NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: REGIONAL FINAL - CREIGHTON VS SOUTH CAROLINA

March 26, 2022

Dawn Staley

Aliyah Boston

Victaria Saxton

Destanni Henderson

Zia Cooke

Greensboro Coliseum

South Carolina Gamecocks

Elite 8 Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: Let me start with introductions. From the University of South Carolina we have Aliyah Boston, Destanni Henderson, Zia Cooke, Victaria Saxton, and Brea Beal.

Q. Ladies, what does Victaria bring to this team?

ALIYAH BOSTON: V does all the little stuff. She crashes the boards really hard, she communicates and lets us know where we need to be, and she just hustles every possession.

DESTANNI HENDERSON: Chime in on that. I feel like she gets our team extra possessions when it comes to rebounding, so that's what I think of her as well.

ZIA COOKE: Just to add in on that, V is a great leader for us. Of course she does all the little things, but she keeps us in order, tells us where we need to go, and is a great teammate.

BREA BEAL: Yeah, I think they pretty much said it all. Just watching her throw herself everywhere to get us that second chance, offensive rebound, defensive rebound; it's really cool to see her do that.

Q. Zia, can you guys get caught up with people on the outside who are going to think it's a David-and-Goliath-type match-up, and what do you know about Creighton?

ZIA COOKE: I don't think we can get caught up in anything but what we have within our team. I know Creighton, they have great shooters, they're super aggressive.

So we are preparing ourselves for that.

They have some great offensive sets that we're trying to prepare for. We just know defense is what's going to win the game for us.

Q. Aliyah, Destanni, and Brea, was there a democratic process in having LeLe be the lady at the end of the player introduction line and you guys get to formulate some sort of a personal handshake with her during those introductions? Take us through that a little bit. How did you arrive at her doing that for you guys, and what does it do for you guys from a spark or an energy standpoint?

BREA BEAL: I think with her she is like our main energy point. So she really gets us going. When it comes to handshakes she is probably the only one that's going to remember them. Yeah, but she is the one that really gets us going, motivated for the game.

DESTANNI HENDERSON: I feel the same way. I feel like she brings a lot of energy to the team when it comes to that. I feel like it's -- it just fits for her and she does it well.

ALIYAH BOSTON: I agree. She always has energy no matter what, and it's good to have all that energy before we start a game.

Q. Zia, Coach said yesterday that she was happy to see you get some buckets because it's been a hard year and you've worked so hard to have that big game in the tournament. I was wondering how it felt for you. And for anyone else up there, could you guys say what Zia has done with her work ethic all year and what that moment meant to you guys?

ZIA COOKE: It's March Madness, so anything I do out there I try to give my all because it could be our last at any moment. It felt good to get those shots in and my teammates finding me, and once I felt like I had the hot hand I tried to keep myself in a good space, just keep my shots the same, and just do what I could do for the team.

Q. Knowing that every team doesn't look the same every year and, like, it's hard to ignore y'all's chemistry off the court, so how do y'all think that sets y'all apart as a team? What's the best thing about that? What is the best thing about that that sets you apart as a team to where y'all can have fun, trust each other, and get the job done at the same time?

ALIYAH BOSTON: I think it just starts with us off the court just building all that chemistry which allows us to be able to play and flow better. Over time we get a sense of what everyone does and where they're going to be on the court, and that allows us to be able to execute what we need to.

DESTANNI HENDERSON: I feel like a part of it is also our depth. I feel like we have a lot of people that come in off the bench that get pretty good minutes, especially when you have a strong starting five. Sometimes we need rest, so I feel like that's important.

ZIA COOKE: For me I think just knowing your role, knowing where you stand on the team, not getting outside of your role, just doing what you do best, I think that's what sets us apart from a lot of other teams.

VICTARIA SAXTON: I feel like just us wanting everyone to do good and be happy for each other.

BREA BEAL: I think the same on what they kinda all said. Being able to believe and trust in that teammate to hit that extra shot or that teammate to make that extra pass.

I think that's the biggest thing for us is trusting one another, which sets us apart.

Q. What is the most impressive thing you have seen Aliyah do on a basketball court?

BREA BEAL: I think just seeing her do a full court layup. Nobody stopping her is crazy to me. You don't really see that a lot.

VICTARIA SAXTON: For me I just think watching her dominate every possession.

ZIA COOKE: I agree. I have to say watching Aliyah dominate each and every time we touch the floor, it's amazing to see. I think last night's game I was just looking at her, like, wow, she is really is GOAT. You had 20-20, like that's crazy.

So I think she surprises us each and every day and she continues to make history.

