NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: SECOND ROUND - MISSISSIPPI STATE VS NOTRE DAME

March 18, 2023

Sam Purcell

Anastasia Hayes

Ramani Parker

Debreasha Powe

Purcell Pavilion

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Media Conference

Q. This being your third game here this week, you've obviously been practicing on the court. Even though you're playing against Notre Dame on their home court, do you feel like you have a comfortability and familiarity with playing here?

ANASTASIA HAYES: Yeah, I would say we're very comfortable on this court. We've been here for a few days, so we've gotten to notice the rim, be around the rim, and honestly, I think we really like this court.

But yeah, I would say that.

RAMANI PARKER: Yeah, so we've been here for a few days, so we're real comfortable, like she said, around the court, around the rim and everything. We've just got to continue to bring that same energy, same mojo we've been having the past few games, so yeah.

DEBREASHA POWE: I think going off what they both said, we've been here, we're familiar with it, so I'm excited for tomorrow, honestly.

Q. A little bit of different matchup against Notre Dame. Obviously they're a little bit bigger than Creighton, have the bigs inside. How difficult is that to go from one game where you're playing a team that likes to shoot a lot of threes and play the perimeter game and now playing against a team that likes to go inside? And then how well you guys feel like you match up against a team that's a little bigger, too.

ANASTASIA HAYES: They may be a little bit bigger, but we're a lot faster. We'll have to pressure them up a little bit more. We've played against bigs all year, playing in the SEC, playing against teams like them. So we're familiar with it, and I feel like this is a challenge that we can handle, definitely.

RAMANI PARKER: Yeah, she said it all. We're real familiar. We've played against teams who are big in the post. Yeah, we're familiar, and we're ready.

Q. It seems like you guys have embraced this underdog role. Obviously your head coach isn't afraid to go out there and say, hey, nobody has really believed in us, but you guys believe in yourselves. Does that all come from him? Does it come from you guys? How do you embrace that kind of Cinderella role that you guys have taken on?

ANASTASIA HAYES: We've had the model all year, why not us? I think we've held to it.

Coming in, we seen our name get called, and we knew we were the underdog then. So just having that underdog mentality pushes us. We believe in each other, and we've been believing it all year.

I know that we all believe it, all of us on the court, all of us on the team, everybody around us. We all believe it.

If we all trust in each other and keep believing in one another and being positive and just having fun, that's what we've been doing, I feel like we can go really far.

Q. For Anastasia, I know last year was tough for you and for the team with the numbers that you had and all of that. What has this experience been like to have a chance to play in this tournament and now have a chance to make a run here?

ANASTASIA HAYES: I would say this experience has been just amazing. I'm so blessed for all my teammates and Coach Sam and everybody who's pushed us to get this far. Last year wasn't the best year, and that's why I came back, to be able to make it in March, but not just make it but go far, make a run.

We've been able to do that this year, and this year has just been fun. I'm so excited, and it's my last year, and I'm so excited that I actually got the opportunity to play my last year in March Madness. And this was the goal for me coming back and returning this year and being able to play around people and be around teammates who are really good and who can keep me motivated and positive. I'm just very blessed that we got this opportunity.

Q. This team, too, is made up a lot of players from a lot of different places, transfers, freshmen. You've got a brand new coaching staff. You're kind of the veteran of the group. How have you been able to mesh this whole group together and become a real unit this year, especially late in the year?

ANASTASIA HAYES: I mean, we're all like sisters. We all have fun. Teams have their ups and downs, but we're all -- like we're close, and we believe in each other, and we trust in each other. Coach Sam believes in us. Yeah, I would say that.

Q. You mentioned your speed earlier and how you want to take advantage of that. I'm kind of curious, without giving away any game plan secrets, if that's something with a team that's kind of adjusting to life without their main ball handler. If you feel like you need to challenge them with that, especially defensively, knowing that they're kind of getting used to kind of a new system and people who aren't necessarily accustomed in that role.

ANASTASIA HAYES: I mean, yeah, we're a fast-paced team, but I feel like we are going to have to focus on our speed and stuff and pressuring the ball but also rebounding is going to be a key for us tomorrow.

SAM PURCELL: Well, excited to live another day, survive and advance. Again, it's just a truly honor, and we are excited about tomorrow. I talked about it when I got here, when we found out we were playing here at Notre Dame.

Sorry, I'm breathing heavy because we ran up the steps. There's a lot of steps before you get up here.

We're just excited. This is a great place for women's basketball. I have so much respect for this program, and especially Niele Ivey. Obviously I've known her back from my days as an assistant at Louisville. I can't speak enough good things about her and her character. Her son, Jaden, I remember when I was here eight years ago, watching them shoot basketballs before the games, and she's out there as a mom rebounding for him and just pouring into him.

And then just who she is as a person, and it's awesome to see that she was given this head coaching job here. And then obviously her son getting drafted, it was just a really cool story from behind the scenes.

Again, we're excited, but we also know the challenge that lies ahead. And like I told my team, we're just in the hotel room right now prepping getting after it like no other and trying to put the best game plan so we can do our part for tomorrow.

Q. These two teams met five years ago for a National Championship, and now five years later kind of different scenario. Mississippi State has been through a few head coaches, Notre Dame is on a new head coach, as well. I'm curious what you make of five years later, these two teams being back matched up again in March Madness, and just kind of the different circumstances that come with it this time.

SAM PURCELL: Yeah, for me the storyline is just how cool that women's basketball survived both programs. Notre Dame has had their bumps. Obviously they had a great run but they had a little stretch there where they had some hiccups but are back. Mississippi State had that run and we had some hiccups, and I'm here to say, we're back.

