NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - WASHINGTON STATE VS KANSAS STATE

March 19, 2022

Kamie Ethridge

Krystal Leger-Walker

Charlisse Leger-Walker

Washington State Cougars

Media Conference

Kansas State 50, Washington State 40.

THE MODERATOR: We would like to ask the Coach Ethridge to make an opening statement.

COACH ETHRIDGE: Just really sad and disappointed in how we played. K-State was awesome in the second half and made great adjustments, really just got standing still. I thought we really lost some opportunities in the first half to extend our lead. That just was glaring to me with some turnovers that we had in trying to do too much at times. But again, just a hard game to compete in. You know, you hold a really good team to 50 points you think you're going to have a much better chance to win. We just had one of those nights where our best shooters didn't always shoot it very well. So congrats to K-State. Really proud of our team for being here and fighting like they do on a daily basis. And you know, disappointed that we didn't do a better job today.

Q. For either of you, how would you kind of assess the shooting struggles tonight? Was it, you know, getting the looks but not following or something about Kansas State's defense?

CHARLISSE LEGER-WALKER: I would just say, you know, we did get a lot of good looks and just looking at the set, obviously we had a really poor shooting night. And I think especially shooting, the team, myself included, we got a lot of looks that we usually get but they just didn't go in. Yeah, I think for us that's just getting in the gym and getting up those shots everyday, being more consistent in that area. I think throughout this year has been a problem for us some game when we go cold. From the 3-point line we kind of struggled getting into different looks and getting into the paint, that sort of stuff. I think today we got a lot of looks, we just didn't knock them in.

Q. What do you think worked defensively in the first half that didn't in the second half?

KRYSTAL LEGER-WALKER: Our coaches had a really good game plan for us, and we had some different schemes to try to stop both Lee, and Sundell, and the Glenns, and all the great players that they have. And I think in that second half when we just weren't scoring as much and we were kind of struggling to get ourselves back in the game, we maybe took some risks that we shouldn't have, or we kind of just got a little bit flustered. So we had great planned plays, but we deal real great at sticking to them in the first half and had some lapses in the second that kind of hurt us.

Q. Did it feel like at any point later after that first half and kind of grinder of a game, did fatigue start to set in a little bit in the second half?

KRYSTAL LEGER-WALKER: I don't know if it was fatigue as such, I mean I'm a person that's always the mentality you are never fatigued in and those things. And we're kind of coached that. It doesn't matter how your body is feeling, you're going to keep going. I don't really think it was fatigue as much.

CHARLISSE LEGER-WALKER: It was just our addition making. And you could probably say that it was a sense of fatigue. I don't think that's an excuse that we should use. I think we just made poor decisions in the second half and that just kind of stacked on top of each other as well as defensive lapses, and it all compiled and that's how we struggled in that third and fourth quarter.

Q. I know it's a tough emotional moment right now, but just kind of reflecting, being able to play together as sisters. You talked about you didn't know if you would, or think you would. Being able to share in all the special moments. I know it's right after the last game. What can you take away from that whole experience?

KRYSTAL LEGER-WALKER: It's a lot of emotions. So proud of not just how Charlisse has come into the program but all of the young players. How they stepped up and really made a mark. And I think that's always been my goal and the goal of our team. As I have been saying over and over again, we want to be in conversations on the national stage. We want Washington State to come up in those conversations. So really proud that we've got it to this point. And it's bittersweet for me that our program is on the rise. And we have a lot of great recruits and a lot of the girls here staying that are going to keep building that. For me proud of that. Definitely sad I couldn't help our team get to the next stage, and I won't be able to be here. But I know -- I trust Charlisse with anything and I know that she and all the other girls will be back in the gym. We'll play together down the road. It's not like I'm never going to see her again. So it's not too bad.

CHARLISSE LEGER-WALKER: From my perspective, obviously I'm still here. It's more the fact that we're losing three great -- really great leaders. Obviously Krystal on the court you can't replace that. She's our on-court coach. She calls the shots. She's the hardest working person out there. And it's going to be really hard to replace. And also you might not see it in the game on the court, but they are so solid for our team, and our trainings, in the locker room, their voice is something we all listen to. All the girls look up to them. They are the best role models we could ever ask for. That's going to be really hard to replace. We're definitely going to miss them. But as a team that's normal, you lose people all the time and you have to find a way to bounce back and refigure everything out within your team.

Q. Obviously not the way you guys envisioned your season ending here. But you can come back and say this is the second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. What does that accomplishment mean, I know Krystal you touched on it a little bit. This program is really starting to be impactful on the national scale, talk a little bit about that.

KRYSTAL LEGER-WALKER: Yeah, we are finishing at the same point we did last year. If you reflect on our year and some of the big games that we had and how we did all year round, we have taken strides and steps forward and so definitely not how we wanted to go out. But bittersweet in terms of, you know, what we have been able to achieve and if you're really a part of our team, you pay attention to us you will notice our program is on the rise and we've made a lot of growth this year even though it might not show it from how far we've gone. But yeah, definitely think this team is on the rise, and I'm excited for them to keep coming back to these tournaments and keep making some noise.

