NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - WEST VIRGINIA VS ARIZONA

March 17, 2023

Adia Barnes

Cate Reese

Kailyn Gilbert

XFINITY Center

Arizona Wildcats

Media Conference

Arizona 75, West Virginia 62

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Arizona head coach Adia Barnes, Kailyn Gilbert and Cate Reese.

Start with an opening statement from Coach Barnes.

ADIA BARNES: I want to start off by saying I'm really proud of this team. I think we did a really good job coming on the road. Unfortunately we didn't get to host. We came on the road and beat a good team.

We all know it's hard to get your first win in March. West Virginia is coached really well. They have two dynamic guards. Just coached well, play a good style, turn you over. I thought we did a really good job of sticking to the game plan and found a way to win.

It wasn't always pretty, but the players did what I asked them to do. So just really proud of them.

THE MODERATOR: We'll take questions for Kailyn and Cate.

Q. Cate, when Shaina went out with her fourth foul, you sort of took over. What was that moment like for you? What were you going talking about on the court? What was your mentality at that point?

CATE REESE: I think Kailyn came in, she's a freshman, but she didn't play like a freshman today. I'm super proud of her. She was super composed the entire game. Finding good passes to me. I'm super proud of her.

I think at that point you just got to play. You can't worry about the fouls. You have to make sure you step up. I think, like I said, Kailyn, she did a great job, ran the team. I'm super proud of her.

I think we stepped up. I'm proud of our defense today. They have two really good guards, and I think we guarded them pretty well.

Q. When Pellington went out, you started to demand the ball more, asking for more plays. Was that something you just said you have to take over the game? For Kailyn, what was it like trying to get the ball in when they were focusing on her more?

CATE REESE: Our game plan was to pound it in the post, whether that was get it off of pick-'n-roll or guards driving. That was a big thing for us. I think we kind of went more into that in the first half. We were just trying to get our bearings. Some of our first-ever NCAA tournament for some people.

We went in at halftime, talked about it. We went back out there and I think we played like a team. It was really great seeing the ball movement, just kind of dominating in the post.

THE MODERATOR: Kailyn?

KAILYN GILBERT: Yeah, I mean, Cate was playing amazing. I was just like feed the hot hand. I was looking for her every opportunity I could.

She played well, so I'm proud of her, and I'm proud of the team, so...

Q. Kailyn, you've been in big moments before. What was it like first NCAA tournament game?

KAILYN GILBERT: I mean, to be honest, I did not know how to take it at first. I thought I wasn't, you know, going to go back in. I was just kind of worried.

But then I was like, You know what, I work hard every day, I'm in the gym, these are the moments that I work for. I feel like I'm made for it.

I was just like I'm going to come in...

ADIA BARNES: She is made for it (laughter).

KAILYN GILBERT: I'm going to have energy. I feel like energy is what got us over this game.

ADIA BARNES: When I called her, she was like, Are you talking to me?

I think she was a little bit surprised. We believe in her. She's been great the last couple weeks in practice. It was good to see that translate to the game. I thought she did a really good job under a pressure situation as a freshman in the tournament when we're only up six and they had momentum.

She doesn't do what she did, we wouldn't have won the game. So really good job.

Q. For either of you. You had a lot of girls get a decent amount of playing time today coming off the bench. How can you use that moving forward into the tournament?

CATE REESE: I think it's good that we were able to play that many people, for people to come in, like I said earlier. Some people have never been to the NCAA tournament. Kailyn, her first time. You wouldn't guess that if you were just watching the game.

I think it's good to kind of get experience out there in the first game. We're playing a great team, whatever team we play on Sunday. We got to be ready. We're going to go and rest right now, then get prepared.

Yeah, it was a great team win. I'm happy that we all kind of got to get some experience out there.

Q. Kailyn, you talked about how you worked in the gym. How were you ready when you were not getting that many minutes?

KAILYN GILBERT: I think a lot of it just goes to my teammates, people like Lemyah, Paris, Pueyo, Madi, them on the bench kind of encouraging me, letting me know, Kailyn, you might go in, be ready.

Them saying that, me analyzing what's going on on the court helped me stay locked in and ready so when the opportunity came, I was ready.

Q. Cate, you scored 25 points. This is your last go-around here. What is your mentality coming into this?

CATE REESE: I mean, everyone has their path to get to the end. Regardless of the seed, you got to win the same amount of games.

