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NCAA WOMEN'S REGIONAL SEMIFINALS AND FINALS: ALBANYMarch 30, 2019Geno AuriemmaChristyn WilliamsKatie Lou SamuelsonNapheesa CollierCrystal DangerfieldMegan WalkerAlbany, New York Q. Napheesa, can you talk about that game in January when you played them and what you guys have learned from that game two months ago against Louisville and what you need to improve on for the win tomorrow? NAPHEESA COLLIER: Well, we need to improve on everything. We played just not our game at all. And we were watching the film, and we were just like, what are we doing? That doesn't look like us at all, how we're playing now and how we know that we can play. So just staying composed and knowing that we need to run our stuff and not kind of getting so flustered as we did in that game. Q. Napheesa and Lou, what did fluster you in that game? They pride themselves on playing defense. Were they just not giving you the looks that you normally get or were you guys just not executing for some reason? KATIE LOU SAMUELSON: I think we struggled to execute, and I think we tried to do too many different things to kind of go at their defense, because it was a little different than what we'd faced up to that point, when we should have just stuck to what we normally do because there were times things were working and we didn't go back to it. NAPHEESA COLLIER: Yeah, I thought a lot of it was definitely execution. Like I said, we were just kind of not playing our game. And like Lou said, if we had something, we wouldn't go back to it or we were trying too many different things. So like I said, just staying and doing what we know how to do is going to be a big key for us tomorrow. Q. Katie, I know you're probably getting tired of talking about it, but Coach said last night he thought you had limited mobility with your back. How is the back feeling today, and are you ready for tomorrow? KATIE LOU SAMUELSON: At this point in the season, it's all mind over matter. There's people all over the country that are playing still that have injuries and have little things that are bothering them. Stuff that's going on with me, I'm not letting it affect me. I'm doing whatever I can to feel my best, but mentally if I feel good, then that's good enough. Q. Christyn, people talk about freshmen aren't freshmen anymore at the end of the season. How much have you gained this year? Do you feel like more of a sophomore at this stage of the season? CHRISTYN WILLIAMS: Well, yeah, this year has been challenging for me. I've had my ups and downs but it's the end of the season now, so I kind of know the ropes now. I'm still a freshman, but with the help of my teammates, they encourage me and give me amazing confidence to do what I do. Q. Crystal and Phee, you guys talked about not being yourselves offensively the first game, but Coach afterward made a point if you guys had played the way you did in the last two and a half minutes, it would have been an entirely different game. Did you do something differently then during that time, or did a light go on, or did they just play you differently because they were up more? CRYSTAL DANGERFIELD: I believe in those last two minutes, two and a half minutes, we kind of were playing our speed, and we were kind of controlling the tempo of what we wanted to do, how fast we wanted to score and normally that's our game. You know, it's out in transition. It's quick ball movement and things like that, and setting good screens, using the screens, come off of it and getting our shots. And I think that's what was going on at the end of the game. NAPHEESA COLLIER: I think because we were a little bit flustered, so maybe we were playing a little bit more timid than we usually did or not looking straight away for the things, like Crystal said, that we normally get. But we knew in the last two minutes if we didn't make a change -- I mean, we were down at that point so we were going to lose. But we wanted to get back and fight back as hard as we can. And so we weren't worried about -- there was no time to be timid, that we weren't worried about making mistakes. We had to go as fast as we can, and that's why we looked so much better, because we weren't afraid to make those mistakes. Q. Katie, Geno said last night there are times when we, meaning you guys, need to remind, hey, we're UConn and we're not going to be gotten rid of that easy. Were there times in the game and maybe even last night where that feeling kind of comes over you guys, that's sort of built up for a long time for how long you've been there and your ability to believe in yourself in the clutch? KATIE LOU SAMUELSON: Yeah, I think when it came down to some of the closing minutes in the third and fourth quarter, it felt kind of like we know what we're doing. No matter what the score is right now, we have that confidence, we know what we're good at. And you could kind of see it in the other team, too, that they know we're UConn, as well. And that goes a long way because of what Coach has been able to do with this program. Being a part of it, you have to be a certain type of player and certain type of person