NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - GEORGIA VS FLORIDA STATE

March 16, 2023

Katie Abrahamson-Hendrson

Diamond Battles

Javyn Nicholson

Carver-Hawkeye Arena

Georgia Bulldogs

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Georgia student athletes Diamond Battles and Javon Nicholson.

Q. What's the mindset going into this game against Florida State?

DIAMOND BATTLES: Well, our mindset has to be the same as it's been all year. We can't change anything up. Continue to play how we play. Just being Georgia Bulldogs, playing our defense and just locking in on the game plan and what our coaches set for us to do.

JAVYN NICHOLSON: Just piggyback off her, same mentality. It's not a different game. We have the same plays, we have the same mindset coming in. Just make sure we are playing Georgia basketball, playing together playing hard and just be happy to be here. Not a lot of teams get this opportunity and we want to put on a good show on a big gauge.

Q. What do you see in Florida State, and do they remind you of anybody you've played?

JAVYN NICHOLSON: I would say how they push in transition, they like to get after it, kind of similar to SEC teams we see in conference, just paying that high, fast-paced type of game and really dynamic guards that can get to the basket. But like I said, it's something we've seen before so it's not completely unfamiliar.

Q. This is the first time specifically this group has been at this stage in the tournament together, you've been here before. How helpful is it to have that past experience at this level?

DIAMOND BATTLES: It's very important to have a lot of members or veterans on our teams that has been to the Tournament and that's played and won NCAA Tournament games; so we can prepare and help the other ones that haven't or just haven't played in the game.

It's very key to, like, lock in and get everybody mentally ready to play. It's a big stage and everybody comes to play every night, so it's not like you're playing just anybody. You're playing teams at their best so we've just got to help our teammates out to lock in and be leaders and just make sure everybody is one on the court and playing together.

Q. Florida State will only have eight players available tomorrow. How does that affect, do you want to really push the pace? Do you want to try to wear them down a little bit, do you think?

JAVYN NICHOLSON: Pushing the pace is something that we always look to do. We pride ourselves in being deep and having multiple people that can come in and produce. Them having eight doesn't really affect our game plan and how we come out.

Q. You talk about playing Georgia basketball. What are the things that make up Georgia basketball that you can define yourselves with?

DIAMOND BATTLES: Just irritants, gritty, passionate defenders, relentless.

You want to add some more?

JAVYN NICHOLSON: Relentless. Someone who doesn't back down. Someone who runs towards the fight instead of away from it and is just ready to push forward the legacy. I think we have a great foundation of people who have come before us, and we've been blessed with the opportunity to continue that. So just doing that in the best way with the best pride, the best confidence in how we play the game.

Q. It's a bit of a homecoming game for Coach. Is that something you're talking about that?

DIAMOND BATTLES: She don't talk about herself a lot but most of us know that this is like a homecoming. But definitely, you know, something for her, like we love playing for Abe and supporting here. So just coming out and playing Georgia basketball for her. People are going to be screaming for her, so it's going to be a fun team atmosphere for her.

Q. What's been the message or the things that Abe has been emphasizing ahead of a really up-tempo Florida State team?

JAVYN NICHOLSON: Just being locked in, being aware of where we're at, where we've come and how far we've come and how together we are. We face a lot of adversity. We have some games we shouldn't have lost. We have some games where we beat ourselves and we have some games where we were to the end. Just keeping that momentum and just being aware where we are at, having fun, playing for each other. That's kind of been the message.

Q. A team with ten newcomers, a lot of teams in those circumstances might not have the cohesion that you guys have. What's been the key to that?

DIAMOND BATTLES: I would definitely say just everybody buying in. It was a different -- a lot of different cultures, and it's like a couple of us came from in-state with Georgia and some transferred in.

But I think the leadership on our team was just very, very great this year and everybody bought into what Abe had to say and the captains that we chose. I think that as the season went on, everybody just like had, like, a light-bulb moment like, okay, this is actually working.

I think by the end of February when we had our great little run, everybody was bought in and everybody had the grit and passion that we've been working for all season. I think with the ten newcomers, the buying in kind of really helped us push forward.

JAVYN NICHOLSON: I agree. It's a moment of either you change and grow, or you stay stagnant and stay the same. Everybody kind of had that moment.

Coming back for Abe, I knew it was going to be different but I didn't realize how much of myself I was going to have to change and new things I was going to have to adapt. That really took place in practice for me personally just going hard every day and having a different mentality and really rising to the occasion and the expectations that she set for me.

Q. You've played in a sold-out environment with South Carolina before. Are you looking forward to that again this weekend?

DIAMOND BATTLES: Who wouldn't be? I feel like D1 athletes live for that moment, playing in front of a big crowd. Everybody yell and scream, whether they scream for you or against you, it's just a great feeling to have as a D1 athlete.

JAVYN NICHOLSON: I agree. When the lights come up, I believe that's when the best players come out. That's when the stars come out, and I think we're going to be out.

