NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: SECOND ROUND - ARIZONA VS MARYLAND

March 18, 2023

Diamond Miller

Shyanne Sellers

Lavender Briggs

XFINITY Center

Maryland Terrapins

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: We're joined today by student-athletes from Maryland. From left to right, we have senior Diamond Miller, sophomore Shyanne Sellers and senior Lavender Briggs.

Q. Shyanne, I want to ask the what most impressed you with your defense yesterday from the whole group?

SHYANNE SELLERS: I think just our ability to hold our own, and then, also, if you do get beat, then having help side. And then, also, our ability to scramble yesterday when we got a little messed up. So I think that just made us a little bit -- made our defense more effective than also just our pressure that we bring.

Q. We've talked earlier in the season about how you've had such an up and down year. There was one point where you said basketball wasn't fun. Yesterday it seemed like you had a lot of fun, hitting your shots. Just curious like how you feel now about things and how you feel your season has progressed up until this point.

LAVENDER BRIGGS: Well, I feel like I'm having a lot of fun now. I feel like I've settled in and playing with my teammates is a lot of fun. We're playing hard, and we're playing together, and that's always fun to play together. And I feel like I've progressed and I'm going to continue to progress and just play hard with my teammates.

Q. Last year the internal discussions about the team were a lot different at this time of the year. If you guys could just kind of take us through of how after playing one game in the tournament this year, kind of what the feeling is compared this year compared to last year as you guys look to make a run in the tournament.

DIAMOND MILLER: I think it doesn't -- I think last year it was still like exciting to win, and this year it's still very exciting to win. I think during this time nobody wants their season to end no matter what. So the feeling never gets old, to be honest. So you want to keep winning to feel that feeling of joy, like yes, our season is still going.

SHYANNE SELLERS: I think just to add to that, last year's team I feel like our ceiling was really high, and I think this year's team the ceiling is even higher, just the way that we're playing and with our chemistry, just being able to play really hard together.

Q. Diamond, this one is for you. Just as you guys have done your watch on Arizona, what's kind of stood out as you guys did your video?

DIAMOND MILLER: Personally for me I think what stood out is their defensive pressure is pretty intense. As we were watching film, they play you 40 feet the whole game nonstop. So we definitely have to be prepared for that and know that they're coming for us and we gotta protect the ball, and ball security is really what I really noticed that we need to make sure we handle: 90 feet. 90 feet. 90 feet. 94. See, that's why I said that. (Laughs).

Q. Diamond, you came in as a freshman wearing 14, but quickly switched to No. 1. The rest of that tournament was canceled your freshmen season during to COVID 19. As you're expected to play your last game tomorrow at Xfinity, what will go through your mind as you take the court at Xfinity for the last time?

DIAMOND MILLER: Well, lucky for me, I still have options to make. But anyway, I think it's just really cool to play here in Maryland. I've been playing here for four years, and I don't really know how I'm going to feel after tomorrow's game yet. I never really thought of it like this could be my last time playing here. So right now I'm just taking it as that we have a game, and who knows. There might be a little tear or two, I don't know. But yeah. It's definitely crazy to say that the four years have flown by so fast. But yeah, just taking it day by day for sure.

Q. What's the key to really slowing Arizona down tomorrow? Are you going to be throwing presses at them? And back on defense, are you going to be like box and one, two-three zone? What really do you think is going to work best against them?

SHYANNE SELLERS: I think just guarding your man, but, also, we have practice in about 25, 45 minutes. So I'll find out what the game plan is then. (Laughs). But ultimately just guarding your man.

THE MODERATOR: Anything else? Okay. Thank you very much.