NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: SECOND ROUND - KANSAS VS STANFORD

March 20, 2022

Tara VanDerveer

Lexie Hull

Cameron Brink

Stanford Cardinal

Postgame Media Conference

Stanford 91, Kansas 65

TARA VANDERVEER: First of all, I want to congratulate Kansas on a great season. At halftime I wasn't really sure who was going to Spokane. They have a really exceptional team, and we had to play really well in the second half. I think it really boiled down to we had Lexie and they didn't. I mean, she was on fire. She played a great game. Possibly her last game in Maples, but she really showed up. I'm just being hopeful, Lex.

I thought Cam had a great game, too. She really battled in there. It was very physical. I thought our team really stepped up. We needed different people. Haley helped run our offense when we got a couple people in foul trouble, but today was Lexie's day.

Q. Lexie, this probably is your last game here; what went through your mind when you stepped on this court saying this may be my last time and then to have a fantastic game like that? Is it what you dreamed when you first came here?

LEXIE HULL: Yeah, Lacie and I looked at each other before we started running out, and we said to each other, this is our last one running out in Maples, so we wanted to give it everything we had, and I think we did that tonight from the jump and then especially coming in the second half. We knew it was over if we didn't win, so we didn't want it to be over, we wanted to make it to Spokane. It's awesome to have a night like tonight in Maples with a crowd like we had. I really felt the love, really felt the support, and it was super exciting.

Q. Lexie, last year Kiana got to go to her hometown and play and you guys spent a long time there. But that motivation to get to Spokane, obviously to win, but how motivated are you to take this team to your hometown now?

LEXIE HULL: I think everyone wants to get to Spokane. No one wants to be done. But for Lacie and I to be able to play at home one last time meant a lot to us. Meant a lot to our family, meant a lot to our friends. There was that extra chip on our shoulder that it meant a little bit more for us.

I think it just came down to that extra piece of us, just our team wanting it more than them, and just super, super happy and excited to be heading home.

Q. Lexie and Cam, it was a really physical game. It looked like you wanted to leave part of your body at Maples Pavilion on the court. Can you talk about the physical aspect of it and how bruised up you'll be tomorrow?

LEXIE HULL: I think we saw it in the first half especially, and we knew going in, our coaches told us they're a very physical team. We've played some physical teams this season, so I think that helped us prepare a little, but you don't really feel it until you hit the ground the first time. We definitely felt it tonight, but I'm proud of our team for getting gritty and bouncing back from those.

Q. For the players, was there anything that Tara said at halftime that kind of allowed you guys to flip the switch?

LEXIE HULL: Tara I think made a point to us that we weren't playing our best, to put it nicely. We knew we could play a lot better, and I think we didn't want to come back into the locker room on a loss and our season being over. I think that was the message for all of us was to get out there, lay everything out on the court and hopefully be able to play another day, practice another day together, and so that was the message. We don't want to go home.

Q. Lexie, you had 11 at the half and the game is a two-point game, you come out in the second half and put up 25. I know something was said, but what inside of you in that second half where you just flipped the switch and went from having 11 points to 25 in just the half alone?

LEXIE HULL: I think it's just I really wanted it. In the back of my head I was like, I want to play in Spokane. My entire body wants to play in Spokane. It's just our team, we really kept the ball moving, found the hot hand and ran with it the rest of the game. Definitely wouldn't have gotten 36 points without everyone else, so credit to everyone.

Q. Cam, how much did you try to take it at Jackson at every chance? And also the game opened up when your perimeter players were able to do what they could, and it seemed like a real factor.

CAMERON BRINK: Yeah, I think the goal is to get people in foul trouble because she's obviously a huge part of their team. Yeah, I just tried to take it at her. She definitely blocked my shots a couple times, which I'm not used to, but I definitely just tried to find Lex as much as I could because when Lex is hot, she's hot. She doesn't miss.

Q. Cam, watching some high seeds fall today, some 2 seeds go down, is that just something that you look at and you go, we'd better not let that happen to us, or do you just put that away?