I think for me and my teammates, like, we're staying one game at a time, staying focused, not getting too high, not getting too low.

Like Adia always says, it's easy to be happy and have good energy when you're up by 20, but your true character shows when you're in a tight game. I think that we all stayed really composed today. Super proud of my team for finding me and getting that win.

Q. Kailyn, what has Cate's leadership meant to this team today and throughout the season?

KAILYN GILBERT: It really means everything. This is her last year. The biggest thing for me is just playing my heart out for them. I would want the same thing if I was in their shoes, so just giving it all I got because, I mean, we're very talented and I think we can go really far.

From now on, you'll get my best 'cause I care about y'all, so... I got you.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you both very much.

We'll continue with questions for Coach.

Q. Several people talked about the job that Kailyn came in and did today. Not only her, but what do you think of the way your team responded?

ADIA BARNES: So the first thing is, I always say this to Shaina, is when Shaina had the third foul, I know better by now, just knowing her for years, that she was going to get the fourth. I had somebody waiting to sub her. Now that's going to be more of a sense of urgency to do that. Going for that fourth, she has to be a little bit more disciplined and not do because we really need her on the floor.

In the situation when Shaina has four fouls, it's really big that Kailyn, because she hasn't been in those situations a lot, we've been working her on the ball and off the ball, when she kind of looked at me with big eyes, Me? I said, Yeah, c'mon, we got you. Told her something to give her a little bit of confidence.

She came in and did a really good job. So I'm really proud of her. If she doesn't do that, we don't win the game. They were making a run. We were up six. She not only had to guard the team, she had to guard No. 11. She's a handful.

I think a lot of challenges with Kailyn this year, it hasn't been offensively because we know she can score, and she really looks to score because that's what she's used to in high school.

So the challenge is defensively giving the same effort as she does on offense and running the team. When you're a scorer, you tend to look for yourself. I thought she was really intentional about looking for her teammates, kicking the ball. I didn't mind that transition turnover because she's kicking the ball, looking for us to run.

I'm just proud of her. I think these are the moments you prepare the whole year to put players in situations when you're in the Pac-12 playing against Stanford or great teams like UCLA.

Our conference really prepares us for these moments. I think if we didn't have the best conference in the country, those freshmen aren't ready to be in these pressure situations.

She's been in pressure situations, but it's against good teams. I think she was prepared and ready. She's a player that works. She's in the gym. Asked the question earlier, she said I'm in the gym. She's not lying. I think a lot of teams don't have a lot of gym rats. I'd say she's one of the two hardest workers on our team. I think she has that confidence and that swag, that mentality that she wants to win. That's why I love her, yeah.

Q. Describe the feelings that you saw in Martinez knowing she's going up against her former teammates.

ADIA BARNES: As a coach, you're always concerned about that just because as a player, I know you're really pumped. Even as a coach, you're pumped up to be somewhere you used to coach. It's the competitors that we are. I wasn't sure how she was going to respond.

I knew she was a little bit more nervous today because I think she really had the itch to do well. I knew something was going on because she was talking to a doctor to get some Pepto or something for her stomach. That told me nerves. I didn't want to pay attention to it, but I knew what was going on.

I'm proud of her today because the difficult thing all year for Esmery has been staying out of foul trouble, not going for blocks. I was shocked she had one foul like into the third quarter. Very good job of us being able to keep her on the floor.

We are better when Esmery is on the floor because she's the best rebounder on the floor. Just proud of how she responded.

She passed up some layups sometimes that were good shots that got her teammates some great shots. I think that just shows a good chemistry. I think probably two or three weeks ago we wouldn't have done that.

I'm proud of her. I'm proud of us responding. I'm proud of how she dominated the boards. That was the key to the game. I wanted her to have a double-double. I said that in my pregame speech, and she did.

I'm proud of Esmery for not being super emotional. That's been the challenge all year. She's growing out of it at the right time.

Q. We've talked about Esmery, Cate, what Kailyn has done in today's game. This was a team effort.

ADIA BARNES: It was.

Q. You can go down the line and say something about every player. What does that mean to you that they really came focused and intentional and followed your game plan today?

ADIA BARNES: It means a lot. Because as a coach, it's much harder being a coach than it is a player, as a pro player for 13 years. I can control what I do as a player. As a coach, you can't control a lot of things.

