NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - SE LOUISIANA VS IOWA

March 16, 2023

Lisa Bluder

Caitlin Clark

Monika Czinano

Kate Martin

Carver-Hawkeye Arena

Iowa Hawkeyes

Media Conference

Q. What do you guys think of Southeastern Louisiana, and what problems do they present?

CAITLIN CLARK: You know, I think they're a really good basketball team, but I think when you're playing in March Madness, anybody is going to be playing with a chip on their shoulder. We know that they played their conference championship without their best player and still were capable of winning that. I know they played LSU at the beginning of the year. They've played Power Five competition.

Really good defensive team. But our transition offense is what it is. We have one of the best scoring offenses in the country. Yeah, I think the biggest thing that stood out was they're a good defensive team. They run some sets that we have seen before, so we have that going for us.

But yeah, I think they're coming in here with nothing to lose, and that's kind of how it goes when you get to this point of the season. You know, you've got to come up and be ready to play, and that's what we're going to do.

Q. You guys have had a week and a half since you last played in the Big Ten Tournament. Do you think that's an advantage, to have time off like that, or is it a disadvantage because you were playing so well? I know in the men's it's kind of reversed and we saw what happened last year to the men's team.

MONIKA CZINANO: Think it's a little bit of both coming off the Big Ten Tournament, and it just feels like we haven't played a game in so long. So I think we're all just champing at the bit to get out there. Yeah, I think there's a little bit of both, both ways. We're used to it, though. We've done this however many times. This is and Kate and I's fifth year off having this off time before the tournament.

But I think this team is hungry in a way. We know what we lost last year, so we've all been really dialed in during this period of having time off.

Q. Caitlin, you talked about them playing with a chip on their shoulder. What provides the chip on your shoulders, and how do you keep playing loose, not tight in this situation now?

CAITLIN CLARK: Yeah, I think obviously our early exit last year will always provide that fire for us. No matter what point we're at in the tournament, whether we make it out of this weekend and move on to the next, we still feel like we have a lot to prove, and we believe we're one of the best teams in America.

But yeah, I think just that more than anything just buying into the confidence of your teammates and your coaches and knowing that they have your back every single position. You're not out there all by yourself. It's a team sport, so just rely on your teammates, and that's going to help build confidence, relax your teammates, relax yourself.

But these are the moments you dream of and that you work for all season, and they're finally hear. It's just exciting, but at the end of the day it's just another basketball. You've just got to go out and play and that's what we're going to do. We always talk about just be us. And that's all we need to be, and the results will come with that.

Q. With this being your last year, Monika, do you have a different appreciation to getting to the NCAA Tournament, getting the chance to play at least one more, maybe two more games in the arena that you have had a stellar college career? Do you have a different level of appreciation for this NCAA Tournament?

MONIKA CZINANO: Yeah, I think having this opportunity to have two more home games with me being a senior is something that I'll never overlook. It's really special. I'm one of the few seniors who get to do that.

In terms of the whole season, I think I'm just as locked in as any other season, if not a little bit more. But I don't think it's for the reason of it being my last year. I think it's because I know how good this team is, which is why I decided to stay.

I haven't really been viewing this season -- it is a season of lasts, but if I get too caught up in that, I'll miss what's actually happening right in front of me. I've just been focused on getting this team as far as we can just like we all have.

Q. As a group you seem to have a lot of chemistry with one another. What does it mean for you when one of your teammates maybe is struggling, like let's say Gabbie Marshall at one point in the year, but then comes back and the last three to four weeks has really shot the ball well? What does it mean for you on a personal level and also from a team to have somebody like that step up and have a great finish to the season?

KATE MARTIN: I mean, we're just so happy for Gabbie. We had confidence in her all year, and that's all you can really do is just have confidence in your teammates and build them up as much as possible. We're just glad that she's believing in herself and we're seeing what she's capable of. And we're happy for her because there's a lot of highs and lows in basketball, and the lows are not very fun but the highs are really high, as well.

We're just really happy for her, and she's going to kill it, and we're really excited to see her keep shooting like she is. And everybody has an off game here or there, but just remaining -- keeping that confidence in her is all you can really do.

Q. This was a quick sellout ticket-wise. What does that mean for you guys as players to do that now back to back years?

KATE MARTIN: I think it's really special. I think maybe we've gotten kind of used to our fans being as incredible as they are. But at the same time, you can't take it for granted because I think -- I was told tickets were all in their carts in 13 minutes and then processed within 50 minutes of them being available. I know season ticket holders had earlier access and there was already 10,000 gone.

