen as a coach that has changed in their mentality and their confidence? TARA VANDERVEER: It was a beat down. I don't know that a wake-up call is how I would describe it. Oregon came in and had their way. I think maybe our team learned that you not can't just show up. You've got to be ready, and you've got to play hard and play really well if you want to win the game. Oregon is a great team, and we're really excited to get a chance to play them again and show that that wasn't who we were on February 10th. Hopefully we've played well since then and we can continue to do that. Q. Coach, you guys are obviously very experienced at this time of year playing in the NCAA Tournament consistently in the last few years. BYU is young in this tourney. Do you think that experience gives you an advantage or leg up, sort of helps your players I guess moving forward through these stages of the tournament? Do you think that helps them? TARA VANDERVEER: I think experience only helps if you've learned from it. Just because you've done it doesn't mean anything, really, but hopefully the fact that people have been successful in the tournament, they can build on those positive experiences and learn from, you know, why we weren't successful. I don't think basketball or the tournament is rocket science. You've got to play great defense, you've got to rebound, you've got to execute offensively. It's probably no different than during the season. During the season you're feeling things out, trying to figure out line-ups, trying to figure out combinations, maybe what things to do, but by the tournament you've got to have it figured out. I hope our team is excited about playing in the tournament and that their experience is going to serve people well. Q. What did BYU show you against Auburn in particular how they handled Auburn's press? TARA VANDERVEER: We weren't going to put a press early in like that today anyway, but I thought they handled the press well, they passed the ball well. They're a very fundamental team, they pass and shoot and spread the floor well. It was a great game. Auburn made a great comeback but I think BYU just stayed in there and -- I didn't really see the very end of it because we were getting ready for our game but the fact that Auburn did come back, I think they did force some turnovers, but they didn't get as many as they usually get and wanted. Again, BYU is, I think, very, very impressive with Gonzales. We saw her in recruiting and she committed early to BYU, but she is an outstanding player, really good shooters, good outside game, good inside game. Hopefully that's how we're going to play, too, hopefully we have a good perimeter and postgame, too. Q. I thought one of the keys for BYU yesterday was they quickly switched out man into zone. I was wondering if a team that's versatile that can play a lot of different defenses, if that's a concern for you guys? TARA VANDERVEER: You know, honestly, we have played against everything. We have played against press, we played against zone, player, triangle and 2, box and 1, we have played against everything this year. I really feel like our conference schedule and our nonconference schedule playing Baylor, playing at Tennessee, playing at Gonzaga, you know, we played Florida Gulf Coast. All these teams are in the NCAA Tournament. They've all gotten us ready for this. I think players at this level, they're not going to be, you know, if a team plays player you're doing one thing, if a team plays zone, you're going to look for other things. I don't see that has being anything that is really disruptive or an advantage. Most teams play both so you're going to -- we play both, they play both, you're going to play whatever is going to work. Q. In what ways has your team transformed since the beginning of the season and gotten better at, changed? Obviously there are common opponents between you and BYU, but neither of you are the same team from the beginning of the season. How has your team changed? TARA VANDERVEER: That's a great question. I've been thinking about that a little bit, especially because we played Davis and that was our first game. First of all, unfortunately, we've had some injuries. So not having people has forced other people to step up and play well for us. I think Kiana Williams is doing a great job for us at the point. Last year she played the 2, might have averaged 20-something minutes a game and she has developed into what I think is a really outstanding point guard for our team and in our league and in the tournament. Initially Lexie Hull started for us, and she got hurt so she was out so now Lacie starts. Last year we had Anna Wilson doing well and she got out so a lot of it is -- I said to our team the best ability is availability so different people being available, they've improved a lot and they've really listened. The improvement of DiJonai Carrington is outstanding. What she is doing for us this year is a lot different than what she did her freshman and sophomore year. She is a great leader, a scorer and a rebounder for us. Alanna Smith is playing a lot better. So you have someone like Kiana, who was more of a role player last year, Alanna, DiJonai didn't start for us, and these are our go-to players. I think Shannon Coffee has improved a lot. She is doing really well for us. Maya was out a lot but she is coming back. I think the whole team, individually they have really improved and I think part of it is the fact that they really enjoy playing with each other. So they're not just playing hard for themselves but they're playing hard for each other. Overall, I think we're in a whole different spot and we're forced to be because of some injuries. Q. What has it taken to have been in 11 straight Sweet 16s? TARA VANDERVEER: I hadn't really thought about that. I hope it's 12. Again, I think you just -- you have to really be well prepared at this level. Everyone is really talented. What we kind of have asked for in women's basketball is more parity and we have it. There are closer games, more competitive games, there are more upsets. We have to play -- I think that in order to play at the Sweet 16 level you have to do the basic things. You have to rebound, you have to play -- we play scouting report defense. You better know what you're doing out there and work hard to make it happen. Offensively you've got to execute well and take good shots and take care of the ball. And your team has to really enjoy playing with each other. They have to be a team that wants to keep playing, because, you know, you're in the locker room for three, four hours in the training room and they know that maybe some of their friends are at Disneyland or Hawaii or Florida or something. They have to love playing with each other. I think that's probably it more than anything. THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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