ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 4, 2022

Niele Ivey

Olivia Miles

Maddy Westbeld

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Postgame Press Conference

Notre Dame 71, Georgia Tech 53

NIELE IVEY: I'm so proud of this unit, this group. We have really matured this season, and just to see where we are at this point. First of all, just so blessed and so happy to be here. Having a double bye, there's so many things I want to celebrate, but that was a really great team, Georgia Tech. We just played them a week and a half ago. I felt like we came out and set the tone, we made a statement. I felt like they were fresh, they responded from our lost last Sunday and we had such great contributions from the entire team, and these two completely led us offensively and defensively, and I just can't say enough how proud I am of this group.

Q. Olivia, you got a taste of the ACC Tournament last year in a couple games that you joined the team for. Were those experiences, learning experiences and kind of fuel for you this year?

OLIVIA MILES: Yeah, last year we lost to Clemson in the first round. It was pretty tough on all of us, just given the season that was behind that. But even though I didn't experience a full season, I still felt the pain, I still felt the drive to be better, and that really helped me to come out here and just -- we talked about we're not packing for one day, we're packing for all three. So we just came out here, we were not going to lose in the first round and we didn't, and we're one step closer to our goal.

Q. Can you speak on how you were able to limit Georgia Tech in the paint despite them having a size advantage? What led to you guys locking down against Georgia Tech in the paint?

NIELE IVEY: Well, I will credit our post play with Maya Dodson's presence, Maddy Westbeld, Sam Brunelle. We're down numbers right now and they have really rose to the occasion this season with so much adversity with our post play. But they were so physical, they were so tough. I feel like we really matched their physicality, and we learned that from the first time that we played Georgia Tech.

Again, I feel like those two posts, Cubaj and Hermosa are two of the best posts in the league and in the country and it's a credit to Maddy, Maya and Sam and the job that they've done this year with their intensity inside and knowing that they have to bring a lot for us with a short bench.

Q. Coach, it's like 10:15 at night, you guys play at 2:00 tomorrow. Is there prep you can do for Miami? Just want to know what the process is going to be like between now and thin?

NIELE IVEY: Yeah, so there's nothing that we can really do tonight. We're going to try to get some rest. I have an incredible performance team that we're going to get some recovery at the hotel. Tomorrow we're going to get back at it, watch film. Like you said we played them not too long ago so we're very familiar with what they do. So we're going to watch film, walk through some things that we're going to do probably in the hotel.

And again, we understand that this is a grind, and we're just blessed to be playing, and we're excited, and no matter what we're going to fight through the fatigue tomorrow.

Q. Maddy, Coach talked about how big and physical Georgia Tech is, especially inside. They have a number of talented posts. What was your kind of approach to that and how were you able to be successful against them?

MADDY WESTBELD: Yeah, like she said, we played them a couple weeks ago so we knew what we were headed into. I don't know, just matching their physicality, like she said, and just going in not afraid, knowing that we're just as big, just as strong as they are, and we can compete with whoever in the country. I think just coming in and being confident in what we have just depth-wise.

Q. Olivia, I believe Georgia Tech had the No. 1 field goal percentage defense in the ACC but you guys shot 52 percent tonight. You had 13 assists obviously. What went into the offense tonight?

OLIVIA MILES: Yeah, we got a lot of shots in transition. I feel like we just ran the floor and they all ran to the paint, and I just kicked out to Sam a couple of times and kicked out to Sonia. I feel like that's how I was getting a lot of my assists, and we were shooting wide-open shots. Just running in transition and my teammates run with me, and they do such a good job of just running with me up the floor, and they know and trust me that I will get them the ball, and they just knocked down shots today.

Q. For both players, how did you go about flushing Sunday's result so well tonight? And did you even have a reaction to Louisville losing tonight or were you too focused on your own game?

MADDY WESTBELD: I think coming back from Sunday, it's 0-0 now, and it's postseason. Everything that happened during the season is over with, and I think that we just take one game at a time, and whatever happened that last game, we were ready to play Georgia Tech even more.

Just came in with that fire every game no matter who we're playing, and tomorrow it's the same thing.

Q. What was it like getting back to the semifinals for the first time since 2019? Since you've taken over there's been a lot of struggles getting back to the top of the mountain.

NIELE IVEY: Yeah, well, I'm ecstatic. I'm so excited obviously to lead this group back.

I know how challenging it is in this tournament. If you saw the games today, electric. The match-ups, the teams here in the ACC, we have such a strong league, so for us to be able to advance, it's a big deal.

I'm just, again, super proud of this group. I'm super proud of the way that we've grown together as a unit, and I don't take any day for granted, any game for granted.

This is just, like Liv said, both Maddy and Liv said, we survive and advance one game at a time. But we came down here, we have a goal in mind and we're just trying to complete that every day.