CAMERON BRINK: Yeah, it's kind of scary honestly and everyone is so good and rankings really don't matter at the end of the day. It's who plays their best and whoever continues to play their best. I think that's a huge piece to it, and I think Tara said to us at halftime, they're playing like they want it more, and I think that really struck a chord with us. Like we want to always put our best out there. So yeah, I think you've just got to keep playing as hard as you can.

Q. Cam, everybody had different motivations, but you had the Curry girls cheering you on up there. What a crowd; what did that mean to you?

CAMERON BRINK: Yeah, I mean, I just want them to play basketball one day. Hopefully they watch and they want to play, or any sport, honestly. But yeah, I think them and any other little girl out there. Yeah, I do it for them.

Q. It wasn't just the 36 points, you had six steals, as well. Was that one of those games where your defense was feeding your offense or vice versa?

LEXIE HULL: Yeah, I think every game I feel like if I can play hard on defense, that definitely translates, gets our team into a groove when we can get a stop and go down and get a bucket. I think it definitely goes hand in hand, and those steals I think just come down to following the scout and knowing what they're running, and that's a credit to the coaching staff.

Q. Lexie, now that the game is over and you've sort of had some time to think, what are some of the things about playing in Maples and playing here at Stanford that you're going to remember most if you decide not to come back?

LEXIE HULL: I think it's just the love and support from the fans. I really, really felt it tonight. I think every senior leaving the court, everyone stood up, everyone was cheering loud, and you really felt it. People all the way up in the high, high bleachers, we could see it, we could feel the support, and that means the world. It's definitely a place I'm going to miss playing.

Q. Cam, when Lex came out of the game, you were celebrating with her on the bench, really happy, and I know that you have talked before about being so close to these seniors, and at Senior Day in particular with Lexie and Lacie you were a wreck. Can you talk about why you just love them so much? What is it about them?

CAMERON BRINK: Now I'm going to get emotional again. Right before we ran out, I looked at Lexie and I was like, I'm going to start crying right now, and Lacie told me, she's like, not yet. She's so serious; she's like, don't cry, Cameron. I don't know, they're just the heart of our team. They really are. They're the glue. Off the court, too, they plan every like function we do as a team. I'm just -- Lex is such a great person, and I just love you. That's all I can say right now.

Q. Coach, when Anna got those first couple fouls, did that just alter the way you guys were going to play that first half?

TARA VANDERVEER: It wasn't just Anna, it was Anna, Haley and Lacie. You know, and I think that just -- we needed other people to step up and Lexie did. I think that we need people to really understand they've got to be ready. I thought Jana came in, had three assists, that was great. Hannah Jump I thought contributed. She had some big threes for us. Lacie's three with one second, that was a good one. But the fouls -- Anna is a great defender, and so is Lacie, but they have to play without fouling. So hopefully they'll learn, and they've realized how important they are for us out there. But other people -- I was upset about it. I was getting on them about it. I was getting on the refs about it. But we did a much better job in the second half.

Q. The physicality, your kids took it pretty well and they gave as good as they got, but did you feel like it was too physical out there?

TARA VANDERVEER: You know, I didn't feel like it was -- I just thought there were some times where -- especially early in the game, I think they tried to establish some stuff. Obviously they were calling fouls on -- they called some good fouls on us. We can't do that. But of course I thought they missed some on them, but that's just because I'm biased. I thought they were working really hard. That's how it's going to be, so our team has to adjust to that. I'm thankful no one got hurt.

Q. She's overshadowed at times by some of her other teammates like Cameron and Haley, but can you talk about what Lexie and Lacie mean to this program and have meant over the years?

TARA VANDERVEER: Oh, wow. I think Cam kind of stated it a little bit. They are extremely competitive. You don't have a bad day with those twins. I mean, every day they come to practice, they're always the ones shooting afterwards, Lexie, Lacie, Hannah Jump, maybe a couple other people. They're really, really competitive. They're just competitive and their grades are like right at 3.99 or whatever, and they're two of the nicest people. I am so spoiled as a coach to coach them, and I've said this before, but I get mad at their parents because they only had twins instead of triplets. They are so exceptional, students, student-athletes. I'm so lucky. I'm so excited -- I was really excited on the bench for both -- especially Lexie, just how she played, but obviously Lacie is so important, too, to be able to go play at home. Whatever happens up there, Lexie put our team on her back, and just said, we're going to Spokane; I'm going to do whatever I need to do, and she did.