DESTANNI HENDERSON: I would say her ability to be a three-level scorer, to shoot inside the paint, outside the paint, layups, the whole nine yards. She is just dominant.

Q. Destanni and Victaria, when you see a 10 seed that's beaten a 2 and 3 seed in the region, does your focus go up more when you say, okay, this is a team that's on fire and clearly they are playing really well?

DESTANNI HENDERSON: I just feel like our main focus is to just play the game like it's our last game, no matter what the rankings is or what we think or what we hear.

I feel like it's important for us to come out and play our game and stick to what we know and what we have been preparing for.

VICTARIA SAXTON: I agree. I feel like just knowing that rankings don't matter. Everybody is coming to play, playing like it's their last, and that's what we gotta do.

Q. Guys, throughout the course of the season we have heard you guys say, we have heard Dawn say, keep the main thing the main thing. For individuals though, whether it be last season's disappointing loss against Stanford at the SEC Championship game, is there anything that motivates you guys knowing you have more work to do?

ALIYAH BOSTON: I mean, it's just like we all have goals, and our goal is to win a national which championship. So that's been our main focus the entire season. Last year's game or even the SEC Championship, those are just bumps in the road to where we're going.

DESTANNI HENDERSON: I agree. It's crunch time at this point. I feel like we have to be more tighter as a team and really just do the little things and just work on things that we have been preparing up until this moment for.

It's getting closer and closer, so each team is trying to come in and play their best game, especially against us, and we can't take any team lightly. We have to finish out strong all four quarters.

ZIA COOKE: I agree. The motivation part for me is to know that we have been there before so we know what it's like to get there. The plan is to get there; execute it all the way.

So for me it's super motivating for me to know that we have been there before and we have an ability to do it again.

VICTARIA SAXTON: I agree with Aliyah that everybody on the team's main goal is to win a national championship, and a majority of our team have made it to the Final Four, so we know what it's like to get there, like Zia said.

I just feel like it just takes everybody else just pushing and helping each other.

BREA BEAL: Yeah, I agree. I think we have a real -- like they give up, they is sacrifice things in order to -- like they said, we have a main goal, so they give up whatever social life they have outside of us.

So I feel like our team is real -- we are hammering down on what our goal is.

Q. Zia and Brea, when you look at what Aliyah did last night, especially with all the attention she gets from opposing teams, what's the most impressive thing to you about her stat line last night, the 28 points or the 22 rebounds?

ZIA COOKE: For me it's just she didn't even notice it. So the fact that she's just going out there not even realizing that she is putting up crazy numbers, it shows how humble she is and also she is just worried about winning.

I don't think stats is something she cares about too much. She just wants to win at the end of the day.

BREA BEAL: I agree with that. I don't feel like at any point she turns to look up to see, Oh, do I have a double-double yet? It's really she just goes out there and gives her all. No matter how much she ends up with, that's just her doing her.

Q. A two-part question. You mentioned LeLe being the energy, but how would you each describe the role on your team, the personality that you contribute to the overall culture of the team, and how do you feel like everybody's personality meshes together to have a good product?

ALIYAH BOSTON: I just think that my role is to be a good leader and a good communicator. I try and bring energy and make sure everybody stays level-headed. What was the second part of your question?

Q. What --

ALIYAH BOSTON: Oh, I think everybody understands their role, what they need to do, and that allows us to blend together.

DESTANNI HENDERSON: My role, I feel like the one, I'm like a QB, so I feel like I have to get everybody in position either to score or to make the best pass and just make the best decision on the floor.

And just to recognize what's happening on the floor as well when it comes to momentum and when things aren't going our way, just to settle the team down and just motivate each and every player.

I feel like as a unit I feel like everybody does know their role, and you have to buy into that role in order for everything to work out how it's supposed to.

And when it comes to personality, I feel like everybody just meshes well together, because at the end of the day everybody has a different personality, and that specific personality goes with what is going on on the court.

I feel like everybody is just connected and that's what keeps us on track.

ZIA COOKE: For me I think my role is to be a leader for the young ones and just go out there, score if I need to, space the floor if I need to, get easy buckets.

And also being a great defender, but giving my all for my teammates. I think they pretty much said it all. I think everybody knows what their role is. They play their role, and I think that's what gets us to the top.

VICTARIA SAXTON: For me my role is to just go out there and do all the intangible things, go get the extra possessions and rebound the ball.

For our team I feel like everybody plays their role, and that's just what helps keep us together.

BREA BEAL: I think for me as well it's more of an intangible game, diving for loose balls, 50/50 balls, getting on the glass, put-backs, and emphasizing my defensive game, whoever I'm guarding, make sure I know them personnelwise.

