ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL TIPOFF MEDIA DAY

October 11, 2022

Katie Meier

Destiny Harden

Ja'Leah Williams

Miami Hurricanes

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll go ahead and get things started. I can feel the heat from last season, as we welcome in Katie Meier in her 18th season with Miami. We're also joined by Destiny Harden, the grad right here. I love it, just the experience. I love the experience of it all. So we have Destiny Harden with us.

And then Ja'Leah said I want to be known as Leah, so Leah Williams, thank you so much for joining us today.

I want to go back to this historic run from last season, getting to the ACC title game for the first time. It goes well beyond that in which you believed in this team, the pieces you had and the fight and everything you guys kind of pulled together when everyone else overlooked.

So what are some things you saw within this team that you can build on? Take us through what it took to get there.

KATIE MEIER: It started kind of in a non-conference, and Destiny was injured and Mykea Gray was injured. We played a lot of tough opponents and doubted ourselves and all that.

There was a moment when we lost that Notre Dame, and we kind of just were vulnerable. I was like, I still think you guys are really good. What's wrong? You just lost at North Carolina and at Notre Dame, and so would -- 99 percent of the teams in the country are going to lose those, but you're still good.

We went back and gathered ourselves, and I think we went 5-1 to finish out and then just roared through the tournament with that momentum.

The regret is we won three games in the ACC tournament in a row, and you're supposed to have a ring when you do that. You're supposed to be cutting down a net. The fact that we didn't get a double bye, which we've had before at Miami, it's hard to win four.

It's very hard to win four when you're playing such an amazing team in the championship.

You know what? We want to win three again and have that double bye so we have something to talk about.

THE MODERATOR: You have four of your five starters returning from last season. That's a big thing you can build on as well.

KATIE MEIER: It's important to me because they're four starters, but they're four amazing, just totally bought in Miami program, culture, human beings. Their families, the memories that they've created for us at Miami.

So when you add new parts to this really solid corps, this really humble I'm willing to serve type of culture, there's space. We need to score more, right? So we all looked at each other in the spring and said, guys, we've got to get better. We've got to score more.

Everybody's nodding their heads. It's not like they said you didn't give me a chance, Coach. We're there. We did the best that we could. We have to improve in that area.

Those are very real conversations that, when you get to know them, you'll understand how blessed I am.

THE MODERATOR: We're on the inside. It's quiet out there, but Miami has a party inside. We want to be a part of what you've got going on.

You mentioned a couple of the people you have coming back, and you also have key additions coming as well, and I know two of them with Haley and Hanna Cavinder. What can they provide and the impact in season one?

KATIE MEIER: They are relentless competitors. I think that's been missed quite a bit. But they are relentless. Like they will not rest unless they perfect something. So they were willing to come into a program that's pretty established. The reason being, they want to play in the Big Dance. They want to play against the nation's best.

They've elevated our team in a way where it's just they're in the gym shooting all the time. They're texting me at night. Can we do film? What time are you free tomorrow, Coach?

That's where it's really elevated our program in that sense, and they are shot makers. They're really creative in how they can make shots. That has helped everybody's confidence. It does get a little contagious.

THE MODERATOR: And you're winning the portal because you get Latasha Lattimore too, from Texas. I was able to cover her.

KATIE MEIER: You can see them nodding their head.

THE MODERATOR: We'll get to how you feel she fits in with everything, but you first and just why she's important to the program.

KATIE MEIER: She's kind of a sleeper surprise. She came a lot later in the portal. She wasn't able to arrive at school. She was playing with the Canadian National Team, not summer school, but regular school, and she wasn't able to indoctrinate herself into the team, and we had to sit her out for a little bit with a knee rehab.

So our first full week with her, and we are vigorously nodding our heads, because I've never seen someone jump so far ahead in just one week. Her length s incredible. Very quiet skill set.

The length that we've added with the two freshmen and Latasha Lattimore, people aren't talking about that much. It is significant when you walk in our gym. It is a significant change that you go, oh, my gosh. We are big; we are long.