I think it just shows the excitement in our community about women's basketball and that's the excitement that it could be like that all around the country. And it should be like that because there are a lot of amazing women's basketball teams at the college and pro level.

But one of the reasons I came here and I'm sure those two would say the same is the support for this team and this program that Coach Bluder has built here is unreal. So you never take for granted getting to run out on to a court with 15,000 people screaming for you. And we need to use that to our advantage.

And I think that also helped in our run in the Big Ten tournament. It was basically a crowd all for the Hawkeyes. It certainly kind of gives you a little edge there, so being able to use that is super important.

Q. Monika, Southeastern is a team that doesn't have a lot of size and they've been susceptible to post play. Has that been an emphasis or is it sort of the same thing for you guys, you're always looking to get the ball inside?

MONIKA CZINANO: Yeah, I mean, they have 6'3" posts, so I would say it's a pretty even matchup for me height-wise in the post. They're pretty physical. They're pretty athletic. I think they're similar to some teams we probably saw in the non-conference.

I just think it's always been an emphasis for our team to get the ball inside, not even just like for me to go to work in the post but in-outs. There's a bunch of different things and our offense opens up so much more when we do get it in the post. That's always been an emphasis for us. But I'm going to treat it like any other game, any other post player.

Everybody who comes into Carver is about to have their best game, it feels like. So we show up, do the best we can, and that's all we can do.

Q. Monika, Kate, you were both here in 2019. I know a lot has been said about Creighton last year, but Mercer really gave you guys everything you wanted in the first round that year. What lesson do you take out of that? This is a 2 versus 15 like that was, as well.

KATE MARTIN: I would just say take no one for granted. Anybody who gets into the NCAA Tournament, especially a 15 seed, 16 seed, whoever, you have nothing to lose. They're coming in here and they want to play their best game. Like Monika said, anyone who steps into Carver wants to have their best game.

You can't overlook anybody. You can't get to your next step if you can't take care of the first game. That's what we really emphasize is just taking it game by game, one step at a time.

Q. Caitlin, given that you all have been in this position before and that you all are hosting again, does this give you and the team an added level of confidence going into tomorrow?

CAITLIN CLARK: Yeah, I think certainly. I think going through this whole process, because my first year here we were in the bubble, so I didn't really know what it was like. Last year was my first year doing all this. I think certainly like you know how it goes. We're on the same seed line, things like that.

But like we've said, we just want to come out and play Iowa basketball and be what we've been all year. I think the most important thing for us is we don't have to change anything now that we're in the NCAA Tournament and we're playing teams that maybe we're not as familiar with.

So just knowing your scout, coming out and doing what we do every single night, and I think that'll lead down a path that's really good for us.

Q. Do you guys watch the first game at all while you're preparing for your game?

CAITLIN CLARK: We did last year. I'm not sure what the plan is for this year. Whether we watch it in real time or whatnot, we'll definitely watch it back on film additionally. But at the same time we just want to go one game at a time, so our full focus needs to be on our first matchup. But we do understand that the game is going to be going on right outside while we're getting ready for our game.

Like I said, whether we watch it in real time or back on film probably doesn't make a ton of difference, but probably will come down to Coach Bluder's decision and what people feel comfortable doing that will get them most prepared for our first game.

Q. Southeastern Louisiana ranks pretty low in terms of possessions per game. They like to slow it down, have lower scoring games. How do you go about running your normal transition offense and trying to go fast without being sloppy, because they do a great job of forcing turnovers, as well.

MONIKA CZINANO: I think it just starts on defense for us, too, having a strong defensive presence, getting to push the ball in transition like we want to, and just dictating the whole game from the jump. We've had teams do that to us where we feel like they've slowed us down or sped us up, and that's what we need do to them and just kind show that this is how we like to play. We're going to kind of control it.

But I think that's probably the biggest thing is having that strong defensive presence.

KATE MARTIN: When we get stops, our transition is at our best. Getting stops, it'll be an emphasis. Defense is always an emphasis, but when we can box out to push, that's our best offense. If we're getting stops, then it'll be hard to stop our transition.

Q. For anybody, I know ESPN, I think they had 12 experts, 11 picked you guys to get to the Final Four. Just your thoughts on that, being the hunted now?