that can handle that pressure and embrace it, but also use it to your benefit. Q. Crystal, speaking of last night, when Katie Lou got the flagrant foul and went to the free-throw line, do you think -- you guys looked really pumped up like everybody was standing at half court kind of clapping and you went on your run after that and did some big things. Was that kind of like exciting? Did that kind of pump you guys up a little bit? CRYSTAL DANGERFIELD: I think so. There are times in the game where you have a play that can change the momentum of the game, and that was definitely one of them. Another one was where she stole the ball and got the and-one, I think that was really the one that shifted the game in our favor. It's plays like that that Lou has made all year long that we -- we can happen and can push the game for us. Q. I have a question with regard to the expected crowd. Megan, it will most likely be pro-UConn. How much of an advantage is that and do you see that as something to help continue to motivate you? MEGAN WALKER: At the first game, we were at Louisville, so I feel like that definitely played a part in it. So with the crowd in our favor, it'll give us a good burst of energy, and we'll feel like we're at home. CRYSTAL DANGERFIELD: You know, we're in New York and everything, but it's still, like you said, pro-UConn. And we've played here before, so again, I think it's the familiarity for this team, and we'll be comfortable out there playing. NAPHEESA COLLIER: We've been saying since day one when we got here, we have the best fans in the country, so we know there's going to be a lot of people tomorrow. And as you said, it's going to be mostly UConn fans, so just having their energy and all the stuff that they bring is really a confidence and energy boost for us. So I think it'll definitely be an extra thing that helps us tomorrow. Q. How much was that a factor last night as you were climbing back to tie the game and ultimately take the lead? NAPHEESA COLLIER: It's a lot. I mean, like I said, to have the energy that our fans have and the consistency with them, just when Lou has that steal or Crystal makes those huge shots or Megan gets a rebound or Christyn drives, anything like that, to have them roaring in our ears it just hypes you up so much. Like I said, their consistency with us and the energy that they bring to us is really invaluable, and so we're so lucky to have these fans. Q. Christyn, Coach was talking last night about when Olivia was on the floor, she just kind of changed the game a little bit because of how big she is. Was that kind of fun watching her get so involved and how much better she's gotten in the postseason? CHRISTYN WILLIAMS: Yeah, Olivia has gotten a lot better. Just her presence on the floor, she's big, she gets a lot of rebounds, blocked shots. So it's a huge game changer when she's in the paint. GENO AURIEMMA: You know, there's probably no more, I think, nervous energy on a team or coaching staff than the day between your Sweet 16 game and your final 8 game because you just want to play. You know you've got to play a really good team. You know you've got to play really well. You know what's at stake in the game. You know what's the reward for winning the game. And the prize for losing the game is your season is over. So there's a lot of anxiousness, I'm sure, that every team and every coaching staff feels around this time. But that's kind of a good thing. We're ready -- I think, as ready as we're going to be. We kind of figured this is the team we'd be playing. We'd be playing Louisville whether we were a 1 and they were a 2, or we were a 2 and they're a 1. It really doesn't matter. This is probably the match-up that was going to happen anyway, and we're anxious for it to get started. Q. Geno, what's the biggest problem Louisville presents to you guys? GENO AURIEMMA: I think any time you have a player that can kind of create a shot for themselves whenever they really need one, create some opportunities for teammates. I think the NCAA Tournament is about great players, and if you happen to have one of them who's used to being in that situation, and I think Asia certainly is, I think you spend so much energy trying to defend her that you hurt yourself at some other positions. I think you've just got to be careful that you don't get caught up in watching Asia play and forget about the rest of the team. They're a really good team. They're not just Asia Durr. Q. Geno, I know we talked to Napheesa a little bit last night about how helpful it was that you've already seen Louisville once this season. Obviously that was a loss, but what can you gain from that experience going into tomorrow's game? GENO AURIEMMA: Well, the game was played in an odd sort of way. We wanted to get the game moving really quickly in the beginning, and it moved so quickly that I think Louisville got into a real comfort zone, and that first quarter was pretty fast-paced. And the whole first half was pretty fast-faced, both teams. So I was happy with the way we played. I didn't anticipate that third quarter going the way it did where we just completely shut down. You know, we