NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - PORTLAND VS OKLAHOMA

March 18, 2023

Jennie Baranczyk

Madi Williams

Taylor Robertson

Pauley Pavilion

Oklahoma Sooners

Media Conference

Oklahoma 85, Portland 63

Q. For Taylor and Madi, the third quarter was when you guys seemed to really take control of the game and pull away. What was the biggest difference in that?

MADI WILLIAMS: I think that we were starting to get the groove of the game, and we were able to find our flow, and steady up and be able to get stops and that was helping us with, you know, our possessions and getting back on offense.

TAYLOR ROBERTSON: Yeah, I think our energy was really good and we were talking through things and that just really jump started us.

Q. Did you feel completely in rhythm in the game?

TAYLOR ROBERTSON: I mean, yeah, we were just really sharing the ball. It was really easy to play. We were just playing really good team basketball. And whenever we play team ball, everybody is hitting shots, so it's really easy to feel in a groove.

Q. For both of you, what happened which was different in the second half compared to the first half?

MADI WILLIAMS: Like I said, I think we were kind of able to steady up and run our offense a little bit better and make reads, and getting stops was able to help that, too.

TAYLOR ROBERTSON: She said it. She covered it. I thought it was a good answer.

Q. The game in the paint it was one of the more physical games that probably most of us have seen in a while but is that almost a Big 12-style game with the physical play and hammering on the boards like that?

TAYLOR ROBERTSON: Yeah we like to establish the painter. That's one of our main focuses on the offensive end and defensive end. Just being aggressive early and playing from inside out and we were able to execute that pretty well today.

MADI WILLIAMS: Yeah, one of our -- I mean, that's us is just physical play. Banging on the inside, on defense and offense, just making it hard for our opponents to even want to come into the paint.

Q. And just in the third quarter, the big run was started off by technical foul. How much did that kind of serve as a catalyst but also you guys got to the line a lot in the third quarter?

TAYLOR ROBERTSON: I think we were just being us. We finally got it going offensively and we were able to put some stops together and I think we just kept sharing the ball and kept competing and that's what led to the big run.

MADI WILLIAMS: We were putting pressure on the rim, too, getting to the free throw line and staying aggressive and attacking the rim.

Q. How were you satisfied with your game and the team's game tonight?

MADI WILLIAMS: I mean, you can never be too satisfied, but I feel like we played well as a team today on both offense and defense. We were able to play team defense on everybody and help each other out, and we were able to find each other on the offensive end.

Q. For both or either of you, did the press they had during the second quarter affect your offense?

MADI WILLIAMS: No. We turned it over a little bit but I feel like we were -- yeah, credit to them. We were able to cover for each other and kind of push through some of those turnovers that we did have. And then get more comfortable, you know, with breaking the press.

TAYLOR ROBERTSON: Yeah, I think after we had a few turnovers, just to get more steady and just be available and be relentless receivers to save some of those turnovers, and I think we finally did a better job of that.

Q. I just had a question for coach --

THE MODERATOR: I'm sorry, we're not to the coach yet.

Q. Aubrey had 14 points for you tonight, eight in the third quarter; how big of a game did she have?

TAYLOR ROBERTSON: She was huge on the offensive end and defensive end, she got her hands on so many loose balls just diving on the floor. Her effort and hustle was really good tonight. She can make plays. She's not just a shooter; she can get to the rim and had a couple in ones and it's cool to see her being more aggressive because we need that.

JENNIE BARANCZYK: Look at March Madness today and how amazing it's been just in general. So many different teams, so many upsets in the last couple days. So much parity in our game, I love that.

And I thought we got to play a really good Portland team. I think it took us a little bit, honestly. They have got great size and they have got great talent on their team. We came in and you could tell that we obviously respected them. Didn't know them. They didn't know us. That's one of the best parts about playing in March. And I'm really proud of the team basketball because it wasn't always pretty at all times and at the same time,.

I thought we did a really great job of covering for each other today, so we saved some turnovers. We helped each other on the defensive end and you know, I thought really in the second half, our offensive movement was really good.

Q. I wanted to ask you, how have you seen them lead up to this moment, Taylor and Madi, in terms of leading the team?

JENNIE BARANCZYK: Well, one, I mean, I can't talk about this probably enough and probably people get sick of it. But to have the kind of transition, to have a coaching transition is never an easy thing. They have been amazing. And they have stayed. I mean, look at what they have done, what they have built.

So they are all about Oklahoma. They just are. They are all about the team. They are incredible ambassadors, not just for our sport, our university but our entire state and honestly for women's basketball. They are genuine. They are authentic. They literally, I love when people when they get asked questions about their teammates, because they light up when they talk about them. That doesn't happen a lot.

And so that's genuine, that's very authentic. So they lead in a very authentic and genuine way. They want the best for each other but they also bring it every day, and so for them to be able to do that, that's when really good things tend to happen and that's exactly what's happened, especially in these last two years for them.

Q. Coming from a loss in the Big 12 tournament and then you guys taking it hard but coming back here and getting this early win, how does that feel?

JENNIE BARANCZYK: Yeah, you know, and I get asked the question a lot of, you know, because with just finished last weekend, right, and so we didn't have a whole week off, but you know, you lose a hard game, and then you turn around and you have a new on the next day.