CAITLIN CLARK: Yeah, I think that's kind of been our thing the whole year is pressure is a privilege and people are wanting to beat the University of Iowa. But at the same time that's only 12 people's opinions and there's a bunch of people in the United States. So you can go ask probably 100 more people and who knows how many are going to pick us or even know who's in the women's basketball tournament.

I don't think it really matters. Obviously that's where we believe we're going to be and that's really all that matters to every single person in our locker room. Everyone believes we can be there. But at the same time, we know there's quite a few hard games to get that to that point, and going game by game is super important.

But like I said, I feel like that's kind of been the story for us all year long is people want to beat the Iowa Hawkeyes. They're going to come in and give you your best game every single time. We really understand that we've experienced that all year, so it shouldn't be anything that we're afraid of by any means.

LISA BLUDER: Well, we're happy to be here, although the drive wasn't too long, so that was kind of nice. It's awesome to be able to have this first game in our home environment. We think we do have one of the most special environments in all of women's basketball around the country, so for us to be here and to be able to show again the country what kind of support the Iowa Hawkeyes get is very, very special.

As the girls alluded to, we're fully in preparation to play Southeast Louisiana tomorrow.

Q. I asked the players, Southeastern Louisiana ranks right around 300th in possessions per game. They like to have lower scoring games. How do you go about running your normal transition, fast offense, without speeding up too much to try to get them out of their game and yourselves out of your own game?

LISA BLUDER: Yeah, they really hang their hat on defense. We feel like we've played against a lot of really good defensive teams all year long. We know that's a part of their game plan. I don't know if they've played against somebody as up tempo as we are. Maybe you can go back to LSU, who they played very closely. It was an eight-point game at LSU, or Alabama, which was a 10-point loss at Alabama.

But quite honestly, we're not going to change up a whole lot what we do. We're just going to go out and play our game, and if they want to slow it down, then that's okay. But where we're our best in transition is when our defense gets stops. That's where we're at our best anyway.

Q. You've had some time to go back and digest the Big Ten Tournament. What particularly stuck out about the way the team performed that led to the championship and what are you looking for in terms of areas of momentum to carry over into the NCAA Tournament?

LISA BLUDER: Yeah, I thought that we played really well as a team. High assists, balanced scoring, shot the ball well. And so to me, it's like, we've just got to keep doing that. We've got to understand that this is the -- the whole team needs to be involved for us to be at our very best. And when that happens, we're really good. So we just want to keep that momentum going.

Q. Coach, how much of the added depth that you all have coming off the bench with Hannah and Molly, et cetera, will be helpful to you all going into the tournament?

LISA BLUDER: Well, absolutely. And Syd, too. Syd has been really playing some critical minutes for us.

Yeah, I think anytime you have that depth, it sure helps you get through a Big Ten Tournament when you play back to back to back. The NCAA Tournament at least you have a day in between. But the grind of the long season is real, and you can see a lot of teams are banged up around the country, and we're not.

I think that speaks to the depth that we've been able to use the last couple of months of the year.

Q. You mentioned there were match-ups against LSU and Alabama. Alabama was averaging 75 points a game, they scored 55. LSU was averaging 85 and they scored 63 in that game. What stands out if you've watched film of those two games, about what Southeastern Louisiana did in those games to make it a lower scoring contest?

LISA BLUDER: You know, I did not watch those games. To me those were too far back -- teams evolve throughout the year. I think we're a totally different team than we were in November. I'm sure they're a totally different team, so I did not watch film from those games. I really watched more recent film.

Q. I know the players were asked about the home crowd that they're going to see tomorrow. Can you maybe comment on that, on the game selling out so quickly, just what kind of environment you're going to have tomorrow?

LISA BLUDER: Yeah, playing in Carver is something very special, and that's why we're glad that we get one and hopefully two more opportunities to do so.

I know for our seniors, like Monika and McKenna, this is really special. This will be the last weekend they get to play in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Senior Day playing Indiana they didn't have that pressure, now they're going to be facing that a little bit. But it is so special to know that your arena sold out faster than any other in the United States, and that's how important women's basketball is to the state of Iowa.

I'm very, very grateful to be the coach here where people really respect what we're doing and people are excited about what we're doing, and we bring joy to people that watch us. I know there's a lot of people that couldn't get tickets to this game, and they're going to be watching on TV and completely vested in this game.

It's pretty humbling to know that this team is loved by so many, but we accept it and we enjoy it, and we want to give them a good show this weekend.