THE MODERATOR: I know just filling the void, you had big shoes to fill. Kelsey Marshall, her energy was infectious. Her energy on the floor. She broke so many different records.

And also Djaldi-Tabdi, one of those players where I don't think she got enough attention for what she was able to do, a couple of game winners as well.

When you're looking at not having those two players, but filling in, I'll start with you, Destiny, just how the cohesion is going so far with the new faces, but also knowing you've got a solid core coming back.

DESTINY HARDEN: I think it's an amazing feeling. Like Coach said, we returned four starters but brought amazing people in. Off the court and on the court, they're amazing people. I know Latasha is going to bring more length, and Haley and Hanna, they're going to be more scorers for us and stuff like that.

So I think we've got some great additions, let alone the two freshmen. They're pretty big and they're true to their size, 6'4", 6'5", maybe 6'8", I'm not sure. We've got good length coming in this year. I'm excited for this season.

THE MODERATOR: You're hungry for this season too. What about personal goals you want to implement this season?

DESTINY HARDEN: Just having the ball a little bit more of the ball. That's what I've been covering over the summer, bringing length in that move me to the three a lot more. So just being able to handle the ball and make good reads and hit bit shots.

THE MODERATOR: Leah, there's a couple of times I've watched you in just shootarounds, I'm like, Jeez, can she hit the rim? Like she's that athletic. But being known as one of the top freshman last season, what are some things you feel you can improve in year two?

JA'LEAH WILLIAMS: I feel like I can improve more on bringing the ball down, elevating the ball down, shooting from the three more, creating for my teammates, like being more of a leader for them.

That's what I've really been working on this past fall. Really been working on it.

THE MODERATOR: I love it. That's the whole thing. Everything in a package, Coach. We're going to see it.

KATIE MEIER: These two are old school competitors. Like these are the two that you walk into a court or a playground or whatever and you're picking teams, and you're going to pick these two first. You're going to take them, and whatever they bring, you'll fill in the rest. They're both that way. They're fun to be around.

THE MODERATOR: The thing that I loved -- I'm just looking at your roster too. I was counting up the international players and then U.S. players. Nine, I feel like, or seven and seven. They're the same amount of international, a direct split down the line. I don't know if there's like a potluck or anything that happens, but I would like to be invited to that. Just what it takes to have so many different backgrounds pulled together.

You talk about the chemistry within a team. It's a little bit different when you have to build that chemistry with people from different cultures.

KATIE MEIER: That's what we kind of love about our team. There's such a diversity. We have incredible diverse talent on the team this year. Last year we didn't have as much diverse talent. We have diversity in our talent.

I'm going to be very challenged. I'm going to have regrets after games not playing someone as much as they earned. I'm going to have that problem. That's a great problem to have.

But the diversity in the way they communicate is so fun because we don't have time to translate a hurt feeling. It's just like what are you trying -- just say it. And it comes out differently depending on the culture or how we grew up or how we were raised or whatever.

It's just a meeting point. You were trying to make me better. We're good. You were trying to come across, you're good, and just move on. The French people, how they say something. The Canadians. I stopped practice the other day, and they were so good, the two of them. I said, let's sing your national anthem. We did this because we don't know any better, O Canada. We started singing. They just emerged, and okay, credit to you.

It's fun like that and very diverse, but not boring. Not boring.

THE MODERATOR: Absolutely. There's nothing that screams boring about this team whatsoever.

There's one thing you mentioned, Coach, and I think it just embodies I always often ask the coach what the identity is for this group, and you mentioned just grit to the trim and a lot of versatility and depth. The question is going to be in crunch time who is going to be the go-to player?

With so many pieces that you have, at what point do you feel like you need to have that answer?

KATIE MEIER: Yeah, I think that's going to change. We have go-to players. It might be more so the go-to lineup because, if Destiny doesn't go on that run without Kelsey Marshall, and Ja'Leah calling her and saying, no, Coach, run it for Destiny. Come one.