CHARLISSE LEGER-WALKER: Yeah, and I would probably just add, Coach was talking in the locker room, we're going to celebrate this year and we're going to be proud of what we have achieved. On the backside we can't be satisfied with just getting to the tournament. Obviously that is an achievement, second year in a row is amazing for us to get back here. It's taking that next step and getting passed this first round. We're really capable of doing that. It's just getting in the gym and having that mentality everyday, knowing that we can do this and it wasn't just luck last year or luck this year. We've proven that we can play and compete and get to this level. We just have to figure out how to get past this and get to the next step.

Q. Girls, obviously, incredible season for you yet again. Just kind of looking at this game as you've talked about, shooting struggles. 16 points in the second half. Was it something they changed in their defense, or do you think it was just coming down to they did something different, you couldn't get the open looks you wanted.

KRYSTAL LEGER-WALKER: We saw they went zone in the second half and they kind of went away from their man defense. I think we kind of were flushing playing out of our man sets, and I think when they went zone and we couldn't make those 3-point shots and kind of got a little bit flustered in that second half with our decision making and things like that. I definitely think they changed some things up, and we didn't make the adjustments that we needed to in that second half.

CHARLISSE LEGER-WALKER: I agree.

Q. Krystal for you as you said, a bittersweet feeling. You have done so much for this program, but turning over the reigns to your sister and the players remaining. Something that when you look back in 30, 40 years you can look back on this and you look at how you helped spearhead the team and the program's culture, is that something you can take out of this?

KRYSTAL LEGER-WALKER: Yeah, definitely. In exactly 34 years I will look back and I will be just so proud of how the coaches helped me kind of turn this program around and the work I've done. I was just grateful to be on the ride with them and follow them here and really try to do something. And I didn't get as far as I would have liked with them and helped them as much as I would have liked, but definitely glad I was able to be a part of it and I was able to be a part of their coaching story and this program's history here.

Q. I think you said yesterday you hadn't seen a player like Lee before this year. What was the emphasis to frustrate her? It worked really well in the first half, what changed in the second?

COACH ETHRIDGE: I think we got into foul trouble and had to go small a little bit. Fouls really mounted up for the two bigs that I put in. They obviously got a few good looks for her, but every foul ended up in a shooting foul. And so you look -- both of us were pretty awful shooting the ball and shooting it from three, and the difference is the kind of body, the kind of length, she's so good -- better than anyone in the country that can catch it high and keep it high And she gets a lot of calls on that. And that was really the difference. I thought they just got to the free throw line before the bonus right away. And that's how they scored a lot of their points. Point-wise that really is the difference in the game. But I thought they did a really good job of maybe changing where they threw it to her. They adjusted well and I thought they frustrated us a little bit on the defensive end And we weren't as sure as we wanted to be when they were switching defenses. And just at some point you got to balance that out and you got to make some shots from the perimeter if you can't score over her, and we just didn't do that today.

Q. Coach, before last year this was a program that hadn't made the NCAA Tournament in 30 years or something like that. This is your second year in a row, you had a winning record competing in the Pac-12. A very tough conference. You are only losing one starter from this team. Do you feel like this team is closer to getting over the hump and how good do you feel about taking this momentum into next year?

COACH ETHRIDGE: I really want to believe our foundation is really solid. And I think losing the foundational pieces of our other two seniors that don't play a lot, losing Krystal is a big loss for us. We have a couple of point guards that we're bringing in and a couple of players that I think will bring us a little bit more depth there. But those are big shoes to fill. But I love the fact that we're still pretty young and we have everybody coming back, and now the challenge for that group is to consistently get better. I think recruiting will get better for us. We will continue to try to get a little bit more talent, a little bit more size, things like that you've got to keep doing to keep up with teams that have this kind of size. But again, we've got to really be proud of the fact that in four years we've taken a program that had not won very many games in the history of their program to competing in NCAA tournament. So couldn't be more proud. Couldn't be more grateful to get to coach that senior class. And I do, but I have every great feeling and excitement about what I think this group that coming back will bring to the table and try to improve on and try to continue this streak And take us further.

Q. Kansas State's defense, would you put more of the struggles on yourselves in missing what you normally make or kind of what they did in their adjustments?

COACH ETHRIDGE: As a coach I'm always going to be critical of myself and that's not doing enough to help our team. It is unbelievably unusual to have our best 3-point shooter to 0/10. We missed some lay ups. I think the opportunities we missed in the first half, instead of having a little bit of a lead, I think we could have been up 12 or 14. And I think, you know, those are the ones that I look at that you can start figuring things out in the second half and you can manage it when you go dry. But disappointed in how we responded. And again, I'm going to look at me first and my staff first and figure out ways to be better for our team. But I don't care. It's still the same point. We held a really good team to 50 points, and you -- whether it's the coaches, and it certainly is in some ways, and the players as far as what we have to do to get better. We have to learn how to score the ball better.

