NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: REGIONAL SEMIFINAL - TENNESSEE VS LOUISVILLE

March 25, 2022

Kellie Harper

Alexus Dye

Rae Burrell

Tamari Key

Intrust Bank Arena

Tennessee Lady Volunteers

Sweet 16 Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: I'd like to introduce coach of the University of Tennessee, Kellie Harper. Start off with some opening comments.

KELLIE HARPER: We're excited to be here. We are looking forward to the opportunity that we have tomorrow. Our travel has been good. Our team is excited. Obviously we have a huge challenge with our opponent tomorrow, with Louisville. Hopefully we'll get a good practice in and feel ready to go tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: We'll open it to questions.

Q. What challenges do the Cardinals present? How do you slow down Hailey Van Lith?

KELLIE HARPER: Louisville, first off, is really good defensively. They play aggressive, an aggressive style. They turn you over, which leads to transition opportunities for them.

In the halfcourt set, they have a lot of different options. They can shoot the three. They can put the ball on the floor. They can get it inside. They have a lot of different people that can do those things. I think their balance is a challenge.

Their defensive aggressiveness is a challenge. They're going to play hard. You're not just going to walk out there and out-hustle the team.

Q. I know you're not just here to be here, you guys want to win. Have you and your team been able to appreciate being here and enjoying this moment together on this trip to the Sweet 16?

KELLIE HARPER: I think anyone that has followed our team all season, we have not taken one win for granted. We have enjoyed every single win that we have had. I can assure you that we are enjoying the moment as well.

Don't get me wrong. When we step out on the court, we'll be very locked in to the task at hand. If you're just moving on from next thing to the next thing, if you're not enjoying the journey, you're missing out on a whole lot.

Our team all season long has enjoyed this process and the journey this season has given us.

Q. I got the opportunity to talk to Samantha Williams. I asked her specifically about Sara Puckett's shot. She said she almost started crying out of happiness for Sara. I may be the only one to quote an Aerosmith lyric here: There's hardly any breathing room between pleasure and pain. I asked her if she misses that shot, this is a brutal off-season for Tennessee, you're not here, you're not in Wichita. In hindsight now that some time has passed, how big was that for Sara and Tennessee to get you to where you are right now?

KELLIE HARPER: That shot was a huge shot. I'm going to take a little pressure off Sara. I told Snoop she had to get the board if Sara missed it. I'm confident that Snoop would have found a way to go get that offensive board if she would have missed.

Sara has worked so hard. She puts in so much extra time. I think the shot was not only great for our team, and obviously giving us an opportunity to be ahead going down the stretch, it was great for her.

It did almost bring tears to my eyes, too. Here is one of these players that worked so hard, put so much time in. It was great to see her be rewarded, great for our team to be rewarded in that moment.

Q. You talk about just enjoying the ride. How are you just enjoying being in the Sweet 16 right now?

KELLIE HARPER: Well, we had our travel day yesterday. It was actually quite long. We had a lot packed in early, then gave them the evening to rest and relax. Today is definitely more a business day. We have more film sessions, obviously practice.

I think they do a pretty good job of bouncing back and forth between relaxation and business time. But they're definitely enjoying this. They are super excited about the opportunity.

Q. Earlier in Louisville's press conference, Kianna Smith said they focus on rebounding. They felt like it's going to be one of the deciding factors in tomorrow's game. Your team has been doing this all season. Without the possibility of having Jordan Horston, how do you feel about your team, how they have tried to replace her, how crucial that will be tomorrow?

KELLIE HARPER: Yeah, I feel like all season long going into games, I could have given the opponents keys to the game and it was going to be rebounding. There's no doubt, we've seen that all season long.

Obviously we took a hit statistically when we lost Jordan Horston with rebounding numbers. I think the rest of our team just has to be a little more disciplined to make sure we still make that a strength of ours. It's not as easy now, but I still think it's important to us. We still emphasize it.

Q. Jeff Walz mentioned he got a scouting report from his six-year-old daughter. Did Jackson or Kylie mention anything to look out for on your end?

KELLIE HARPER: We were watching a game, Jackson happened to be in the room. He stopped everybody. I had no idea what he was going to say. He said, Hey, No. 5 jumps really high. I think we have to make sure that we guard her because she jumps really high.

That was his input for our players (smiling). We'll probably limit his input from now on. Not that No. 5 can't jump really high. I think she jumps very high. We might look at some other keys to the game.

Q. You said your kids are along for the ride. What does this moment like for your family to enjoy this together, to find the success in just your third season here?

KELLIE HARPER: So having our kids here, they don't get to travel all the time with us this year, but they're here. It's fun to know they're here and get to experience this moment.

Jackson remembers our Sweet 16 berth when we were at Missouri State. He talks about that a lot. He's old enough now to kind of understand the path. He was asking me this morning about winning a national championship and such. Obviously I'm trying to get ready for a game tomorrow. But he's looking ahead.