Q. Have either of you been to Iowa before?

DIAMOND BATTLES: Yes, I played here last year?

JAVYN NICHOLSON: It's really cold and rainy. I don't like it at all. Yeah, we played Iowa State last year, so yeah.

DIAMOND BATTLES: Yeah, I played here, as well, last year.

Q. What's it like playing back at home? I'm assuming this feels like home considering you played here, grew up not too far away in Cedar Rapids?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: I think my family is super excited. Obviously everybody keeps saying "home." I'm very blessed. I was lucky and fortunate enough to "home," in terms of basketball, played for two Hall of Fame coaches in Andy Landers and Vivian Stringer. This is home for me where I grew up, home.

But basketball-wise but Georgia is kind of my home, too. I don't know if there's been any other Division I head coaches played at two different universities and ends up coaching. It's been really interesting to see us come back here.

But for me being here at Iowa, I love the Iowa fans. I love Iowa. Only it my home. Lisa Bluder and their staff are amazing people and every time we come back, you know, they are always trying to get us to come back anyway to play games. Because they know I'll come back, you know, because I want to come back to Iowa and see my family, and my family is super excited.

They don't get to come to a lot of games, so in that sense, being close to my family is awesome.

Q. Your first year at Georgia in the NCAA Tournament. How would you characterize the growth from coming in, implementing your system and the ebbs and flows that have culminated to this moment?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: It's been a crazy ride. It's just been crazy. I've inherited other programs where I really had to rebuild them, but Georgia has been a reload, really. And they are different because of the portal.

So it's been really different in terms of when you go in, you have so many different thought processes and cultures of how these young people have been coached before.

So for me, it was 15 new players, really -- what's 15 minus 3? 12 new philosophies. 12 different philosophy that is really had to come to one and I think we have been very fortunate that my coaching staff is amazing and they have stayed with me all these years and they have been with me. I have three people on my staff who played for me. I mean, Isoken Uzamere has been with me six, seven, eight, nine, 15 years. Keisha has been with me for six years, and Tanya has been with me, I think her whole life.

My coaching staff has been around me a long time and I think that's just successful coaching period and with that culture coming in -- I think everybody bought in. The best example is Javyn. She is a completely different player this year and has bought in right away. We are blessed that all these people that came to play for us or stayed here to play for us have bought in and bought in really quickly. It's been awesome, but it's really crazy because the portal has made it really different.

Q. Florida State is missing two kids, including an honorable mention all-America. How does that change them?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: I don't think it does. I think Brooke is a great coach. Brooke is like me very point guard eight about where she's coaching. She played there. She loves Florida State. She's going to come in and her team is going to come in ready to go. They are very good and they have kid that played in the ACC which is an amazing, tough conference.

I don't think it changes at all. I think as coaches today, we know. We have got to -- we have got to play with what we had, not everybody is always there. I mean people are playing with kids that are injured. People are playing with kids that are out. That's just a part of coaching and it's a part of March Madness. There's the "madness" part. You've just got to come in and you've just got to play the game. People are going to fight like crazy to win the game because there's a lot of seniors out there that don't want to be done. I don't think it changes anything.

Q. What's the key to getting the buy in? You talked about getting players to buy in who weren't in your system?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: What's the No. 1 key or several keys? I think -- I think, you know, when everybody talks about coach Abe -- I have a real name, everybody, it's Katie Abrahamson-Henderson; everybody talks about "Coach Abe."

I'm really consistent. I stay the same. I don't mix up. They know I'm tough but they know I love them. It's like we are one big family and the consistency doesn't only start with me but it comes with my coaches. They have been with me a long tame and they have played for me, too. So the system is pretty much in, so I'm really blessed to have some really good assistants. I have some, GAs that came with me. I have managers that, you know, that came with me. I have video coordinator that came with me, and everybody just buys in real quick because I may be everybody feel like they are a big part -- because they are a big part.

I can't do this on my own and I let people do their jobs and I let people do what they are really, really good at. Like Sam, he's got the camera in my face. I'm like, Sam -- he's really good at that, right.

But I want everybody to feel like they are a big part of our program, and I think that's why everybody buys in because I think the people around you have to feel as important in your system so they will keep working hard in the system, and I think that's the key. But I also know it's a key of my coaching staff because we've been together, you know, thick as thieves.

Q. What's it like to have not only you and Lisa in this region but six other Iowa natives coaching women's basketball teams in this tournament? How cool is that that this state has produced that many high-level coaches?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: Yeah, well, first of all, we are all crazy to be doing it.

But second of all, I think, you know, I don't want to say back in the day because I'm not that old. But Iowa Basketball and the high school level of basketball, I think a lot of people talk about Indiana Basketball but I think Iowa Basketball, men and women's high school level all the way up has always been really good.