But like they said, we all buy into our roles and make sure we're best at that, especially at this time.

Q. Aliyah, how was the popcorn last night? It looked like you were enjoying it. Also just as you were sitting in the crowd watching, what were your thoughts about Creighton and about the game that you were seeing last night?

ALIYAH BOSTON: The popcorn was really good. (Laughter.) Highly recommend if you guys haven't tried it.

But watching the game, Creighton has a lot of energy. They try to space you out, so just making sure that we are locked in, knowing personnel and what everybody likes to do and just know that it's going to be a physical game and just be ready for it.

Q. For Zia and Brea, this program had only made the Elite Eight once before Coach Staley got here, and now it's a become somewhat of a normalcy in the past couple seasons. What's that hardest part about maintaining that level of consistency, especially in the month of March where we see top seeds can get upset all the time?

ZIA COOKE: I think you've got to keep your foot on the gas. But honestly, everything is a motivational thing for me. I keep saying that, but it really is, because it shows that we've been there.

It's not too much of a pressure thing, it's being able to maintain it and know what we're capable of as a team.

Like you said, there could be an upset at any moment that's why I think it's were important are for us to play our hardest and fight like it's our last and don't take any team for granted.

BREA BEAL: Every game we play, we know we're going to get their best, no matter ranking, no matter their record for the season. We know we're going to get their best. So it's really like she said, maintaining and keeping the focus on the main goal and make sure we play our game, not theirs and at our pace, not there's. Really, that's what we do.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you all for being here. We will see you tomorrow. I am pleased to welcome to the dais the University of South Carolina head Coach, Dawn Staley. Coach?

COACH STALEY: Popcorn is good! (Laughter.) I mean, we're super excited to be back in the Elite Eight. Obviously we're excited about playing Creighton. I know they're doing a tremendous job. They're beating people the way they play and they force you to play a style of play that most aren't used to playing.

I don't know if there is anybody that we played on our schedule, maybe similar, but not as efficient and potent and really dedicated to getting three's up and making you pay, and patient enough to making you pay.

So we have a challenge in front of us and we look forward to playing in it.

Q. Dawn, as a follow-up, how challenging is it to prepare for what they do in such a short time span?

COACH STALEY: It's tough. Our grade team did a great job today. I don't know if it was right, but it seemed organized, it seemed like the movements that they make. But quite honestly, if it's not their sets and if it's their motion, they're just reading off how defenders play.

And I think for us, we have to be sticklers in ball pressure. We can't allow them to look us over and see all the options that are out there on the floor, so ball pressure is going to be a key for us.

Q. Dawn, is there any worries about your players getting caught up in a, you know, we know we're going to beat them because we're No. 1 and they're the 10th seed, or are they so locked in on it all year that you don't even have to worry about that?

COACH STALEY: All year long this team has stayed in the moment. The moment, whatever game it is, they're with it. There is no trap game. There is no pumping us on the chest. There is none of that, because we see where we have some deficiencies.

Unless we're putting 100 points on the scoreboard and shooting 55% from the field and defending they way we're defending, that gives us great pleasure if that was the case, but that's not the case.

It's March Madness. Anybody can win on any given day. We have to impose our will on them, and I'm sure they're going to do the same to us.

Q. Dawn, we have talked about this before from just the perception on the outside, whether it be the fan base, whether it be people that watch you guys. Just seems how easy you guys make it year-after-year to get to this point, but of course that's not the case. What is different about this year's team to be able to get back here, and what were some of the challenges you had to overcome to get here?

COACH STALEY: I think the biggest difference is we never look ahead. Although this is where we wanted to be, we have never looked ahead. This team is an in-the-moment team, and of course every team -- every team that's still playing and probably every team that's not playing has been through something.

For us, we've been through some COVID cases. Am I not supposed to say that? Is that a HIPAA thing? No names, right? So we've been through it, but I think what we have been able to do is just pivot, next-woman-up mentality.

We have been through -- like one of our freshman played one game and we saw how she impacted our team, but it's the next woman up. That's been the mentality. I think we've -- I don't think we planned it out to have 16 players, but I think this team has been committed to each other.

And if anybody thought about transferring last year, I think the pull of being a part of something special and being a part of what culture they created within the sisterhood they have, they're playing it out.

Whether they agree or like their roles they're playing it out, and that's pretty special in itself.

Q. Dawn, Victaria was all over the court last night doing what she does. I know you've mentioned it before, but what does she bring to this team? What impact does she bring every night?

