MOUNTAIN WEST WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 6, 2022

Gordy Presnell

Abby Muse

Thomas & Mack Center

Boise State Broncos

Postgame Press Conference

San Diego State - 65, Boise State - 56

THE MODERATOR: All right. We'll start with an opening statement from coach and then take questions for Abby.

GORDY PRESNELL: I thought it was a pretty good game. We were kind of on our heels early and then battled back and obviously I think our youth the first three or four minutes was on display.

And then I think we had it down to two with about seven minutes to go and had some turnover issues. I felt like really a key in the whole game was their two guards were pretty dominant. They're ball-dominant guards, but they were also dominant in terms of penetration and creating shots for their teammates and then also creating shots for themselves. And then Ramos had 10 or 11 rebounds.

So I thought their guard play dominated for the most part and that was kind of the difference in the game.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athlete.

Q. I know that you guys took your lumps this season but what do you feel like you learned or gained from playing this year?

ABBY MUSE: This year was definitely a year of growing pains and learning, like you said, and I think it just showed a lot of our character. We stayed together as a team. We didn't turn on each other and we didn't quit even though our season was not great, by any means.

So I think it just points to our determination and the fact that we're willing to learn and grow and to continue the legacy that was started years ago with Coach P and previous teams to continue that moving forward into next year.

Q. The future of Boise State, it looks like you can return at least 15 of 16 players, everybody but Leonidas. What do you think next season's team is kind of shaping up to look like?

ABBY MUSE: I'm really excited about next year's team. Like I said, this was a growth year for us, so I think now that we kind of have our feet under us and, like you said, we're only losing Dom, which a huge loss for us, but another opportunity for someone to step up and to build something really special.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you and good luck and hope to see you next year. We'll take questions for coach.

Q. You guys played really well in the paint, but shot a little bit scarce from the three-point line. Was that a big factor in today's game?

GORDY PRESNELL: That was a big factor in today's game and the last 25 games. We really, really struggle from the perimeter. In conference play we are 24 percent, which is 30 percent lower than the 10th place team. So, yes, that was good on your part.

Our posts are young and they all have three more years and so hopefully we've added some perimeter people and then two perimeters were also ACL'd this year and so we feel like we'll have a number of shooters next year, three that we've signed and two that are coming back from ACL injuries. So for sure, yeah.

Q. You had one fifth-year senior, Dom, that came clear across the country to play for you guys this season. What did she contribute to your team?

GORDY PRESNELL: Dominique is an incredible person and obviously she has an Ivy League degree, but she is full of life and she was a mentor, a person of really extreme high character and very good for our young people. Especially if she played poorly or did poorly, you didn't see that with her communication with her teammates. So really did a great job of staying consistent and being a leader and I'm very, very proud of her and I'm just really thankful and blessed that she got to be part of our program for a year.

Q. Losing at the Mountain West Tournament hasn't been very common for this team over the last five years. The ladies that are in the locker room now, how important is that tradition to them and getting back to where this team has been before?

GORDY PRESNELL: We have a lot of work to do in the spring and summer, but, yeah, one of the questions before the game was, you guys are 16-2 in your last 18 games in the Mountain West Conference Tournament and certainly something to be proud of and a legacy left by former players but there's just one player left on that team and that's Rachel. So it's time for a new culture and we know the path, we feel like we have some terrific pieces, we're adding some really great players and so feel like we hope to be here, well not here, today, but hopefully sitting in front of you on a different day next year.