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

March 18, 2023

Brenda Frese

XFINITY Center

Maryland Terrapins

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll take an opening statement from Coach Frese.

BRENDA FRESE: It's great to be here. We're obviously very excited to be able to advance and be one of the 32 teams that are left in the tournament. For us, Arizona is a really experienced, well-coached team that plays really, really hard for 40 minutes. They're going to bring the pressure throughout the game. They're led by Pellington and Reese that really makes them go, but they also have a really, really deep roster that they can go about 10, 11 deep. So for us it's just continuing to play the right way, trying to come out and play the best 40 minutes of how we know how to play Maryland basketball.

Q. Coach, yesterday you mentioned how players' families have come to College Park to see them play, but your family is always present at the game even with your mom attending last night. How important is that support to have, especially during the final games of the season where they've experienced all the sacrifices you've had to make throughout the season?

BRENDA FRESE: Yeah, you know, it's really special because that's something that my family has done for a really long time, since I've been in Maryland. So it's pretty cool. I was able to fly my mom out and put her in first class to be the queen that she is, and she shared with me it was the only the second time she's ever flown first class. And now she's here through the duration. And that's something that my mom and dad always used to do was they came out for the final push. I'll never forget in 2006 they were here the entire time and got to go all the way to Boston. So as a sports family and all the support, my younger sister is here as well and some nieces and nephews. So nothing better than family, which we really cherish.

Q. You did a quick little breakdown of Arizona. But when you looked at their tape and as you're preparing for them, what stood out about them the most to you?

BRENDA FRESE: Just, obviously their scoring can come from anywhere. They have so many talented players and McDonald's All Americans and rosters -- players that have a lot of experience, especially a couple years back from that National Championship game. And they play really, really hard. So for us it's just being able to handle the pressure and keep our poise and our composure.

Q. Brenda, obviously they have two really athletic, really big bigs with really good size. In the BIG TEN you've had to face against Czinano, Mackenzie Holmes. How does that prepare you to go against Kate Reese and try to contain her?

BRENDA FRESE: I think our nonconference and conference schedule have definitely prepared us. I think back to when we went to Baylor and Notre Dame as well as our conference play. So that's why you play those games in both nonconference and conference. So for us it's playing to our Maryland defense to our Maryland identity and playing hard for 40 minutes.

Q. Just curious, what approach do you think will work best against Arizona to get out to an early start in the first quarter, first half? Do you think box and one would work best? Maybe a full-court press like you displayed yesterday? They obviously had a lot of success in the first quarter against West Virginia. So I'm just curious what approach you think would be best against them.

BRENDA FRESE: I think the best approach would be able to just come out like we did yesterday, like ready to guard, and I think when our energy and our effort, our intensity is there and locked in and, again, you have two great teams. Both teams are going to come out swinging and are going to be really aggressive. Both teams are very talented. So for us it's coming out and playing to the best of our abilities.

Q. A little bit more general question. There's been a lot of talk recently about the women's tournament trying to get their own stand-alone TV deal. I'm wondering if you have any thoughts on what that could mean for the sport and I guess how optimistic are you that it'll happen in the next go-around.

BRENDA FRESE: Obviously that would probably be exciting in the sense of monetarily wise that you were able to receive some of that income back to your institutions. But I think we're still in a position, I mean this is the first year that we're doing two regional sites. And so I don't think you can rush the process. I think you're seeing the exposure that we're able to receive. I think you kind of have to make those steps at the appropriate time.

Q. Brenda, what's it like, have you gotten any funny messages or anything about going head to head against your alma mater from former teammates?

BRENDA FRESE: Yeah. There's a group of us as teammates, and I haven't had time yet to hit the chat yet who they're all rooting for, because we're doing a college reunion in May where a lot of us are coming together. But I do know one of my closest friends, my mom was sharing today, had already posted on Facebook today that she was rooting for Maryland and where people needed to be at. But, you know, it's fun. I know we were all rooting for Arizona back when we were in the bubble as they made their run. So definitely I'm sure divided, but I would think as teammates we stay in very close contact with one another as observed by the reunion that we're going to have. So I'm pretty sure I know where they lie.

Q. Brenda, your team hasn't faced an Adia Barnes-coached Arizona team. However, you have faced a team that Adia was an assistant coach on at Washington in 2016 here in the second round. Do you think about that at all? I mean there are a lot of similarities between you were a 2 seed then; they were a 7 seed. This year the matchup is sort of the same, a 2 versus a 7, and it was played on this court.

BRENDA FRESE: You know, what I think about in that game was Kelsey Plum and the nightmare of her leading her team to a Final Four is what I remember in that. So other than that, no, I don't think there's a lot of similarities between either team that it was at that point. But great for the story line, and you know, it's ironic that it lined up the same way. But for us it's just both teams are great teams. It's going to be a great game. Both teams deserve to be here. Arizona, you know, to me is not a 7 seed team. Obviously the PAC-12 and their schedule, the way it landed towards the end of being on the road is unfortunate, but they're definitely a higher seed than a 7 seed. But that's -- I think we saw Dawn Staley yesterday talk about that with their matchup. So you get the matchups and you have to go out and see what happens.

Q. Brenda, late in games throughout the season you'd put the freshmen in for periods of time. Yesterday Ava got a lot of time. Curious what you saw from her and how she handled it? She said she was a little excited that she almost tripped over herself walking in, checking into the court. She took a shot, made it. Everybody was happy for her. So just curious how you thought she handled playing on such a big stage for her first time?

BRENDA FRESE: Yeah. It's great when you can extend those minutes to your bench, especially your freshmen that haven't received a lot of time this year. And I know the team was thrilled for her. We all were. We wanted every single player there to be able to score. So she finally got that bucket there late, and I thought she handled herself really well.

THE MODERATOR: Okay. All right. Thank you very much, Coach.

BRENDA FRESE: Thank you.