COACH STALEY: I know there is a lot of talk about Aliyah and Aliyah is having a National Player of the Year season. We don't get here without Victaria. We don't. She is teflon. She takes falls. She gives up weight and girth, quickness. Every game there is something that -- there is a disadvantage for her.

And she is just sheer will. She does what she does best. She stays engaged. She knows what our opponents are going to do. She studies them. She knows their plays. She knows their tendencies. So that's why she is able to get timely blocks.

She is also able to cover up when we have mistakes that are out there on the floor. Experience, there is no substitute for the experience that she has and the impact she has for our team.

Q. I'm curious, what's your thoughts on the player introduction handshakes that each of the starters have with LeLe, and is there something to setting a little spark and a little bit of energy, juice throughout the team there right before tip?

COACH STALEY: I mean, that's them. I give them that space. They get themselves hyped for the game. I'm a little envious, because I would not be able to remember five different very -- V, I could do V. V is very simple. That's it. I know that one (Laughter.)

The other ones, I can't jump as high as Henny.

Aliyah can shake now. Aliyah can dance a little bit now. I think it's pretty cool that they do that, because I think a lot of times when you are a starter you get the most attention, but the people that are coming off the bench and the people that are on the bench, it's their way of just feeling the game.

This is their -- they don't play a minute, they feel a part of it during the introductions.

Q. Dawn, this time of year we talk about the make-up of who coaches women's teams. I think this year it's 43% of women's teams are coached by women. Should that be a higher number? I know there are men's coaches that you respect and think do a really terrific job. What's your opinion about who should be coaching women's teams?

COACH STALEY: I think there should be a majority that's coaching women's teams. There is a men's game. Again, you mentioned it. For the men who have been a part of our game for a long time who love our game, who have elevated our game, I mean, there is always going to be a place for them.

It is the people that come out of nowhere, hey, let me try my luck coaching a Division I or II or III women's game, and they're given the opportunity with no experience. It doesn't say a whole lot for all the assistant coaches who have just -- who don't get the opportunity to move up or to move over 12 inches.

That's just strictly my opinion. You can agree or disagree. We should be well over 50% in women coaching women.

Q. Dawn, Creighton's coach was talking about the size advantage that you're going to have over his team and the importance for them to get five people on the glass and basically build a fence around Aliyah, trying to neutralize her and keep her off the offensive boards. What kind of challenges and opportunities does that present for your perimeter players?

COACH STALEY: I would do the same. I don't know how Aliyah continues to get as many rebounds as she does. It's sheer effort and focus.

But she is not the only one that gets rebounds. So if you're going to concentrate a lot on Aliyah, V, Brea, I think Aliyah steals some of Brea's rebounds. It's not important for our guards to get involved in it. I think they will pack it in and force us to take some shots from the outside and we still will have to utilize our advantage.

We have to play up here, you know? I don't think we can play well below the rim because it favors them. We've got to hit some shots. If we are hitting shots there aren't going to be as many rebounds. So hopefully, we will do that.

Then again, defensively it's going to be super important that we give them one attempt at the basket. If they're able to tip the ball out and we've got to reset our defense over a 40-minute period having to run around in their system and guarding them, it will be a really long night for us.

Q. You obviously coached a lot of players, a lot of personalities. For this team how would you describe the women and their personalities and how they kind of mesh together for this team?

COACH STALEY: I think part of it is the core group of them have been together. Then you've got some youngsters that have come in. There's instant class friendships, and then you have to bring in the professionals to make sure it all continues to work.

Like we bring in a couple -- we actually brought them in Thursday before we started our first round; they had a session.

And sometimes you gotta -- as a coach you've gotta let somebody else -- especially the experts in life skills -- let somebody else just kind of talk them through what their goals are, get them to talk without having coaches in the room.

Sometimes players shy away from giving their all-out thoughts on teammates and situations because of whatever.

There is a couple, Felicia and Johnny Allen, they do a great job of just getting our players to just be vulnerable in a two-and-a-half-hour session. Then they call me and give me a recap of what happens, and each and every time -- they have spoken with our team four times over the last two years, and every time they've called me they're like, you got a great team.

As coaches you're thinking, oh, this one might not like her role or this one probably wants to play more, this one -- you start thinking about how you think they're feeling.

And then she was like, yeah, they may feel that way, but they're all for the team. They want to win. They want to make this year special, and they really love each other.

And then she said they really feed off of what I say. She said a lot of what they said was the same things that we hear you say. And you don't really think you're impacting them in that way because that's the same old stuff all the time from their coach and you don't think they're locked into it, but that was encouraging to hear.

It's helped us be successful. And the fact that they can be vulnerable with each other and just kind of sacrifice some of their wants and needs for the betterment of our team.