got away from everything that we were doing well in the first half, and we were never able to recover. I think the game's got to be played tomorrow possession by possession, a 40-minute game instead of us playing great in spurts and going long stretches where we don't have great possessions. I think we're a better team than we were when we played them the first time. I mean, I guess they are, too, for that matter. So I think the game will reflect that. Q. In the first game against Louisville, you guys were still kind of looking for a solid option off the bench. Now you kind of have Olivia as that person. How do you expect she'll impact the game, and what are you looking for her to do tomorrow? GENO AURIEMMA: You know, Liv does impact the game on the defensive end because we just don't have anybody that can give us that kind of look. You know, there's less lay-ups when she's in the game. There's less offensive rebounds when she's in the game. There's a couple more blocked shots. So sometimes just seeing her standing in the middle of the lane is enough to change the way a team wants to play on offense. And the fact that she's very confident right now. I'm hoping that she adds some offense. But certainly defensively she's helped us a lot. Q. Question for you about Asia Durr since you brought her up. You actually had the opportunity to recruit her, so a two-part question. What was that recruitment like, and what was it like when she told you that she was going elsewhere? GENO AURIEMMA: Well, every recruiting story is pretty much the same. You know, you always feel like in the beginning everybody is on the same level playing field, you know. Everybody has got an equal chance. But then as time goes on, you can start to see that sometimes you know you're going to get a kid and you end up getting them. And there's other times when you keep trying, but you know it's not going to work out. I think with Asia, it was obviously -- everybody was recruiting her, and only one school was going to get her. And when she told me that she was going to Louisville, I wasn't surprised. I mean, by the time you get a phone call telling you where a kid is going, you already know where a kid is going. In that respect, it was the same as recruiting every other kid. Q. How does the team dynamic change when your leaders and your top contributors are seniors versus when they are not? GENO AURIEMMA: If your best players and your team leaders are the same people, then it's actually pretty cool. Sometimes your best players and your team leaders are not the same people, and then it's a little bit dicier. But obviously if you're a senior and this is your first time in this position, then you're not exactly in the same place mentally as if you're a senior and this is your fourth time in this position. If you're a young kid who just came to college and all of a sudden this isn't a January game where we have another game on Wednesday, and now all of a sudden you're playing in a game where the winner goes to the Final Four, that's a lot to ask for a freshman. I mean, unless those freshmen are Duke's men's freshmen, then that's a little bit different. But not everybody has those guys. So I think experience means a lot at this time of the year. It means almost as much as talent. I think I'd trade, all things being equal, a really talented kid for an experienced kid. Q. You're playing essentially your second game in about a day and a half tomorrow, and I think you played all three of your starters all 40 minutes. Is that a concern at all, especially as it pertains to Katie Lou with her back issues? GENO AURIEMMA: You know, it can be. It can be. And at the same time, there's nothing that they haven't done. Throughout most of the season it's been like that, and hopefully we don't have to play them all 40 minutes. But sometimes that's just the way it goes. As I said, the game will be played a little bit differently than it was played down at Louisville, and we'll have to pick our spots, but I don't think anybody is going to ask to come out tomorrow because they're tired. That generally doesn't happen at this time of the year. Q. Following up on the experience question, something I asked Jeff. Over the years you've talked about if your seniors, once you're getting to this game, there can always be that little bit of, if I lose, it's the last game. We could look at the Holdsclaw example, played great all year and then in that Duke game in '99, she couldn't buy a shot to save her life -- GENO AURIEMMA: It happens. You always worry about seniors, their whole senior year, but especially in the NCAA Tournament. Some kids just take off and they have incredible finishing acts to their careers. And other kids do get worried, they do get a little bit apprehensive about what if, what if, what if. They start to think that way. As a coach, I don't know that you can do anything to prevent that. I've been in both situations, you know, where I've had seniors that they played their best basketball during the NCAA Tournament, and I've had some older kids who were a little bit gun-shy. You just hope, cross your fingers that you've got kids that