So you know, for us, we're like, it's a whole day and we don't know what to do, because you're not scouting an opponent, and that feels like an eternity. I feel like they did a really great job of being able to flip it and continue to just stay the course and continue to get better.

But I also feel like this group does an incredible job of -- a lot of times, this generation is, oh, they are entitled or don't work of anything like that. But I feel like they look in the mirror at hard things and know that they have to get better and know that they can fall down and still get up and go.

So I think from that, I think that was on display today. And we get to see it every day in practice. We get to see them, you know, have these hard moments and you face adversity, whatever that is. But you still come back.

I think that's what they do a great job of leading that. But I felt like our team did a nice job of that today.

Q. You talked about watching the tournament games today, but how much did the team or you watch that Oklahoma State game, and was that a good lesson that maybe no lead is safe and concentrate all 40 minutes?

JENNIE BARANCZYK: You know, I don't know if it's a good lesson or not. I think we learned a lesson a year ago when we were a 4-seed playing a really good 12-seed.

We didn't come in this -- or facing a 13-seed last year. We didn't come in this thinking, oh, our seed is higher, so therefore, we look over anything. We came in excited to play basketball today. And it didn't matter who you're playing against, you have to show up and you have to play because it is.

I'm sad because our Big 12 we were good. We were cheering for Oklahoma State and people in Oklahoma don't really say that but we wanted them to win.

So we all wanted that. We wanted West Virginia to win. We were thrilled that Baylor came back. We were sad that Iowa State lost because Iowa State is a very good basketball team. When you get to this point, you're all about your conference and you want to cheer everybody on.

So it doesn't necessarily teach you lessons of oh, because Purdue men lost last night, now all of a sudden you have to wake up. No, you have to wake up regardless of who you play, when you play; it's March. You've got to play and you get to play. I felt Los Angeles Lakers our players came out today with that look on their face of, get to play. I feel like we played hard, we had a smile on our face but we had fun playing.

Q. What do you think was the biggest key in the third quarter?

JENNIE BARANCZYK: I felt like the energy, even in that first possession, we came out and we had a lot of offensive rebounds and played really hard and got no points out of it and they came down and scored even. The way we came out with that energy and intensity, I felt like, we are doing some great things already. When we do that and you take everything else out, we're a really good basketball team.

And I thought as time went on -- but make no mistake, though, it took us a little bit and especially in that second quarter, their length I think got to us a little bit. We had to make some adjustments in terms of being able to move, not coaching adjustments, but you've got to be able to, especially when you don't know a team and you're watching them on a screen, you don't know enough when you're watching on a screen. You have to step out and feel it out and that's what our players do a really good job of. I thought we did a better job in the second half of taking care of the ball, so that was a big part, too.

Q. How much in the third quarter where you turn the defense up where are adjustments the coaches made, and how much of it was just the players making defensive plays?

JENNIE BARANCZYK: Well, you're talking to a coach that's always going to say it's the players because the players always have to make those adjustments. I feel like, again, when we as coaches can allow them that space really to be able to feel that game and make some of those adjustments, I think they do. Sometimes matchups can be some coaching but the players are always going to be the ones that play. The way they played together, I thought was phenomenal. That's where we turned some -- that's where we got some deflections and that's where we got some steals.

I feel like -- and I don't know if we necessarily felt like the game was that physical. That is a lot -- I think that's pretty standard for our typical games, and so we didn't necessarily feel like all of a sudden we needed offensive rebound more physical against Portland. That wasn't part of the game plan. It was really just to focus on who we are.

Q. You made some turnovers toward the end of the second half. What will you have to do to clean up and when you play against UCLA?

JENNIE BARANCZYK: Well, when you're playing on anybody's home floor, you've got to take care of the basketball. Doesn't matter when it is, and it can't turn into points.

And so for us, and especially against such a great team, and in the NCAA Tournament; so that's an area that I don't know if there's a specific adjustment. But we do need to be better receivers. That was one area I felt like they got Portland got their hand on the ball a few times where we needed to catch it a little bit better, and then we've got to be a little bit more -- make some singles and knock some home run plays. There's a time and place to make a home run play and there's a time and place just to get your singles. I think we had a couple turnovers in those, too.

Q. 8-of-22 on three-pointers tonight. In the second half seemed like you were able to go more inside. Was that just what the game plan was dictating?

JENNIE BARANCZYK: I think we always want to be able to go inside and out, and although we do have three-point shooters, we still want -- we just want ball movement and we want to be able to take the best shots, and whatever that is, if it's a three-point shot, we'll take that three-point shot. If it's in the paint, we'll take that shoot, too. We want to really be able to make reads.

I thought the second quarter we went away from that. We went away from the ball movement. We turned it over a little about the obviously. But we really went away from really setting each other up and playing together and I thought in that third quarter, we did a much better job and it just went right to the fourth.

Q. What problems does UCLA face for you when you play them on Monday?

JENNIE BARANCZYK: To be honest, I have to figure all that out tonight. We have solely focused on Portland. Obviously you know from a national level, their guard play is incredible and then they have got a player that can really stretch the floor, and you're playing on their home floor.

So we have got to be able to just come and we've got to be able to play because they will change some things up, as well. But I'll have a better answer for you tomorrow.