It's just really cool how, again, where a community and a university pours into women and most importantly women's basketball, that you can put a product that can get back on the national stage and be great for women's basketball.

Q. Both of these wins that you've had this week, you could feel the emotion. You've seen how much it's meant to the program. What would this one mean on their home floor, they've got that No. 3 next to their name, obviously all these All-Americans and whatnot, to beat a team like this on this stage, what would that mean to you guys?

SAM PURCELL: A lot. In year one we're all about trying to make as many positive statements as we can. And again, when you have so much respect for your opponent like we did last night for Creighton, we understand the work and preparation goes in place because those programs are excellent for a reason.

To answer your question, it would be nice, but again, we know we have a lot of work to get to that point.

Q. Going back to the 2018 National Championship game, I wonder from your perspective, not being here but watching that game, what you kind of remember about that game.

SAM PURCELL: Well, I think there's several moments in college women's basketball. I was fortunate now that I've taken Mississippi State, we had one of them, the shot by Morgan that beat UConn's, what was it, 111 game streak, I don't want to misspeak, 111 streak. And then Arike hitting that corner three.

I think it's just something that when you show the highlights and the beauty of the women's game, that was a moment that is always going to be in that reel, so you appreciate that moment, and I just would liken that to happen to me.

Q. You've touched on over the week kind of getting the friendly faces you met here and stuff like that. I kind of wondered if you feel like -- about to play your third game here, if you feel like there's kind of a comfortability playing here. Even though you're going against the home team tomorrow, if you feel like you've adjusted to it?

SAM PURCELL: Yeah, no, there is. Again, I have nothing but great things about this community. I did not go to my Irish pub last night. I had too much film. I don't know if the service is going to be the same, but I am going today because there's great cheesecake. Unbelievable cheesecake. So I've got to have that tradition, so I'll find out that part.

But again, the people who work here, the hotel workers, everybody is invested in watching on TV and it's really cool. It's first class. One thing I talk about, I love living in Starkville. There's a southern hospitality that's missing around the world. To be this far north, as it's snowing today, there's a great warmth and soul about the people here, so it's been pleasant. And my team is very appreciative of this opportunity.

Q. The offense, especially since that second half of the Illinois game, has just really seemed to have found its rhythm. What have you seen from that group or I guess on that side of the floor that's made the offense so good and so fluid in the last couple games?

SAM PURCELL: Yeah, I just think it's a commitment to pace. Those losses that we had, LSU and Texas A&M, we just got stagnant. We went too slow. We've talked about when we're bad, we don't push the ball up. It doesn't matter if we score in transition or run a set. It's just the vibe. It's a pace that we're trying to play the game.

And I feel like to answer your question, that what you saw in these last two games was just a commitment to get out fast, and if the opportunity presents itself to score, we'll take it. But if not, then let's flow into our offense a lot faster.

Then attacking the press. People pressed us, too, so if you want to make us pass it, then attack the scorer, so it's been fun to watch.

Q. I was going to follow up about Ani. She's playing a little different role than she played last year. She was asked to do a whole lot on that offense last year, and you've put her in a little bit different position, and she's just kind of flourished there. How important has she been to mending this team together full of transfers and freshman Debreasha Powe and stuff like that, new coaching staff? How important has she been to pulling this roster together do you think?

SAM PURCELL: Yeah, she's been huge. I sold a vision where there at the beginning, I told her, hey, Ani, I know you led the SEC in scoring this year, but this year with the pieces we're bring in, I need you to trust me because what you're going to have success this year is more than points. It's going to be wins.

I asked her to do some other things that she hasn't necessarily done. I said, the good Lord has blessed you with a speed that cannot be denied. So first and foremost, I need you to get after it like no other. And everybody who tunes in will watch you and can't keep their eyes off of you because you can get after it like no other.

Then her willingness to share the ball. Now with her assists, this has been a career high, correct? I've got the best SID over here helping me out, he keeps me in line.

But she has a career high in assists this year which again is a testimony to her and that's who I am as a coach. A lot of people only write about points and rebounds, but she can flat-out pass the ball. And last night you saw that they had to pick their poison. They didn't want to guard her and she made them pay.

When you have a player can do the triple threats with playing defense, setting up others, and have joy but also ultimately too being able to score the ball, it makes me a lot better coach.

Q. Can you fill us in on the status of former Notre Dame player Alasia Hayes? She's on the roster, but I see she hasn't played since December.

SAM PURCELL: Yeah, she's just -- the thing with school, she's on the team and everything, but she just didn't make the road trip.

Q. I just want to go back to what you were saying with Niele. Obviously you being at Louisville for so long and her being at Notre Dame pretty much her whole life, how cool is it to clash with her on a stage like this, and how well did you get to know her? I know you said you saw her shooting with Jaden back then, but as two assistants to make it to this point, how cool is that?

SAM PURCELL: I think it's cool. I'm not going to speak for her, but I think she's probably say the same. There's a mutual respect. I think any time you come across in this business a grinder, there's a thing that we don't have to talk to each other, but we know how good you are. And we respect your craft and how good you are.

Like I said, a lot of what we do when I was an assistant is my eyes tell the truth. And that point I was mentioning when I was at shootarounds, I just liked her. I just liked who she is. And then again just her story with her son and just being a fan from outside.

Because obviously we're competitors, but at the end of the day we're people. Every time I'm out and I see her recruiting, just out in person, I can't speak with how much class she goes about the game, who she is as a person. And obviously she's an ultimate competitor just like myself.