they've been waiting for this moment, and they know this is their last time, and they're determined to make the most of it. Q. Geno, two-part question. I ask you this every year and you always have a good answer on it -- GENO AURIEMMA: Can you just write the answer I gave you last year? Q. You always say to get to the Final Four usually one player steps up in this game to get you there. Do you think you know who that player will be tomorrow? And the second question is: It's tough to beat you guys twice in a year. I don't know if this has been asked before, but I think only Notre Dame has done it in the last decade. What is it about you guys that when you play someone more than once, that second time you usually don't lose to them? GENO AURIEMMA: We have a lot of really talented players on the floor that second time that maybe weren't quite ready the first time. I think all the -- it's funny, this year all the stereotypes and all the preexisting theories that I've heard, they just don't seem to hold up for me. Because this team that I'm coaching right now is really unpredictable, and it's really quite different than any other team that I've coached in the last 10 or 11 years. You know, going into tomorrow, it's a different Louisville team that we're playing, and I think it's a different Connecticut team that they're playing. But it still does come down to our best players have to out-play their best players. That's the way it always works. I'm not going to come up with a strategy tonight that's going to make a big difference tomorrow. Jeff might, but I can't. And I think that it's more of a -- you know who your go-to players are, and it's not going to be any different than it was during the regular season, and you have to hope that they play exceptionally well. If they don't, that puts a lot of pressure on somebody who's not used to playing that well. That doesn't mean they can't do it, but the odds are against it. So that's why it's -- this is such a big game. And it's great to anticipate it, because you're dying to see who's going to step up and be those kids. Q. This weekend Muffet McGraw in a pretty substantial story online stated that she'll no longer hire male assistants. She's decided against that. She's the defending National Championship coach. I was wondering do you think there's a message there that could affect male coaches getting into the game, or are the numbers just so stark with trying to get more women in the game, men's and women's college, that she's on the right path? I just kind of wanted to hear you out on that topic. GENO AURIEMMA: Well, I hope she sends a thank you to all those guys that used to be on her staff that got her all those good players that won a championship. I don't know. I didn't read the story. I don't know anything about it. But I look at some of the top programs in America, and they seem to have pretty good coaches who happen to be men. So Muffet is entitled to hire anybody she wants, you know. I don't know why she feels the need to make a statement about it. I've never hired a guy as one of my assistants, either. I'm not going to make a statement about it. Every coach does what they feel comfortable doing. I don't think what's in that story is going to have any effect whatsoever around the country, one bit. There's just too many good programs being run by guys that all of a sudden athletic directors are going to go, you know what, instead of doing what's best for my program, I'm going to do what's best for Muffet McGraw. Not going to happen. Q. Jeff said that they're the underdogs tomorrow and that you're the favorite, and also, if you could comment on that -- GENO AURIEMMA: And he's still the coach at Louisville. I read that, too. Q. Do you see a parallel between their program and your program? Like Jeff is trying to build there like the same thing that you have? And like a little bit of his wiseguy-ness? Do you see a parallel between that? GENO AURIEMMA: You know, they've pretty much reached the place where most people hope to go. You know, they have a great program. They have great crowd support. They have great support from the University. They win. They go to the Final Four. You know, they win championships in their league. You know, I think that's -- I think Jeff is a little too old to be crying that they're the underdog, you know. We're on a losing streak with them, you know. I mean, if that's what they need or if that's what he needs to get his team to that point, then I'm okay with that. I think it's pretty funny. But I guess you've got to do what you've got to do to get your team ready to go. Any time I hear these stories, I get a kick out of it. You know, I mean, I don't remember the last time we've been an underdog. Can anybody remember that, the last time somebody said Connecticut is the underdog? So maybe he's going by that. We've just been the favorite so often. But I think we're sitting on the wrong bench tomorrow, though, if we're the favorite. They need to change the benches. And I think we're wearing the wrong uniforms. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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