I think we all fell in these positions -- I didn't necessarily want to be a coach, but I feel like I had some really Hall of Fame coaches pushing me to do that in terms of, you know, Vivian Stringer and Andy Landers and Bill Finley, I worked with Bill Finley for years. I've known Lisa and her staff forever. I think we all just kind of just have so much passion about basketball in general.

The other thing that we have a big passion about that's not mentioned a lot is that at least the coaches that I know that are from Iowa, we really all want to empower women. I mean, that is a big theme that I think all the coaches, if you name them, I would say the same thing. I know Lisa wants to do that. I know Jan wants to do that. I know Phipps wants to do that. I know Brenda want to do that. I think that's the big thing that we all love.

Q. You said you played here and grew up here. When you heard it was a sellout with the crowd this weekend, what does that say to you about the fan base and atmosphere that will be here?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: I mean, I'm proud of Lisa and her staff. That's the first thing. When I was here with Vivian, that was the first sell out we ever had. That goes back to his question of the Iowa fans are just basketball fanatics, and obviously Lisa and her staff have done a great job of cultivating that and keeping it. When Coach Stringer was here, it was pretty much jam-packed.

I think it's awesome. I mean, my sister called and told me, I'm not going to get tickets, it's sold out. I'm like, "Are you okay? Your sister is the head coach at Georgia. You'll be getting tickets. You'll be fine."

That's how fanatic it was for the people that live in Iowa. They al want to come to the game, and it's sold out already. To me, that's awesome, playing from here, knowing that when we were here and we -- in my head, Vivian really built that basketball tradition of fans, support and all that good stuff and then Lisa obviously came and kept it going. I mean, it just shows that, you know, Iowa Basketball and the love of basketball, men's and women, is really strong.

Q. You mentioned the Hall of Fame coaches that you played under or worked with, how much of their influences are evident in your coaching style in addition to your own philosophies?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: Everything. I think everything. I feel like, you know, when you're in this business and it's like any job you do, the longer you're in it, the more it soaks into you, you know.

So mine really started with my high school coach, Paul James -- put his name in there because he's going to be very happy. He's great. He's not here. He would love to come.

Obviously Brenda played for him too and I got the opportunity to play for Andy Landers who is an amazing Hall of Fame coach, and I love him to death, and he's still in Athens and he's still a great support system for me. And I got the opportunity to play for have Vivian Stringer; I mean, come on. I was learning philosophies away. I worked with Joanne P. McCallie at Maine and Michigan State. And so I just feel like I've been very blessed in terms of being around not losing coaches but winning coaches.

So that has really been embedded in me and obviously I'm a competitor and I love -- I hate to lose and all that good stuff. But you know, I can lean on a lot of these people and call them any time, and they will pick up my phone calls: You know, what did you do here; what did you do there; how do you fix this problem; how do you raise money, or how do you promote the program. There's so many different people that I could call upon, which I'm super blessed to have, super blessed.

Q. You've had groups here before that have not had NCAA Tournament experience.

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: Yeah.

Q. And this team obviously has a lot of NCAA Tournament experience. What's the difference-maker there and how important is that?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: Well, I think it's huge. I love the fact that Diamond played here last year in this gym. I love that. Brittney Smith didn't play because she had COVID, so that's -- that was terrible for us.

But Audrey Warren, which no one has really mentioned, she played at Texas. She went to the Sweet 16 last year, so she's got big time experience. Obviously the five returning players, they all played. So the UCF players have played for me, all have played.

I really talked a lot about that about how it's only our four freshmen and one transfer that has not been in the NCAA Tournament. That's amazing. That's also why we have cultivated the program and that's also maybe why we're here. That really helps.

Q. Do you have a count for how many family and friends are going to be here tomorrow?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: I mean, not -- everybody is like, one is living in Florida, one is living in Pittsburgh. They are like, really, you're going back to Iowa? Really? Like we left, brother and sister. I have four -- I have three -- two older sisters, younger brother, and just one older sister is coming with -- the one that didn't think she was going to get tickets. You're going to get tickets, Babe. So really, them and just some family and friends that are back here.

But to me, you know, the Iowa fans are my friends, too. I'll go walk by the scorers table and I'll know everybody there. I think they will be cheering for me, at least tomorrow, for sure.

Q. Do you still have the same nostalgia that you had a year ago, or is it different when you came back as UCF coach to Carver? Is the nostalgia still this when you walk into Carver?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: What does that mean? Excitement? That's a big word. Do I remember?

Q. Just like the memories of Carver, etc.?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: Well, my memory, I remember when I was playing here and Georgia came back and played against Iowa, and I still remember walking down the hallway. You know, we had practice in the practice gym. We didn't have that practice gym when I was here, and the players are like -- the ones that haven't played here wanted to see the gym.

So when I was walking down, it was like, our locker room changed can their locker room is in a different spot and it reminded me of going to practice every day from the weight room to practice. Obviously a lot of memories, a lot of great memories.