I think they're always prepared, but it's like at times this year I didn't know which team was going to show up. I'm proud of how we turned the corner. We did not play well in the Pac-12 tournament. We've got better in the past two weeks. I'm proud of us today playing better defense against two really good guards and doing the things that I asked, doing it as a cohesive team.

I think if we can do that, I think we can go really far. I think we knew we had an advantage in a couple areas, and we did those things. It's telling me that we've improved and we're taking a step above of where we need to be. We have to continue to do that.

I know we're going to face a really good team on Sunday, either Holy Cross or Maryland. If it's Maryland, it's at Maryland. We know we have to step it up another notch. I feel like we're on the right path to do that. It takes a team effort.

I always talk about on the stat sheet I love the plus-minus, double-double, but I also like a lot of things that Paris did, they don't show up on the stat sheet. She was 0-4, I could care less. She had some hustle plays. It was not Madi's best game. She missed some layups, turned it over. She had some great 50/50 balls.

There are things you can do as a teammate to help your team that aren't in scoring. I talk about that a lot. Really important.

Jade got us some baskets early that got us going. All those things matter. Shaina, they continued to go under on balls. She's proven she can hit that shot, not as consistently, but hopefully they'll go over, then she'll have driving layups to get to the basket.

I'm just proud they all stepped up in different ways and contributed.

I'll go back to Kailyn, there's been a lot of games where she hasn't played. There's been games where she played two minutes and I call on her to be the point guard with No. 11 -- Quinerly is a really good defender, she's handsy -- to handle the pressure, she did it. I see a growth with her, too, because she's our future. It's Shaina's last year.

I'm just proud of everybody. I think everybody stepped up and did their jobs, did the things I asked. That's what you want.

I think the challenge, I would say the next level is -- at the 8:08 mark there was a timeout. We were celebrating and really excited. I think the maturity and the next level for us to learn that's not what you celebrate. That's when you bear down, not to be cliché, you bear down and you put teams away. I think that would be the next level of growth for us.

But I thought we withheld or withstood their runs and found a way to win. But I think we can put teams away and keep that momentum. We have to do that moving forward.

Q. Obviously hearing Kailyn say she's looking to get into the post every time is great. But your team today really in the first half was more dribble penetration getting into the paint. Second half more of a post-up team. What does that do for you as a coach?

ADIA BARNES: The reason why we had to do that was because of Shaina. Shaina is our best player at getting to the rim, best player going down the line, very hard to guard. With her out of the game, we had to switch it.

The good thing was in the past we weren't able to switch. This year we showed we can win in different ways. We've been a really good three-point shooting team in some games. Not lately, not today. Then we've been a team that can finish inside. I think we've been a team that can press you and turn you over.

The good thing is we're able to win in different ways. With Shaina out, we were still able to win. In the past we wouldn't have been able to do that. I thought Cate, Esmery took the challenge on, the guards were looking to pass the ball inside.

That takes effort. It's hard. Sometimes it's hard to pound the ball inside. I said, No more jumpers, pound the ball inside. That's not easy. In the past, they wouldn't have listened, I would sit them out.

I think it's a growth. That was Shaina and Esmery. Those are our 1-2 go-to point guards. I mean, not Esmery, Helena and Shaina. Helena didn't play good today. It wasn't her game. Helena is important for us. We are better when she's playing better. If I look at the guards, Shaina played well, she carried for us a while. It wasn't Helena's night.

Jade was good in the beginning. It wasn't a great night shooting for Paris or Madi. That was really three or four of our guards playing well, but then the post stepped up.

As we progress in the tournament, to beat the better teams, we have to have more productivity from bench guards and from the post at the same time. I was proud of how we progressed without Shaina and Helena.

Remember, those two players are also some of our best defenders. If you look at Shaina, our best on ball defender, full court pressure, her and Lauren. Helena is one of our best anticipators at the guard position and the post. That was without those two. That's a good sign for our defense, so yeah.

Q. How much do you preach to your team talking more about the positive run you had to the championship game, knowing chances are you're going to have to go up against the No. 2 seed, a very capable Maryland team on their home court?

ADIA BARNES: I don't talk about the Final Four a lot just because it's old news. I think we've moved on. It's like I want to get back there. It's referenced. Where it's referenced in a sense is that underdogs.

We were a lower seed, we went on the road. I also referenced when I was an assistant at Washington, we came to Maryland and beat Maryland when they were a 2 seed. We've been there, done that.

