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PAC-12 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTMarch 5, 2020Jody WynnMai-Loni HensonGigi GarciaAmber MelgozaLas Vegas, Nevada Utah - 72, Washington - 63 JODY WYNN: We'll start off by saying the three people to my left are three of the most incredible female student athletes I have ever been associated with. This game hurts as an athlete, as a competitor. I wouldn't rather have done it with three other people. They are just great women, great leaders, great role models, great students, and they have been that way every day this year, and they have grown into incredible leaders. And although the game didn't end the way we all wanted it to end, to know that every day these women came to work and were incredible in the locker room, and you just -- you just can't be more proud of the people they have become at Washington. I'm going to miss them so much. Q. Jody, what did you see in Amber's performance today? JODY WYNN: She's as competitive as any competitor I have ever been around, and she's time and time again not afraid to put her team on her back, not afraid of the challenge, not afraid of failure. She's one of those kids that's just going to find a way to get it done and never stop trying. You know, watching Amber play, you just don't ever want that 40 minutes to ever end. It is like you could just sit and watch her drive and watch her competitive juices flow all day long. You know, she carried her team again, you know, against scouting reports, everything that they throw at her, and, you know, she's a warrior. She's somebody that we all look up to. Q. A question for all three of you. You're all seniors. Coach has spoke highly of you, your leadership, you gave your all grown so much over the years. Even though you didn't get the win tonight, is that something that you can hang your hats on, knowing that you all had grown? MAI-LONI HENSON: I think you -- really just looking back and knowing that this is your last game, you really just want to look at the positive things. You want know that -- you want to look back and know that your team gave it your all, that you yourself gave it your all, and that you just left it all out on the court. There is nothing really to hang our heads on. Just knowing we gave everything that we have got and that you can just go out leading with your head high and knowing that you left it all out on the court, there is really nothing to hang your head on. So I'm proud of these two, proud of our team, and just kept fighting. So you can't ask for better than that. Q. Amber, you reached 500 points for the third time in your career this season. What's that mean to you? AMBER MELGOZA: Well, first of all, I couldn't have done it without my, you know, players next to me, with the coaching staff. The little things, just like ball screens, those are very, very important, and without those ball screens, I can't get many points out as well. Throughout my career there's been ups and downs. You know, I gave it my all. Like Jody always say, leave your DNA on the floor. I definitely did that today. And I think, you know, just looking back at all the games that we have had since my freshman year, you know, it kind of stings when you go in the locker room and you realize, dang, I'm not going to put these shoes back on this year with this team, I'm not going to have another film session, not going to have another plane ride with them, not going to have another, you know, hotel, whatever we do in there. It's just so many different things that you kind of look back now and just realize that was the last. But, you know, like you said, we'll keep our heads high, and we have done a lot of great things, and I could not have done any of this without these two next to me. Q. Amber, this is for you. You have had three 30-point games in the Pac-12 Tournament, and you averaged almost 24 points a game. What is it about the Pac-12 Tournament that seems to bring out the best out of you throughout the four years you have been a part of this Washington team? AMBER MELGOZA: Yeah. I just look at it as do-or-die. You have to put everything out there. It is a time to -- it is March. I'm a very competitive person, and I'm -- I want to win, you know. Sometimes when want to win, you have to put the ball in the basket. That's something that I do because I'm a very offensively aggressive. And, I don't know, when it comes to time, I always just focus up and just determined to do what I can and do the best. Q. Coach, do you have an update on Griggsby? Did she suffer an injury? JODY WYNN: It's T.T. Watkins. No, unfortunately not. She went do you want pretty hard. We don't know. Q. Jody, a little bit more big picture with your seniors, a group you didn't recruit to come to Washington. Now what can you say that they have helped you accomplish kind of moving the needle for the program that you would hope future prospective UW players will see now? JODY WYNN: I think one thing that people say about them when they watch them play is that they play so hard and their effort is without question. And they have helped taken our team from, you know, getting voted 12th out of 12 teams from day one to, you know, a semifinal experience last year in the Pac-12 Tournament, upsetting top 25 teams this year as well with some of our wins over UCLA and Iowa. You know, it's just we're growing, you know, as a program again, and the three of them have paved the way for the future as far as taking care of business off the court and on the court. Their competitive drive, their versatility, whether they play with the ball in their hands or away from the ball, and they're incredible women. You know, to me, we're here to win championships, but at the end of the day we're here to grow our student-athletes into becoming the best women they can be long after their playing days are over. I love them like my daughters, and I'll cherish our time together and know that they have done some special things. They brought energy back into Alaska Airlines Arena. The city of Seattle has gotten on board with them and really, really supported our team again and believes that no matter if you're playing a superior opponent or not that we're always going to be in a game. You know, you got to credit the three seniors because they were the ones as sophomores, when we first got there, that, you know, without a lot of returners -- I think Amber was our leading returning scorer at 2.1 points a game, you know, and everybody is kind of looking for the answers, but they just decided, you know what, we're going to work. We're going to stay committed to whatever the coaching staff has asked, is asking, and we're going to help make each other better. At the end of the day, that's all you can ask for. When you're in a corporation, you want to make your employes better, right? You want to work to help your company grow. And these three go to work every day to help our program grow. Q. What advice do you have for the young women coming up in the program? MAI-LONI HENSON: My advice is that no matter how hard or frustrating or difficult something may be, it is really easy to, you know, succumb to that pressure and that adversity. I think what we have learned over the past couple of years is that it really takes effort, attitude, belief, togetherness to really overcome that type of diversity. Individually, I think being able to look yourself in the mirror and look at what you bring to the table and then mastering those skills to bring to your team is something that's very important. And I hope that future Huskies, future college basketball players really just take pride in what they do and know that it is only four years. It goes by really fast. You have to take advantage of every moment you have. AMBER MELGOZA: To add on that, I think kind of just -- you have to believe in yourself. I think believing in yourself can take you a long way. That's something that I have done throughout the four years myself. Just knowing a lot of people didn't like my game, a lot of people didn't think I could do half of the things I did through my career. I always knew that if I believed in myself, then I can accomplish a lot of things. I think, you know, just having a work ethic, putting in work and just the extra work, doing things that make you uncomfortable and doing things that nobody else, you know -- do things behind closed doors where people don't see you are doing it. Just make yourself better, and making yourself better makes, you know, your teammates better as well. GIGI GARCIA: Yeah. For myself, advice I would give is just to take advantage of every moment. Nothing is guaranteed. Your next game isn't guaranteed. So compete at all times. Q. This is for the seniors. I always admire the UW athletic department, led by Jen Cohen, and your fan base. They're huge supporters of all women's sports, all sports in your department. I wonder if each of you could say a message to UW fans who have been supporting you since this is the culmination? MAI-LONI HENSON: Husky Nation, we love you so much. Thank you for all of your support. It's been fun these past four years, and thank you for sticking with us regardless of, you know, the ups or downs. We just thank you and we love you, and we're going to miss you guys for sure. AMBER MELGOZA: Yes. Thank you. Thank you for always believing in us and always, you know, cheering for us, no matter where, whatever it is at the time. But I just can't thank you guys enough for everything you guys have done. I'm for sure going to miss you guys, especially, you know, the little girls that always come up to me after the game and just always are giving me such a big smile or just the little autographs they ask for. It is just so amazing. Yeah. We're going to miss you guys. I appreciate all the support. GIGI GARCIA: Thank you, Dawg fans. We love you so much. Go, Dawgs! FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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