NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - ST. JOHN’S (NY) VS. NORTH CAROLINA

March 17, 2023

Joe Tartamella

Mimi Reid

Jayla Everett

Value City Arena

St. John’s (NY) Red Storm

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: Mimi Reid and Jayla Everett. We'll open it up for questions.

Q. Jayla, I know you played Carolina the last two seasons with Pittsburgh. Can you talk about the games you've had against Carolina and what the challenges are tomorrow for your team.

JAYLA EVERETT: Playing against Carolina, it's always a high-intensity game. They move really fast like in transition, getting up and down the court. Fast-tempo game.

I think that we just have to stay composed, not let them speed us up, play within, play together really.

Q. Both the games, did those go in a similar manner?

JAYLA EVERETT: Can you repeat that?

Q. How did both of those games go when you lost to Carolina? Was it similar, similar thread?

JAYLA EVERETT: I don't -- yes, it was the same kind of game home and away. More so fast tempo, getting up and down the court, making the right decision, making the right reads really.

THE MODERATOR: What does it do for nerves, your confidence, just for you players to have already played in this arena, gotten maybe the first-game jitters out, gotten a win? Can that do anything for a team?

MIMI REID: So, like you said, getting the jitters out, getting your feet wet. Obviously that does a lot for anybody. I think once you see you can do that, see that you can win, build that momentum, that's huge, especially in a tournament because you're playing against so many great teams. Any night can be anybody's night. I think that's the biggest part, getting your feet wet.

JAYLA EVERETT: Really I don't have thoughts. I'm sorry.

Q. Back to last night, Purdue storms back. How were you able to keep your composure and how does that help you going forward?

JAYLA EVERETT: I mean, we knew from the jump it wasn't going to be an easy game. We knew it was going to be a back and forth game. We didn't take them lightly at all, yeah.

Go ahead. I'm nervous right now.

MIMI REID: When it comes to handling emotions, one thing I can say is Joey T allows us to be who we are. Jayla Everett is running on high, then a player like myself who is mellow, easy.

I think being able to manage everybody in that time frame, just keeping the main thing the main thing as we always say, was the biggest goal for us last night. That's what we did in order to pull out the win.

Q. The fact that you're unbeaten against non-conference teams, what does that do for your confidence?

MIMI REID: Well, to be honest with you, we don't even think about that. We know what we have done this year has been historic in a lot of different ways. We know the big turnaround that everybody continuously talks about.

When it comes to confidence, building that momentum, that comes from within, not so much what we've done in the past because what's done is done and you move forward. I feel like you got to take it next game, next day, next play.

THE MODERATOR: Ladies, thank you. All the best tomorrow.

Coach, congratulations on the win. I'll ask you for some opening thoughts about your stay in Columbus so far and next steps. How did you sleep last night?

JOE TARTAMELLA: Yeah, I slept well. Could use probably a nap at this point.

But, no, we obviously enjoyed the victory last night, but obviously turned the page as well. Just getting prepared for the next one.

Certainly we were able to celebrate for a little bit, then getting ready for what we have up ahead of us here tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. What sort of challenges does North Carolina present to you? A veteran team. What do you see from the Tar Heels?

JOE TARTAMELLA: Well, yeah, I mean, they've got certainly talented players, a No. 1. They've got talent at every single position. A dynamic point guard that I think really kind of drives them in their ability to play with the pace that they play at.

Certainly they've got a great ability to put pressure on the rim, whether it be attacking the paint with the drive, or how they play from a midrange game. They certainly have skilled players who can make threes.

They do present issues in the pace that they play at times, I think. Then obviously having a point guard like they do, certainly you have to account for what she's doing during every possession of the game, so...

We'll have our work cut out for us in the way they want to push us, similar to kind of how Purdue played. So obviously we'll do the best we can.

Q. Is controlling the tempo going to be a big key for you tomorrow?

JOE TARTAMELLA: I think it is for us no matter who we're playing. I think any team probably would say they want to be able to control the tempo and the way they want to play.

Certainly for us, I think it's always been a mixture all year of the kind of tempo that we play with. So when we have the ability to push it, we have to be able to finish in transition when we can, then also have the ability to execute in the halfcourt.

Q. Coming off last night's win, have you got the players to turn their focus to tomorrow?

JOE TARTAMELLA: Well, as I said in just the opening remarks, you have the ability to celebrate it for a little bit last night, then they know there's more work ahead.

It's been our focus all year. The next game's the most important one. Obviously the magnitude changes a little bit because obviously we know if we don't win, we go home.

I think that in and of itself allows us to focus as a group. The experience that we have on our roster, their ability to lock in at what we have to focus on for the next phase here in facing Carolina, they know what they need to do.

When you have leadership like we do, it becomes a lot easier as a coach.

Q. The fact that you have a game under your belt here, you have a win this year in the NCAA tournament, how can that help your team for tomorrow?

JOE TARTAMELLA: Certainly having played in the arena is great. You kind of have a little bit more familiarity. At the same time you have the backside of that of having to have played a game.

But I think, again, winning breeds confidence. Understanding the surroundings, I mean, actually I probably just didn't account as much as I should have for the fact that we were playing a team that was pretty close in proximity, and it felt like we were there at some times yesterday. I thought we did a really good job of handling that.

Also getting acclimated to the arena, the sight lines. Yeah, it certainly is a positive in many ways. Then we've just got to continue to take care of ourselves physically and obviously mentally, as well.

THE MODERATOR: There's a school in the NCAA tournament who has three head coaches that the graduates in the NCAA tournament. Are you aware of that school? And if so, can you comment on that school?

JOE TARTAMELLA: I'm assuming you were going to say James Madison.

THE MODERATOR: I am.

JOE TARTAMELLA: It must be me, Sean and Kenny. Sean is out there right now, I think. Fun fact. Sean lent me a ball because we didn't have a Wilson ball. Sean sent me a ball as a nice alum. Sent me a Wilson ball that I have to return to him in five minutes (smiling).

THE MODERATOR: Coach, congratulations on being here and all the best tomorrow.

JOE TARTAMELLA: Thank you.