Q. I know you kind of touched on outlook going forward and reflecting on the growth of the program going forward, coach, but what's kind of the message going back into the locker room after this loss and then going forward, going back home and when you start to get back to work, what's the message to build on this even further?

COACH ETHRIDGE: Well, I really feel good about our team and the competitors that are in that locker room and obviously their commitment to getting better and their work ethic. I think we do a really good job as coaches as far as player development in putting in some workouts that will help continue to grow our team. Their starting spots on the floor that I think there's huge growth and the players will and can make. And that point guard spot is going to be a concern for ours. Recruiting is never over. We have to continue to find ways to get better. The work ethic in our program is really solid. The commitment, the excitement to do that -- obviously we'll take some time off. There's not much time between when we get home from the Final Four to school finals and stuff like that. There's limited time to be in the gym with them. I have confidence that this team is hungry and not satisfied. And yes, we will celebrate it. We're going to celebrate last year's team because I didn't think we did enough and this year's team at some point. But we're never going to just live on that, we're going to also celebrate and look forward to the future.

Q. What would you call that defense you were playing on Lee with the zone help and how well did you think you executed and then on top of that how crucial --

COACH ETHRIDGE: We had a couple of different coverages. Help from the backside in some cases and then we sagged off of players that were kind of reluctant shooters. And you know, they are a little bit like us. They have some kids that aren't shooting it well. Everybody that has been successful has found a way to take Lee away and make other people lead them. Again, I think we kind of did that. When you consider 50 points, that should be enough to win a game. It's just we weren't good enough to get to 51. Again, I think we had a couple of plans and given the fact that we lost a little bit more of our size with fouls and had to go super small on Lee, I think that hurt us, but I thought it would counter on the offensive end because it put more shooters on the floor, and it just didn't for us. Again, she's a handful, she's really good at what she does, and they know how to get it to her. Credit to them.

Q. Coach, first and foremost, congratulations on another fantastic overall season. Didn't seem to have the depth scoring tonight behind the sisters. How much does that change the way you can approach the offense when 90% of your offense is coming from Charlisse and Krystal?

COACH ETHRIDGE: Yeah, thank you. And I mean, it's been our struggle all year. We haven't shot the ball well enough. We don't have enough depth of shooters. You look at the people that are going to win in this tournament. Everybody plays pretty good D. Some are better than others. Gosh, people can stretch the floor and people made timely three's. And we have a lot this year. And when we win, we make three's. We're too reliant on one or two player And that's about recruiting. That's about our bigs getting better and being a presence in the post. We didn't really have that today. So I think we can get better at every position on the floor. And in part, everybody in our locker room needs to be better and we need to recruit people to put the ball in the basket. I love the fact that you can tell our team to watch the games from here on out and people are going to see that there are a lot of teams that can affect winning and you got to have to have depth to affect winning and we are too pencil thin.

Q. Bella only played 13 minutes. Fouls a big part of that. Coming down the stretch in the fourth, were you trying to go small, or was she banged up from that elbow she caught early?

COACH ETHRIDGE: No, I just thought that we could stretch the floor a little bit better. I'll second guess a lot of things. But she just got a little bit anxious in the first part of the game and tried to do a little bit too much. Again, just she's got to be better in the future and she has so much willingness to work at her game and to try to get better. And part of her thing is going to be learning how to stretch the D and get a little bit more range on her shot. And I think this off season you're going to see a different player next year, and she's going to be able to stretch the floor a little bit more than she does and will be comfortable doing that. I can't wait to see what Bella will look like next year. She's a very hungry player that wants to be great. Tonight felt like we didn't have enough people to shoot the ball. Needed to go to that. Well, I'll second guess myself the rest of the week.

Q. Coach, you coached Krystal for four or five years now I believe. Just kind of talk about her as a player and her impact on both of the programs that you coached at.

COACH ETHRIDGE: Right. When she walked in the door at Northern she was not a complete player yet or complete leader or a complete body. But she had a will to her. And she could will herself past conditioning best when she hadn't trained. She has the will to her and she has the IQ and she has a toughness. And that came with her the first day that she got there. She changed our program at Northern, she helped us step kind of really a championship season in the second year that I coached her. And look at what she's done here. She comes in, sits for a year, watches the Pac-12, wanted the challenge to play at the highest level which is typical of her. She got to sit and then the opportunity to come in and play with her sister and COVID happens, she gets to play two years. I'm so happy for her. I'm so happy that they got the play together for two years. I love that family. I think they are just such good people and such great competitors and they want to win. They love what we're trying to do at Washington State. They are kind of those gritty people that had a chip on their shoulder and again, what she did for Northern and turning that program around and making us that and then turning us around at Washington State it has a lot to do -- she carried a lot of weight. It had a lot to do with Krystal Leger-Walker. Proud that I got to coach her. Thankful I get to continue to coach her sister. And I'm so excited and grateful for just knowing that family and getting to kind of do this thing together.