ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 2, 2023

Joanna Bernabei-McNamee

Maria Gakdeng

Boston College Eagles

Postgame Press Conference

Miami 84, Boston College 69

JOANNA BERNABEI-McNAMEE: You know, Miami played really hard. That's what we just got done talking about in the locker room. I thought we showed up and showed out for three of the quarters, and then we got a little bit worn out in that fourth quarter, and we looked worn out.

I thought credit to Miami. They rebounded the ball so well all game, and they got to the 50/50 balls, and something that we are going to really grow from and be able to take away from this game. We played strong for three quarters, we've just got to put four together, and credit goes to Miami for playing so hard.

Q. I just wanted to know, obviously you're a really young team. What's one area that you think you really developed this season that's going to help you going forward?

MARIA GAKDENG: I think going into the postseason there's a lot to work on, but over the course of like this season, I feel like we've had games where we came back from deficits, and I feel like we've got some really good wins under our belt during the season, and it showed how good of a team we could be, so I feel like there's so much upside to us, and I feel like that showed a little bit throughout the season, and going into the postseason just continuing to work on our weaknesses but continuing to strengthen our strengths.

JOANNA BERNABEI-McNAMEE: I thought throughout the season, the strengths that I saw was how much our defense improved throughout the year, and then our ability to play and feed off and have a little bit of spacing and ball movement, and that's what we just talked about again in the locker room. I think we just started to really get it in the last few games to where we were really moving and had great spacing and understanding how to get the ball into Maria and work that inside-out game.

There's so much to grow on, but again, with a young team, it's just clicked with us a little bit too late.

Q. Coach Meier talked about the balance in the league and how if you guys were in any other conference, you would be higher in the standings. In this game both teams shot 50 percent. Do you have any comment on the balance in the league as a whole?

JOANNA BERNABEI-McNAMEE: Yeah, the ACC is just no joke from top to bottom. I think other conferences are very top heavy and they have great teams, but I think the one thing that makes the ACC stand out is from top to bottom, there isn't a team that anyone says, oh, I want to play that team. Every team is really good in their own right, and every team plays hard, and every coach that's in this league really knows what they're doing and coaches hard.

It's a battle every night, and that's one thing I know going into the tournament I feel and into postseason play, the ACC teams are definitely battle tested.