SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

March 3, 2023

Katie Abrahamson-Henderson

Javyn Nicholson

Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Georgia Bulldogs

Postgame Press Conference

LSU 83, Georgia 66

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson and Javyn Nicholson.

Q. Javyn, what was the dynamic like on the court? It seemed like there was a lot of emotional intensity.

JAVYN NICHOLSON: Yeah, we're both SEC teams. We are passionate. We love this game and we take it seriously. That's just how it went. We're going to be passionate, we're going to try to get after it and try to change the dynamic of the game any way we can, and at the end of the day we're going to fight for what we want and fight to win. That's just how that goes.

Q. There was obviously that long delay, you know, in that second quarter and having to get back on the court after that. What was it like to mentally recalculate and get back on the court after the delay?

JAVYN NICHOLSON: It was tough, something we couldn't control. Our team had to get warm again, and just see the ball go in. Just try to get back into rhythm, back into the flow of the game.

I think we started out really well and even being down 10 we still were flowing really well and got our offense going really well. So we just tried to get back to us and we struggled that first couple of minutes, but I think overall we did pretty well.

Q. For games like this for tournament play, is it better to have an early game rather than have to wait around and play a game later in the day?

JAVYN NICHOLSON: Um, I would say maybe yeah, having a later game is better. Just more time to look at scout and just make adjustments. Early games aren't really the best, honestly.

Q. This was a busy week, but what can you take from these two games going into the NCAA tournament?

JAVYN NICHOLSON: I think we can play with anybody in the country. Little things we have to lock in, boxing out, playing hard, playing to the end. There are a lot of things we can't control in the basketball game, and we can focus in and hone in on things we can, I think we can make a really good run in the tournament.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Javyn. Questions for Coach.

Q. Coach, they hit a season-high in 3's tonight. Was that something you anticipated? What was the process of trying to adjust to that in-game as they were falling?

COACH ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: Obviously we knew that -- I gotta say names right. Alexis was a 3-point shooter. She was the one that was hitting them, so we were making the adjustment before the flood or whatever it was.

We were making the adjustment and we cut it to I don't know what it was, maybe three or four, and then the whole thing happened. We knew she was definitely, and she had probably three or four right there in those first and second quarters.

Q. I asked you about dealing with Angel Reese; you dealt with her pretty well. She didn't have a crazy game, but when they have so many players scoring like they do, how hard are they to beat?

COACH ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: I think they're just tremendous in transition. I think that's where they play really well. I think, you know, everybody talks about Angel, but Alexis Morris is an X-factor. She reminds me of Aliyah Boston and the guard, Cooke. Those two together are phenomenal.

Obviously Alexis stepped up today in points and in scoring for her. Those two are really good together just like Aliyah and Zia Cooke are.

Q. Coach, talk about the stoppage in play, like the flood that happened. During a high intensity game how it can stop momentum from happening?

COACH ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: It definitely stops momentum, you know? Obviously we talked about how we want to do it. They let us rewarm-up again. We got to go to the locker room and watch -- thank God for video and film we got to kind of watch some stuff.

But we got to warm back up. That was hard. I don't think anybody has ever experienced that. In basketball, anytime, anyplace, anywhere, you gotta fight. It's called adversity, you know what I mean? We had some adversity and we had to fight through it.

Q. Coach, the bye week is coming up. How are you going to work with your team? What will you do to shift your attention?

COACH ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: This is new for me, too. Usually -- I've never had this long of a break. We've usually played and then, boom, selection Sunday -- is it Monday or Sunday? I forget. Sunday!

It happens right away, so this week we're going to have to be super creative. I have a great staff. They're wonderful, phenomenal, and they help me so much. We will be creative this week.

We need to heal some bodies up, and at this time of the year there are aches and pains everywhere, so we will definitely heal some bodies up and get back probably Wednesday, just moving again and stuff. But they need a little bit of a break.

Q. Kinda going off that, how does a conference tournament help with the bigger tournament? You know, obviously you're playing teams you are familiar with now but going into the next tournament, how does that help with that preparation?

COACH ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: I mean, I want you to all understand that I don't want to take this for granted that I've been in situations where we had to win the whole thing to go to the NCAA tournament.

Me sitting here and listening to, you're going to the NCAA tournament and we didn't win the whole thing is really shocking to me right now. I'm like, wow, we're go going? Wow, we didn't have to win the whole thing?

That's been my experience as a coach, we had to win the whole thing in order to go. So now being in the SEC it's a whole different feeling and waiting time, so I'm kind of adjusting too, you know what I mean?

Obviously the SEC prepares you for anything and everything, it's a grind every night, I think every coach is good, I think every player is really good. So it's really definitely going to prepare us for, depending on who we play.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach.