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

March 18, 2023

Shaina Pellington

Lauren Fields

XFINITY Center

Arizona Wildcats

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everybody. We have student-athletes Shaina Pellington and Lauren Fields.

Q. Lauren, so yesterday you came in, totally new vibe. You raised your level, and you just played as a team. Where did that come from, and how are you going to continue that through till tomorrow's game?

LAUREN FIELDS: I think all of us are just motivated to keep playing. Like we don't want our season to be over, so that's what we're playing for. After the PAC-12 tournament, we made it an emphasis in practices just to play together, get stops. We know we needed to do that. So that's how we came in playing West Virginia yesterday.

Q. This time of year there's a lot of nagging injuries. How are both of you feeling at the moment?

SHAINA PELLINGTON: I mean, like you said, we're all kind of banged up a little bit, but I feel like it's nothing that none of us haven't managed so far. So I think our athletic training staff is doing a really good job of taking care of us every day, so I think we're good right now.

LAUREN FIELDS: I would say the same. It's the end of the year. I think both teams, every team. Everybody is banged up. So it's nothing that we can't handle.

Q. And then specifically for Shaina, we've talked about the tailbone, the funky thing you did with your rib, your ankle. You've gone through a lot this season, and yet you keep powering through. So what is it within you that now you're just leaving it all on the court, playing through no matter what it is and how is that staff helping you get ready to be your best every single game?

SHAINA PELLINGTON: I think it's do or die. I mean, it's you lose, you're done. You know what I mean? So like I think again, what Lauren said, I think that's what's really motivating us. I don't want to use any of those little nagging things as an excuse for why we don't make it to the next round. I think it's all just a mindset, and right now my mindset is just do whatever needs to be done to get the job done. So, yeah, that's just where I'm at right now. And I think, again, the athletic training staff, they've done a really good job of taking care of us, especially me with some of the things I have gone through physically and am still going through physically. Every night we do rehab. Anything we need, we have our team doctor here as well. So like they've been really on everything and I think I owe a lot of my physical abilities right now to them preparing and taking care of me. So yeah.

Q. What does that rehab look like? Are they giving you massages? Are they doing different things with your ankle or your tailbone or?

SHAINA PELLINGTON: I mean anything from NormaTec to massages to cupping, if you need it. Just to mobility stretches if you need it as well. I mean we've brought a lot of things on this trip to help us, help take care of our bodies. So, yeah, I think we're really taken care of here, and I think there's nothing that we haven't gone through yet that our training staff is not prepared for.

Q. And this is for both of you. I know, Shaina, your parents are here and some of your family. Lauren, are your folks here, and what's it like to be able to like come off the win yesterday and to see your families?

LAUREN FIELDS: Yeah, my parents are here. My aunt is here. So it's just good being able to have my family there. And it just gives you an extra support system, and it gives you extra motivation to keep going.

SHAINA PELLINGTON: It's nice. Obviously I don't get to have my parents at a lot of my games as often as some others. So it does mean a lot to have my parents there, my dad being my coach. So I mean he's my dad. So like and my mom as well. But, yeah, it's really cool having them there, and again, after a win and being able to look out into the stands and see your family there. So it's cool.

Q. And for Lauren, yesterday Shaina goes out with the four fouls and she sits on the bench for a while. And all of you come together and make a run so that Shaina at the end can come back and do her Shaina things. How did you guys come together like that and what were you saying to each other on the court in that moment?

LAUREN FIELDS: I think it came down to we were fouling too much. So we just came together and was like we gotta get stops and stop fouling so much. And then I think Kailyn did a really good job of stepping in and facilitating the offense and just running the team overall.

SHAINA PELLINGTON: Same thing. I think she did a really good job of coming in prepared and just running the offense. We were fouling too much. I think they went to the free throw line like a handful of times, and that was honestly keeping them in the game for most of the third quarter. So I mean, yeah, Kailyn went in and ran the offense and calmed everybody down, most importantly. So I think she did a really good job of just being ready.

Q. And what's the message for tomorrow? I mean in this one you're the No. 7 seeded team. Maryland is the No. 2 seeded team. And what's the message for you coming into this one that because you're looking to pull the upset?

SHAINA PELLINGTON: I mean to me, seeding is nothing but a number at this point. I mean anybody can go out and win a game at this point. I feel like you're either going to show up or you're going to get beat. So I think at this point I think all of us mentally we're ready to show up. We don't want our seasons to end, and I feel like we're willing to do whatever is necessary to win, and that's the mindset for tomorrow. That's my mindset for tomorrow. I'm going to do whatever that needs to be done to win against Maryland and pull off an upset, I guess. Not I guess. I know.

LAUREN FIELDS: I would say the same. We're the underdog, and I think usually the underdogs have the more -- they're able to play better just because they don't have as much pressure. So I think we can use that to our advantage going into this game, and I think we just gotta come out and play hard, and I think we will get the win.

Q. And one last one for Shaina. Last year when you won the first game, the first round of the tournament in Tucson, Kate had to put the Arizona sticker on the wall, and she had a little bit of a problem and you had to help her. This year she seemed to do it okay. What are your thoughts on that one?

SHAINA PELLINGTON: I think she took her time. I think before there was a lot of built of up anticipation. We were like hyping her up, doing a little dance, and then at the last minute she just kind of threw that thing on there. So I think this time she was a little more calm and was like, all right, let's actually put it where it's supposed to go this time and she was able to execute that well. So, yeah, kudos to her.

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