Q. How have you seen Hannah grow over the course of this year?

LISA BLUDER: Well, I think it's just her maturity going from am I supposed to be here to, yes, I'm supposed to be here, to, yes, I'm an impact player. I think that's been her evolution over the year is that first she's like kind of tiptoeing around in the summer thinking, am I really here, and then now understanding we need her. It's not that she's just here, but we need her to be successful.

So I just think more it's a confidence, it's a mentality, and it's also us being able to really identify her strengths and weaknesses and being able to emphasize those strengths.

Q. You had a pretty good amount of time between the Big Ten Tournament up until Selection Sunday, probably not that much time where you're not preparing for another opponent. How advantageous was that to work on yourselves, and what is that process like as a coaching staff where you get a chance to maybe work on some finer details about the team?

LISA BLUDER: Yeah, when we come home from the Big Ten Tournament, it's pretty exhausting, and you're pretty mentally fatigued. Even when you win it, it's such a high, and then it takes a little time to come down from that.

I'm really glad we had this time off. I'm glad we play Friday rather than Saturday, but I'm really glad we had this week and a half that we could kind of relax a little bit, regroup, get back to being Iowa, so yeah, we were able to work on us a little bit during the week before we found out on Sunday night who we were going to be playing.

But I think that's a really good thing. Again, we're not banged up, but a lot of teams are, but mentally I think it would have been really hard for us to turn around and play in a few days.

Q. You were talking about the fan support, but you don't seem surprised by it. But has there been some moments where you're just like, wow, I can't believe that we're getting this, especially on the road?

LISA BLUDER: Yeah, I guess the road is what surprises me more than anything. Carver we've had sellouts here. Last year we did really -- when Megan was here, as well, in the NCAA Tournament. It's not that I expect it. I value it, and I enjoy it, and it makes it very happy that we get the fan support that we do.

But what has been surprising to me is when we go on the road and when I see in Maryland girls with signs, I'm from Massachusetts and I came here to see you play, largely for Caitlin. We were at Nebraska, I'm your biggest fan in North Dakota, and people traveling miles to see this team and to see Caitlin play.

I got an email yesterday from somebody from New Jersey that her daughter got black and gold brace bands put on because she's such a Caitlin Clark fan. To me that impact that she has made and thus our team has made across the United States, I mean, that's really rewarding.

I think we saw that with Megan a little bit. Megan, everybody was out there doing the Mikan Drill after Megan. But we've kind of -- we're a team that I think a lot of people really like to cheer for from around the country, and that's where I've seen the most -- what shocks me a little bit is going to Penn State and seeing people just lined up after the game to get Iowa Hawkeye autographs.

Q. Lisa, do you sense this team is pretty loose heading into the NCAA Tournament this year? It would be easy to say that you guys might be tight after having an early exit, but do you sense this team is pretty loose?

LISA BLUDER: You know, I do right now. I feel like we're just very glad to be at home. We're enjoying the experience. We're excited to play. I think what I see is more excitement to get back out on the court again. As we talked about, it has been a while, and that makes you just get excited to play. Like you just want to get out there again.

I see more of an excitement than a tightness.

Q. There's been kind of a Big Ten drought in the Final Four. Got a No. 1 seed this year in Indiana, No. 2 seed in you guys. What is it going to take to break that, and do you think this is the year that happens?

LISA BLUDER: I sure hope it does. We have a No. 2 in Maryland, as well, so we have a lot of possibilities.

I think now we have teams, A, good enough to be there, and B, maybe a path to get there. Sometimes the path is not as easy. Sometimes you get a good seed, but it really comes down to match-ups a lot of times over seed, and I feel like this year maybe some of us have a good path to get there, as well.

I'm excited about this opportunity. I think that the Big Ten has proved over and over this year how good this conference is.

You know, I think this could definitely be the year.

Q. When you watch Southeastern Louisiana on film, they have plus 5 and a half in the turnover margin, very aggressive defensively. Do you sense that, as well, looking at that on film that their defense and their pressure could give you guys some fits?

LISA BLUDER: You know, I think they're a very good defensive team. I think Jen Pierre is extremely fast at their point guard position. I feel like it's what they stress. But again, I feel like we've played against some really good defensive teams. Whether it's Maryland, Indiana, Ohio State, Connecticut, I feel like we've prepared ourselves to see good play in the NCAA Tournament. And so yes, they're a good defensive team, but I feel like we've seen good defensive teams as the year has progressed.