NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - NORFOLK STATE VS SOUTH CAROLINA

March 16, 2023

Dawn Staley

Kierra Fletcher

Victaria Saxton

Colonial Life Arena

South Carolina Gamecocks

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll start with an opening statement from coach and then we'll take questions for the student-athletes.

Coach.

DAWN STALEY: Just excited to get the tournament started. We're very fortunate to host a first and second round. I know that our fans and the city of Columbia will embrace our company that are visiting us for the NCAA tournament.

THE MODERATOR: We'll open it up for questions just for the student-athletes at this time, please.

Q. How are you feeling?

KIERRA FLETCHER: I'm feeling good. Thank you.

Q. Any problems? Have you been able to go full-go in practice?

KIERRA FLETCHER: Yep, I've been practicing, yeah.

Q. Do you remember the last time you were in the tournament with Georgia Tech and what is kind of the differences as you're heading into it with a new team here?

KIERRA FLETCHER: Yeah, I remember the last time I was in the tournament. We played South Carolina, actually, in the Sweet 16, which is -- I think it's kind of weird, kind of a full-circle moment. I think about that a lot, actually. So it's cool. I'm excited for this year.

DAWN STALEY: Tell 'em about what your mom said. (Laughing.)

KIERRA FLETCHER: Well, what did my mom say? What did my mom say? I don't know, what did my mom say? Oh, yeah, I remember now. Oh, yeah. So we were in San Antonio and of course we had to play South Carolina and it was like COVID, so the two teams were passing, and I hadn't met coach yet, but I was like so, so like nervous, but my mom was like just ask her, just like say hi.

So then I went up to coach and I was like, I just want to let you know I'm your biggest fan and I like love you. And then she was like, Oh, like, how are you? And all that stuff. So I just thought it was really cool. Then my coach took a picture of us and stuff, from, like, the back. Like, it was just an off-guard picture. So, yeah, I don't know.

DAWN STALEY: I did not tamper, just so y'all know that. I did not. (Laughing.) Okay.

Q. Victaria, obviously you were here last year. You won a national title. Is there anything you can take from that? How different is preparation this year? Is it just trying to keep everything the same after -- keep the winning formula from last year?

VICTARIA SAXTON: I just think that we're just trying to stay within what we're trying to do here. I think we're just following coach and just letting her lead us in the right direction.

Q. Could you both talk a bit about what Laeticia brings to the team and if you have a favorite story about her or anything.

VICTARIA SAXTON: She brings a lot to this team, just from a spiritual standpoint, all the way to on the court. I think that's a really big thing for us, and her attitude, her goofiness. So, I mean, all of it, all around.

KIERRA FLETCHER: Yeah, just to piggyback off of what V said, LA brings a lot, a lot to this team. I think she brings a lot of intensity to this team. She does pretty much -- she can do anything and everything for us. She's just such a versatile player and just a great teammate to have. She's incredibly strong both on and off the court and someone that I definitely look up to.

THE MODERATOR: All right. We'll take questions for coach.

Q. Don't want to put too fine a point on it, but does Aliyah Boston deserve a statue out front?

DAWN STALEY: She deserves to be in a statue, meaning I think this entire class deserves to be just lifted up, and if it's in the statue form, yes. But they're deserving of something, of us really celebrating them and what they have meant to our program, to our university, to the city of Columbia, and the state of South Carolina.

Q. I seem to recall there's been some maybe things behind the works, maybe it was kind of announced at her graduation. Have there been any talks about that with Aliyah?

DAWN STALEY: None, none.

Q. Sam Purcell was talking yesterday after their win in the play-in game about a SEC text thread and coaches encouraging each other. What's sort of the unity between the SEC coaches right now? Were you a part of that conversation that was happening yesterday?

DAWN STALEY: Yeah, I was on the text thread. I mean, it's an incredible time of the year. We have beat each other up all in conference play, and then now we join hands united in trying to uphold our conference, be as prepared as we can, and win as many NCAA games as possible.

Although we're opponents during our 19-game schedule, we are united in wanting everybody to see just how good our conference is.

Q. Obviously different opponents, how much are you trying to keep the things the same from last year from a preparation standpoint versus trying to flush that and focusing on something new? Is there a balance you have to strike?

DAWN STALEY: No, I think last year -- I've been saying the same thing, which is we're going to be the habits that we formed. We did it last year. I don't think you need to change. I think depending on what type of team you have, we have virtually the same team and we've gotten to the point where we're very comfortable with our point guard play, because that was in question in the beginning of the season, and it took some time for us to get to where we are.

I just think we have two point guards that really are locked in to each other and wanting each other to do extremely well. They're very different in how they see the game, but they're joined together in making sure that they are running our team and managing and doing their part so we continue to win.

Q. This is the second year in a row that you guys are hosting the HBCU, last year was Howard, this year with Norfolk. I don't know how much kind of you think about that, but what are your thoughts on kind of the opportunity to do that and kind of and hosting a team like that?

DAWN STALEY: Yeah, I mean, it is a second year, and I think we're fortunate. I think we're fortunate to play a HBCU. One, because I -- on the biggest stage, if we're at the No. 1 overall seed, there's so much publicity that's going to be drawn to our game and it can certainly help. And I don't want anybody to take this in a bad way, it can lift their profile up and make it a lot more meaningful because of the platform that they're on because they don't -- they always get, you know, they draw a tough bracket, but they're going to come in here ready to rock and roll and do what they have done all season long.

We have to be prepared. We have the most pressure on us. But also just beyond basketball, I think it's a great experience and I hope that our community shows them as well as South Florida and Marquette a lot of Southern love.

Q. It's another team that comes from the MEAC. You've played MEAC teams over the years. Is there anything about their conference's style of play that sticks out or anything kind of distinct about teams from that conference?

DAWN STALEY: One thing that they do, a common denominator in what they do, is they play hard all the time. They play hard, they play fast. Depending upon what their game plan is against us -- they might try to slow it down a little bit, but I'm thinking Norfolk State is going to -- like, they're going to play how they have been playing all season long.

So we're prepping for them to play some man, to play some 3-2 zone. So we have to be prepared for it all because we have seen a lot of -- we have seen a lot of teams just change up how they have been doing things all season long when they have played us.

Q. Sticking with their defense, what have you seen from them that statistically makes them one of the better defenses in the country?

DAWN STALEY: One, they're connected. They have a want to win. They are coached extremely well. They have the athletes to close out a lot of space on the floor, to cover a lot of space on the floor. They rebound the ball extremely well. And the want. They grinded it out against Howard and they find themselves in the NCAA tournament. They're going to be happy to be here and I'm sure they're probably they will probably look at the 1 versus 16 matchups that play favorable to the 16 seed and they should.

Q. From day one until now where have you seen this team grow the most?

DAWN STALEY: Our point guard play has grown a lot, but I just feel like we have been consistent in our approach. I do think this is a -- there was more of an upside for our depth and because of that, I've seen lot of growth in our young players, not necessarily playing time because that's not always -- they're not always privy to it, but in practices and preparation, they are ready. Like, if we needed them to substitute in, I feel very comfortable, like today, knowing that it would be different, but equally as effective.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you.