It's that lineup that's going to gel at the end of the game. We haven't even talked about Lola and Karla and what amazing seasons they had last year. Veterans understanding, a real breadth of basketball knowledge, so it's going to be the lineup.

THE MODERATOR: Is there anything within your -- sorry. Is there a question or anything? Just as far as last season, you mentioned the different pieces you have, but does your scheme change at all when you have so many different pieces, you're singing the O Canada song, can we expect something, like a drawn up play from them? How are you guys looking? What's the scheme looking like for you guys?

KATIE MEIER: We've spent more time on quadrant passing into the posts than we usually do. It's an obvious thing. It's an obvious advantage for us that we have a high-low game, whereas last year was more four-on-one.

We still have that lineup, but there are a couple of lineups we that can put out there that, yes they're going to know, Miami's high-lowing with these two, and you're going to see it. We've got to get better at that.

THE MODERATOR: As far as what you two want to establish, I know you made some noise last year, but now you're not catching everyone by surprise. Now everyone knows you have the talent. What's important to establish in week one or even in practice right now?

DESTINY HARDEN: Just establish chemistry within the team. Just let everybody know we've got to stay on the same page. If somebody says do the wrong thing, do the wrong thing because at least we know we're on the same page. That's something Coach talks about.

KATIE MEIER: I know what you mean. We'll all be wrong together. Go team.

(Laughter).

DESTINY HARDEN: That's team chemistry we've got. But just staying on the same page is going to be important this year.

THE MODERATOR: Then I just wanted to see what the biggest adjustment for you in your first year was and how you're growing from that in season two?

JA'LEAH WILLIAMS: I think I'm growing a lot, like Coach Katie gave me some credit during practice, and that made me feel really good about myself and what I'm doing, and I see that as helping my teammates develop more.

Even Coach Mo said -- we have this thing after practice where we talk and say how you feel like you impact -- like impact, did you communicate? Did you interact? And like I always say yes.

I see my communication skills are getting better. I'm talking more even though they call me squeaky and they try to make my voice get deeper.

I see that's working, and it's helping my teammates have more confidence in themselves.

THE MODERATOR: So what do you believe this team can be in this season? If there's someone that's watching you guys for the first time, as far as the pieces that you have for this year -- and I know you only had a couple of practices under your belt -- but what do you think you can deliver?

JA'LEAH WILLIAMS: A lot. Like it's so much talent on this team. It's just like it can go many different ways. We have to know when and where, like why did we go to this person?

If it's a three, like say if Des is off, why we didn't go to Des? Why did we go to Karla? Like everybody has something different.

For me, I'm fast. Why didn't we go to Ja'Leah like on a play where she can go to her right hand, go straight to the strike zone, go straight for the three. Why do we do it?

THE MODERATOR: Sounds like you've got a couple of coaches on your hand ready for the next level. That's nice.

I know you brought Josh Peterson on your staff, a lot of passion.

KATIE MEIER: Tons of energy.

THE MODERATOR: He's one of the best additions you can have. And then Mo, I wanted to go to that as well. There's a couple of times where you said she actually did the scouting report for this.

KATIE MEIER: Yes.

THE MODERATOR: And just having that player that understands your culture, understands what you are about, and then having that bond between the players, what's that been like?

KATIE MEIER: Yeah, Shenise Johnson was somebody that would get a phone call -- any time I had any opening, hey, Mo, you ready to come do this? No, Coach. I want to play some more. Okay. I'd call her three months later, you ready yet?

So she always knew the thought I had was to have her working. She would come by, we'd be on the road playing when she was playing at Indiana and we'd play Purdue, and she'd pop in the locker room. How she presented herself and the message she would send was so inspirational, I just knew she'd have a great future in coaching.

THE MODERATOR: We have like five players that were on that title team in the WNBA. I know Bea Bea, because I had to guard her a couple of times. Being able to take home the trophy, so that's really great when she can represent for you.