To me the seedings don't mean anything in the tournament. Anyone can win on any given day. We saw that with the men yesterday, Virginia men yesterday. It's March. Anybody can get hot just like we were when we were at Arizona playing UConn. Texas A&M on the road, no one in a million years, it was probably a .12 chance we would get there. We did.

I preach it's one team at a time. You narrow your focus. One possession at a time. You don't look at the score. We play games within games. I refer to it as five-minute wars. So it's up to every media. We play those five minutes, we win those five minutes.

I also emphasize to us that it's never the last play. It's the offensive rebound you give up in the first quarter or the dumb fouls or those things that are accumulation at the end of the game you lose games.

I think we just have to focus on the moment, live in the moment. I could care less if we're on the road. Doesn't matter to me. I don't care about the seeding. I don't think we're a 7 seed, I don't. But the way we ended the season, we are.

It is what it is. It's more sweet when you can come to a foreign place and win on the road. I think it's more meaningful. But we've done that before. Cate has done it, Helena has done it, Madi has done it, Shaina has done it.

What do you have to lose? I think it's the time, it's her fifth year. You put it on the line and let things happen the way they're supposed to.

I do like our matchup in the next round. I think that we can have success against both teams, against Holy Cross and Maryland. Are they good teams? Heck, yeah. They can beat anybody in the country. In March, anyone can win on any given day. I'm never afraid of a challenge, and I don't think my team is.

Q. (No microphone.)

ADIA BARNES: I can't hear. Can you say it one more time? Sorry. I can't hear.

Q. (No microphone.)

ADIA BARNES: I heard 75 points, the toughest defender. Say it one more time. I hear the first part, then you kind of fade away. Slow down a little bit.

Q. (No microphone.)

ADIA BARNES: Okay. Who has been the toughest defenders for us to scheme against? I'd say Stanford is one of them. Tara is a legendary coach. One of the best there is ever. We have to go against her unfortunately twice a year.

I'd say Stanford. They're big, they're strong, athletic, deep. Very hard. I think they're very scout oriented so they really make us play to our weaknesses. This year Stanford. Off the top of might have head, I'd say Stanford.

What helps us, Arizona, in the tournament is we get to go against Stanford twice a year, we get to go against UCLA, USC, the Oregons. Our league is very good, very deep. We get different looks.

What's helped prepare us for this game today is playing against Oregon, Oregon State. They play pack line type defense. They sag inside. They're not really aggressive on on balls. West Virginia was a little bit more aggressive on on ball, but the same concept of defense. We're prepared from playing those teams.

If we wouldn't have played those teams, played all athletic, up-in-you, deny, hard-hedge traps, we wouldn't be ready for a team like this. I think that's prepared us. I think that the different teams we play, the different style, helps us in the tournament.

Hopefully you'll see success from the Pac-12 teams in the tournament because we beat each other up all year, so come to tournament, I think we're ready.

But I'd say Stanford, for sure.

Q. (Question about physicality of the game.)

ADIA BARNES: I'm not going to talk about officiating because we're in a positive place (smiling). No, just kidding. They were actually pretty good.

Honestly, in the third quarter there was one point when it was 12-1. I was a little ticked off. But we also think we're, like, I don't know, we all of a sudden became these shot-blockers. We were fouling a lot. I kind of complained about it. We were hacking a lot.

I think being more disciplined when you have a lead is very important for us. We are going to look at film and get better at that. Especially I talked earlier, Shaina has a third foul. You don't go for a blocked shot.

The only guard I know that I allow to block a jump shooter is Sam Thomas. Sam Thomas does not play for Arizona anymore. I don't teach it. I don't want it. You should never foul a jump shooter. You are not going to block them 99% of the time, you are going to foul them. Why we think we can wind up and karate chop, I have no idea. That is not what Adia Barnes teaches.

We have to have more discipline. If you're beat, like I'd prefer Shaina to let her have a layup than go try to block a shot, especially in foul trouble.

I thought overaggressiveness, lack of discipline in the third quarter for a couple minutes. I love the competitiveness, I wanting to block shots, but it's just not smart. We have to adjust, especially when they were trying to isolate us and attack us, not try to go for shot blocks.

We don't have a shot-blocker on our team. We had a couple blocked shots, but we had about 15 fouls. I don't want that. We'll talk with that, show that. I didn't want to be negative about the hacking in the third quarter because I was happy with the win. But definitely a negative point.