Q. What do you remember about Aliyah's recruitment and what it meant when ya'll landed her?

COACH STALEY: What I remember about recruiting Aliyah, and you just can't recruit Aliyah; you have to recruit the family. The family is the key. I mean, Aliyah was just -- talking to her was like talking to an adult. The questions that she asked, it wasn't -- she wasn't like a normal 16 year old.

Because I think that's when we started -- maybe 15, because she's got a late birthday. She was just always jolly. When talking to her mother, her mother is, you know, a God-fearing mother so she just talked about how blessed they were, what they wanted for her.

I really didn't think we were going to get her. Honestly, you just recruit and you're tagging along and you just, okay, we got to do it. We're in too deep now so we gotta continue.

And then she called us right before a Thanksgiving -- she called me right before a Thanksgiving tournament.

She's actually crying, like, you know, she has something to tell me. Usually when they're crying it's just like, okay, just get it out. Just say it and let me cry my -- let me cry on the inside.

And she was just like, I just want to tell you that I picked a school, and I chose the University of South Carolina. I mean, she says the whole name! (Laughter.) I'm like, what?

Like seriously. And she was crying, and her mother actually had to take over. Then, you know, some things were said, some things were said to her, and I'm not going to say them because we're going to keep the main thing the main thing.

But her mother was very happy about her coming to South Carolina and playing for me as a black woman, as someone that she thought her daughter can grow under both on the court and off the court, and they made it very clear what Aliyah wanted from her college career.

And I felt like we could do it. Like, if I didn't feel like we could check off those boxes with her I would have said, go somewhere else, because we won't be able to do it. I don't like -- I like for our recruiting process to be very -- like I'm very similar to who I am like now.

It won't be a big change from how I recruited you and how I coach you, because I just feel like -- and I didn't talk to them every day. I probably talked to them maybe once a week. Because I don't talk to our players every day; I'm not texting them every day. It's not like that.

It's not realistic if your coaches are texting players every single day. Imagine when they get to campus and you're not texting them. They're going to think something is really wrong with you and you've changed.

So I try to be very similar to how I am as a coach on the everyday things.

Q. I was wondering if it's harder to scout at this time of the year with such a short time frame, or if it's harder installing new things on the day of?

COACH STALEY: It's harder to implement new things. You are going to be who you are. You can tweak a little bit. We talked about tweaking our defense a little bit, and then -- why put them in that situation? You throw everything out there in your coaches meetings, and when it boils down to it they're going to do what they naturally have done all season long.

So no need to confuse them on that, and that's what we will do.

Q. I wanted to go back and ask about Aliyah. We have talked about on the court, the development and growth she has put in this season specifically. From your vantage point off the court, she is such a quiet and humble kid. I wanted to ask how you have seen her grow into the national spotlight that's been on her more than in years past, and how she has developed into this top-tier player that has all eyes on her?

COACH STALEY: Aliyah is very aware of who she is. She is very aware of what people say. She doesn't always say it if she feels like somebody is wronging her.

And I don't want her to say it either, because she has too many people that have her back where she doesn't have to be the one that says it. So she has a certain maturity level. Like when things were being said to her about national player of the year she would text me, hey, do you think I should say something?

I'm like, no, don't say anything. We got you. But she has always been that way. She always thinks first before she goes out and does something and I think that is parenting. That's a whole lot of parenting. Her dad, her mom.

I mean, she is a saver, too. Her mom instilled saving. Like the cost of attendance checks that they get, she is probably getting a whole lot of NIL deals, and probably 90% of that money is banked. Part of that is being invested.

She was investing before she was even getting any money. The cost of attendance check, I think our players get maybe $500 and something dollars. Mom takes half of that every check. Every check.

So I mean, that's who she is. She is grounded. She's got a great foundation, great family life, and certainly have made my life much easier. I don't have to worry about Aliyah. If I have to worry about something it's because she has told me something, and she has yet to tell me anything that makes me worrisome.

I think she probably has balanced personal life. Like I think she is more friendly. I think she's got -- socially I think she is balancing because she really has been all about basketball. Books and basketball and really Netflix and taking naps. (Chuckles.)

But I do think she has a space where she is doing a lot more, and that's what I'm most happy about. Because life isn't just about that, but it is about prioritizing. Like she prioritized her first two years of her college career.

Now she is figuring out spaces in which she can be a young person and have fun with it, because life is about balance. She will leave here next year and some franchise is going to get an incredible person, player, that only wants to win.

And when she does it, she usually is the one that's responsible for a lot of that winning.

THE MODERATOR: Coach, thank you so much for your time.