BIG TEN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

March 3, 2022

Lindsay Whalen

Sara Scalia

Kadi Sissoko

Minnesota Gophers

Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Postgame Press Conference

Northwestern - 65, Minnesota - 60.

THE MODERATOR: We'll take an opening statement from coach and then go to the student-athletes for questions.

LINDSAY WHALEN: You know, obviously a hard fought battle. Give Northwestern credit. A couple offensive rebounds here or there and a couple plays that we had kind of in our hands that we didn't finish. But give them credit.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Sara, Minnesota beat Northwestern at Williams. Anything different today? I know there was some runs back and forth. Minnesota scored. Northwestern scored. Any big differences on the court as you saw Northwestern playing their defense versus your offense or was it just a lack of getting the shots when you needed to?

SARA SCALIA: I think Northwestern did a better job just guarding us on the perimeter. Gadiva had a lot of open looks in the first game we played and she didn't hit as many this game, so I think they played better defense than us.

Q. When you look at how you finished this season, after you started the Big Ten, (no microphone) you come out here and play a pretty tough game, how do you feel about where this team is right now for either one of the players?

KADI SISSOKO: I feel like we grew a lot throughout these weeks and we still need to keep building and keep going hard at practice and learn from our mistakes during the games.

SARA SCALIA: Yeah. I mean, we still got a lot to improve on. We need our leaders to step up.

Q. For Sara, it seemed early that the first half you played, you kind of did whatever you, what you wanted to do. You beat the press. You got open looks. You were moving the ball. That seemed to stall in the fourth quarter. Do you know what was going on there?

SARA SCALIA: I think our offense was pretty stagnant at times. No one was moving and it was kind of hard to get anybody really an open look. So I think open shots were almost always contested. But give them credit.

Q. It seems like in some of the tougher losses you had this year it's been sort of a matter of finishing games. Do you feel like this is still a work in progress in terms of putting a cap on games?

KADI SISSOKO: I think we need to have a better focus on boxing out and getting O boards, finishing plays because that's hurting us.

SARA SCALIA: Yeah. I mean, we've played in a lot of close games this year, even with some of the top-ranked teams, and so obviously it's something we can really improve on is finishing it out down the stretch. That's for sure.

THE MODERATOR: We will excuse the student-athletes and take questions for coach.

Q. You went up to, you beat them up at your home place. Any changes you made for this game? Any changes you saw Joe make for Northwestern?

LINDSAY WHALEN: I mean, early when they were in (inaudible) we trapped a little and ball screens. I thought that that was good.

And then we got it out of the traps a few times and we got some open looks and then they primarily went player to player in the second half. Obviously Kadi this last week to 10 days has been tremendous, so we went to her a little bit more down the stretch. Obviously Deja got going so we tried to isolate her on the left wing a little bit, which is one area she's been effective.

Tried to move Sara around, when she's at the 1, when she's at the 2 a little bit more, offering movement. I thought that, I thought for the most part we had some good looks. They're a great defensive team. They're one of the best defensive teams in this conference. For us I think it came down to some of the stops.

I felt good for the most part. We mixed it up. Some of our 1, 2, 2, half court and then we went to player to player in the second half as well. But they take a lot of threes and some tough threes and obviously they got to the line.

Q. When Northwestern missed those free throws near the end of the game, any thought about where you should go back with the ball? Go inside? Stay outside?

LINDSAY WHALEN: So the third, well, the first time they got it back on an offensive rebound. It was a three-point game at that point, so trying to get some space and either, at that point that was our last timeout and then we also obviously some space for a shooter to try to tie it up at that point.

So we ended up getting a look. We ended up getting a look. Almost got, and then we got an offensive rebound on the other side. And, yeah, obviously Burton made a heck of a play on Sara on that last three.

So we had a couple chances there at the end. And so, yeah, it was, it's a really, it's a really just, you know, at that point could have gone either way. We make it and we might still be playing, probably in overtime. But give them credit on those stops.

Q. Was there a particular play coming out of that last timeout with 21 seconds left or were you just trying to inbound it and see what they did to react? And the second question, the whole idea of finishing this year, this team has been in so many games late, and just couldn't get over the hump. Is that something going forward that has to be a priority?

LINDSAY WHALEN: Yeah, no doubt. So the first question, we had a screen to screener action on the back side, screen for Sara to the corner. They did a good job taking it away. Bailey made a great flash and at that point we're out of timeouts, so we're scrambling a bit. We still got two looks at threes. But that was the action without giving away all my plays.

And then, yeah, I mean, we said it in the locker room. That's something that, whether it's an O board or today getting into the gaps, we knew that those guys were going to try to get in the paint.

It's a 40-minute game. That's why winning is, that's why it's so great because it's so hard. And that's, you know, one of the next steps that we absolutely have to take.

Q. Some big offensive rebounds at the end from Satterwhite, but on a lot of ugly misses. Is that, how much of that was because of the rebound was long and how much of it is because you probably weren't, maybe weren't boxing out?

LINDSAY WHALEN: Yeah, I mean, I thought that she's quick. She had five offensive rebounds. I thought she had a really tough floater in the lane. And then the kickout that Hartman hit, they hit three threes and one of them was obviously, we're up one with a great possession about four minutes to go and she hits it. And those are the possessions. So it usually comes down to a handful of possessions in a game and they made the plays and we didn't make enough.

Q. What did you take from this season to hopefully to improve for next year? What did you see from your team this year?

LINDSAY WHALEN: I felt like when we dug in, followed the game plan. I thought when we made plays for each other, offensively and defensively, that good things happened for us. So continuing to build off that and obviously working on the areas that we talked about tonight, not finishing plays, not boxing out, a couple risky passes down the stretch that led to turnovers. So understanding that poise that that's what it takes to win in this league.

Q. You got out-scored at the free-throw line by 10 tonight and you shot 50 percent tonight. For the season you're like 76 percent. So you're a really good free-throw shooting team. Was it just the different environment around here, shooting background, or was it just the way the game went?

LINDSAY WHALEN: I suppose it's -- you know, like I said, we got to the line 12 times, we -- I know we had to foul at the end, but, yeah, I mean, you know, I don't know. We have been a good free throw shooting team all year, obviously that's what they want to do is get down hill and get feet in the paint and they did a good job of that. So, yeah, it was obviously a different, a big difference in the game.