He's kind of getting big picture. It's been fun. It's been fun to share this with our children, and our children with our team. I think that's really special. When you've got a group that you love so much, you want your children to be around them. That's something really special.

Q. Besides the fact that Louisville has players that Jackson noticed can jump high, what are the other challenges that Louisville will present to Tennessee tomorrow?

KELLIE HARPER: Well, they're really aggressive on both ends of the court. Like I mentioned earlier, I think they have a lot of options offensively, options both with different people but also different skill sets among those people. They can put the ball on the floor and they can shoot the ball from the perimeter, they can get the ball inside. They run a lot of different stuff.

That's if you get them in a halfcourt set. I think their strength is in transition. I think they're really good there. Obviously they get a lot of that from their defense.

Taking good shots, taking care of the basketball, all of that, all of our offensive execution, will help us on the defensive end as well.

Q. You mentioned Louisville's versatility. Olivia Cochran in the post has done a lot for them. When you look at her on film, what kind of challenges does she pose as you prepare for Louisville?

KELLIE HARPER: Olivia is very aggressive, very strong, powerful and explosive. Obviously she can play inside, she can play outside, she can put the ball on the floor. She leads their team in free throw attempts. You know she's being aggressive, getting herself to the free-throw line. She does a great job on the boards.

Defensively, again, she's strong, powerful, she's mobile. It's just a really big challenge for her player to get the ball in good position to score.

Q. Rae Burrell is the longest-tenured person in this program. What is it like for you to see her get to have this moment in her senior year when she has been through so much this season?

KELLIE HARPER: I love to see our players succeed. I love to see them find success. There's something about your seniors that have put in the time. I know after our game against Belmont, I grabbed Rae, hugged her, told her I was so happy for her to have this moment, to have this opportunity. That's why she came to Tennessee.

It's very satisfying as a coach to be able to see your players check off maybe a box that they wanted to accomplish.

Q. I believe you touched on it yesterday, but coming in as the underdog, not that the team needs any more motivation, but how have they internalized that role?

KELLIE HARPER: I think for the majority of the season, I think early on we kind of played with a chip on our shoulder. We were a little bit of an underdog trying to go out with something to prove. The next thing you know we were ranked in the top five nationally. Then we had to start learning to live in that space. It was a different space.

I believe we're going back into a game now where we're viewed as an underdog again. Our players are allowed to put that chip back on their shoulder, go out and compete a little bit more freely. I think they'll be excited about that.

Q. It's such a different game now from this perspective from when you were playing, almost every team has transfers. That's part of the game. I wonder how that changes the mentality of a head coach. That is something I think you almost are constantly thinking about, the portal, who is going in it, who you might get from it. How does that change how you have to approach things?

KELLIE HARPER: Well, I think the portal has just changed recruiting. It's given you another database to recruit from. You have high school players, you have junior college transfers, portal kids, international players. Just another database now.

Everybody has to be aware of it, understand that it can be both a positive and a negative at times. But it's reality. It's not anything we're fighting. It's reality. You got to learn to live in this world.

THE MODERATOR: We'd like to thank everyone for attending. Appreciate coach showing up.

KELLIE HARPER: All right. Thank you guys.

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by the Lady Vols.

We'll open it up for questions.

Q. Alexus, you talked about before the round of 32 how special it would be for you to get to a Sweet 16 with this group. Now that you've achieved the feat, what has it been like for you?

ALEXUS DYE: I've been enjoying every experience. Like it's just an honor to be here with my teammates. It's just an honor to be here honestly.

Q. Tamari, if you want to call it pressure, there was quite a bit in the Monday night game, trying to get to the Sweet 16, on your home court, playing an in-state school. Now that you've gotten past Belmont, is there a little bit pressure off and can you sort of embrace the role of coming into Wichita as an underdog? I don't think anyone nationally is picking Tennessee to win this game.

TAMARI KEY: I think to repeat what you said, it's more of just embracing the opportunity that we have, making it to the Sweet 16. I know we're really excited for this opportunity and every opportunity we get to just play another basketball game.

So I would say it's more so embracing the challenge than feeling it as pressure. I mean, you know, we want to win, but I think it's a good feeling to have because we have high expectations, you know.

Q. The second half against Belmont, they were able to out-rebound you guys. The Louisville players were saying rebounding could be a deciding factor in this game. What did you take from that last game when it comes to rebounding? How big a focus is that to be disciplined?

ALEXUS DYE: I just feel like we have to do the little things, box out, go to our man, push them back, do everything our coach tell us. We probably got a little lazy. The reason why they had more rebounds than us, they just went and got them more while we just sat and looked. I feel like we learned we're going to do better, make a better team effort for rebounding, so...

RAE BURRELL: What did you say Louisville said?

Q. (No microphone.)

RAE BURRELL: Okay.

I mean, yeah, I feel like rebounding is definitely one of our strengths for this team. We're going to really have to focus on that next game just because Louisville is aggressive, and we can be aggressive, too. Just make sure we crash and box out is going to be a key factor, for sure.

