ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 4, 2021

Ivana Raca

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Postgame Press Conference

Wake Forest 82, North Carolina 71

Q. Another double-double for you tonight. How big was that for you just having to battle inside the paint all game and just the battle in game in general against UNC?

IVANA RACA: North Carolina is a really good offensive rebounder and we wanted to limit them. Our key to the game was on the glass, so I was just going for the box out and just grabbing the rebounds, and on the offensive end I was just attacking how much I could.

Q. Today also marked Jen Hoover becoming the all-time winningest coach in Wake Forest program history. What was it like to deliver that victory and put her over the top while also potentially securing a shot at the NCAA Tournament?

IVANA RACA: Yeah, we are so proud of Coach. She always have great advices and everything and I hope it's not the end. I hope she gets more wins, and of course March Madness is our goal, and this tournament is a great opportunity to come a little bit closer to that.

Q. How much does it help your confidence as a team when you have a teammate like Jewel making all those shots early and kind of getting into a rhythm?

IVANA RACA: Yeah, it helps really a lot, actually. She's a great three-point shooter, so we wanted to find her because, I mean, when you have a teammate that is that hot with the three-point shot you always want to find her so you get easy baskets and you go play defense again. She obviously was the emphasis of the defense, so we could get more shots, easier shots than we could definitely before.

Q. And this is the second year in a row you guys have beaten North Carolina in the first round of this tournament. Is that becoming a Wake Forest March tradition?

IVANA RACA: I hope so. I hope so.

Q. We saw a lot of emotion from coach Hoover on the court and then also in the postgame conference. How important was this win not only for coach Hoover but also for you guys just getting that win and getting over the mountain top here a little bit at the beginning of the tournament?

IVANA RACA: I think it gives us so much confidence because we want to get in March Madness and also it's North Carolina, like, we beat them once but we lost once that we should have win that game, too. And also it's the first game. You don't want to go home first.

Q. Do you guys feel like as a team that you belong in March Madness this year?

IVANA RACA: Yeah, yeah. I think so, that yes, we belong, and I think we proved it, too.