Q. They were down by a couple at the half and they played pretty controlled and poised I thought. What were they doing on their positive side that was bothering you?

TARA VANDERVEER: Well, I think at the beginning of the game they were getting offensive boards. I think that -- they're a very good team. They're a team that plays in a great league, plays against great competition, so it's going to be a 40-minute game. I think we were able to get out and run a little bit. We were able to go into Cam, establish a low block. We had some people knocking down threes, going 13 for 26. Hannah Jump's threes were huge, Lexie's were huge. Just Cam making her three early. But I thought defensively we were working really hard, but in the beginning we got hurt with some of their pick-and-roll action and some of their players like Franklin hit some shots that were -- she's usually more of a facilitator. But I thought our defense did a really good job on No. 13. She was their leading scorer coming in, ended up with seven. I was upset with No. 10 getting a wide-open three in the first half. We just had to lock down better defensively, and I thought we did. They're a really good team. We got it going in the second half. We got out, we were more aggressive defensively, and that was the difference I thought.

Q. Can you talk about in that third quarter Lexie hits the first couple shots and really gets it going. Were you calling things specifically to get her shots or was that just in the flow of your offense that she was able to find --

TARA VANDERVEER: That was really totally in the flow. In fact, one play we were calling wasn't even for her and she scored on it. You know, I just think she can get like this. I mean, we've seen this against Oregon; she had 33. The basket was big for her, and she knew it, and everyone else knew it, so let's give her the ball, and they did. One thing I think about our team is that all of them already referenced this a little bit, but a lot of times there is a lot of attention for Cam or a lot of attention for Haley or Fran Dunks, and Lexie and Lacie do a lot of the dirty work. They're on the floor for the ball. They're making -- they're hustling. They're scrapping. They're super competitive. I was really -- I'm really glad that for today the spotlight was on Lexie. But the rest of the team is so excited. She had to come in with a different shirt on because they drenched her with water. They didn't get her with the big bucket but they did it with water bottles. They're a great group. They're a really close group, and you can be happy for her because she's so unselfish. But she likes to score.

Q. You guys had 10 turnovers in the first half, I think only four in the second half if my math is correct. I'm guessing that ball security was a major past of your halftime speech to them?

TARA VANDERVEER: Well, it really hurt us when you have Anna with two fouls and Haley with two fouls, and those are -- and Lacie is our main ball handler. I thought people came in but we did have too many turnovers in the first half. We heard about that. We talked about that. Can't repeat that.

Q. I'm wondering what you think of this tournament bracket so far. There's been some big names that have gone down the last couple days.

TARA VANDERVEER: I don't really pay attention. I watch, but first of all, I'm really proud of Lindy, how they did. I'm rooting for Arizona to keep doing what they're doing. It was a tough game for Utah against Texas, but this is the first time -- they have freshmen and it's the first time they've been in the tournament. They did awesome. I'm really excited for how Lynne did with her team. I was disappointed with Oregon. I was hoping that they could pull it out. And Creighton has proved that it's not a one-trick pony. They came back and beat Iowa, which is a huge win for them.

We know South Dakota is really good, for them to pull off that win, it's a great win. I think it adds a lot of excitement to the women's tournament.

But I didn't want it happening to us. I think we're in a very tough bracket. We're playing teams that we know, we've played against, so let's see who's improved the most.

Q. How impressed were you with Cameron's game all across the board, double-double, two steals, two assists, two blocks and then no fouls? Just very impressive across-the-board game.

TARA VANDERVEER: Yeah, I wouldn't mind her getting one foul. I thought she was awesome. She stepped up to the challenge playing against Jackson. Jackson blocks shots, she's very athletic, she's physical. They're a very good basketball team. I thought Cam had an excellent game. I'm really proud of her and how she's developed and how well she's playing. You know, different people will step up for us. I think -- I don't think you've seen the best of some people yet. I thought Fran helped us a lot. I thought Ashton came in and helped us. Her defense I thought was really good, her size. Our returners know what it takes, and they did a really good job.