TAMARI KEY: Yeah, like Rae said, I think rebounding is one of the things we're known for. Just knowing that we come in and we just do the little things that our team is known for doing, such as boxing out, going after loose balls, little things like that I feel like are going to be key in our next game.

Q. Rae, you talked your whole career at Tennessee about becoming a better basketball player, making better decisions. You have gotten better every year you've been here. Maybe one of the best decisions you made was that pass to Sara Puckett. You found her in the corner. Walk me through your thought process when that play was being set up.

RAE BURRELL: Yeah, like you said, I've grown over the years definitely with decision making. Freshman year I used to be go, go, go, didn't really care what was in front of me, didn't really read the defense. I really developed reading the defense.

The play was for me to come off the screen, attack, get a layup to tie the game. When I went to go do that, I seen the player helped in. Sara was wide open on the three. Obviously I trust her to knock down that three. So kicked it to her, she did exactly what I knew she was going to do, and that was make it.

Q. Rae, now that you guys have made it to the Sweet 16, of course with a possible Elite Eight appearance, for you to be part of that team, stick it out with Tennessee all four years, make it to the Sweet 16 for the first time in six years, what does that mean to you?

RAE BURRELL: It means everything. It's one of the reasons why I came here. I want to get some banners put in the gym. I want to leave a legacy here.

I've been through a lot of teams here. This one is a very special team. Everybody keeps saying it, but it's true. Yeah, I'm just very excited, like Alexus said, just honored to be here, to be playing for this team.

Q. What, in your opinion, makes this team so special?

RAE BURRELL: We're just so close. Like, everybody just gets along. We love each other so much. We'll really do anything for each other. So I think just our chemistry is just what really separates us.

Q. Alexus, your ability to rebound has always been known. Your ability to rebound in post-season is absolutely off the charts. What is different for you as soon as the calendar hits March?

ALEXUS DYE: The competition. Like I just feel like, you know, the competition is, like, more aggressive. It's fun to play with others that's, like, on the same page you on, wanting to win a national championship. They give it all every single day. It's just like I'm going to give my all, too. If I have to go to the boards a hundred times and crash a hundred times, I'm going to go to the boards and crash a hundred times to get those rebounds. I like being a competitor. I like playing against other great teams.

Q. Alexus, I was asking Kellie earlier about Sara Puckett's shot. She said she took the pressure off Sara and said Snoop would go in and get the offensive rebound if she misses it. Did she tell you that? Do you have full confidence you would have done that?

ALEXUS DYE: Oh, of course. I tell Sara all the time, Shoot it, I go get the rebound (smiling).

Q. Do any of you guys have a ritual or superstition that you have that you don't mind sharing?

TAMARI KEY: I think as a team we have our "Give our all to Tennessee," a little travel banner we take with us. We have one hanging up in the locker room. For away games we slap it twice when we come out of the locker room. As a team I feel that might be one of our rituals.

ALEXUS DYE: For me I get a cup of ice and some water and put my lip gloss on. That's about it.

RAE BURRELL: For me, I probably just take a nap before the game. I usually try to get a nap before the game to get my energy right.

Q. Tamari, as a freshman you did not get to play in the NCAA tournament because of the pandemic. Your sophomore year you do it in a bubble. Do you really appreciate junior year and being able to play in this tournament, play in a much more normal setting?

TAMARI KEY: Yeah, I think for me it's been fun, like you said, not having one freshman year, then sophomore year, being at one location. Just being able to this year with this group of girls experience the real, like, March Madness feel has been really exciting.

Q. Sam Williams said something interesting about how with your relationship to Kellie, she is also one of your sisters because she was at Tennessee, wore the same jersey. Does that hold a little bit of weight for you guys going into the postseason to know she was in your jersey once?

TAMARI KEY: I think, like you said, she had a lot of success in her years at Tennessee, not even postseason alone, just her whole experience and time at Tennessee, as well as being coached by Pat. Just knowing that in women's college basketball there isn't a lot of coaches that have played in those moments and in those games, and know the little things it takes to go far in tournaments such as this one. It's been really fun.

As well as hearing the stories of things she's been through when she was in our shoes. Her reminding us not to take these little moments for granted.

RAE BURRELL: Like T.K. said, she's a national championship. Not only a national championship, but she played under Pat Summitt. That holds a lot of weight for her.

For us, we take in anything she says, any knowledge she gives us. We know she's saying that from experience, from a legend, Pat. She shares stories that are sometimes fun to hear. Sometimes they're fun stories, sometimes serious stories. It's just nice to hear it and know we are a part of that now. She just continues to lead us.

Q. What is a story she's told you that has resonated with you for this moment?

RAE BURRELL: She always mentions to us I think it was her sophomore year, I might be wrong, they lost in the tournament, then they had two weeks to get better. She said they got better and ended up winning the national championship that year.

That just really resonates with us just because we've been through so much this year, took so many losses, but we can still come out on top.

THE MODERATOR: We'd like to thank everyone for attending.