NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: REGIONAL 3 SEMIFINAL - TENNESSEE VS VIRGINIA TECH

March 24, 2023

Kellie Harper

Jordan Walker

Rickea Jackson

Jordan Horston

Climate Pledge Arena

Tennessee Lady Volunteers

Sweet 16 Pregame Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with an opening statement from coach and then take some questions.

KELLIE HARPER: Yeah, we're excited to be here. We got into town and look forward to the day on the court and getting our prep work done. Our team is really excited about the opportunity that we have and look forward to the challenge that's ahead of us.

THE MODERATOR: All right. We'll take some questions.

Q. Obviously beating ranked teams was the hump that your team had to get over the whole season. LSU finally broke through a that. Now facing Virginia Tech. What was so key about being able to get over that hump and what helped that you guys can carry into tomorrow's game?

KELLIE HARPER: I think our growth throughout the season has been positive. I think we have learned how to play better together. I think our defense has improved. I think our rebounding has improved throughout the course of the season. I think the grit and toughness that we had in the SEC tournament and especially in that semifinal game really gave us the opportunity to get that big win.

Q. How helpful is it in preparation that you're facing a team that you played in December? And obviously with that being a loss, anything you are hoping to replicate defensively and need to improve upon offensively from the first meeting?

KELLIE HARPER: Well, it's so long ago and our team looks quite different than we did back then, but at the same time, I think Virginia Tech has improved in areas as well. So I think you go back and you look at that game and you try to take things out, both positive and negative, but also it's probably more important that you know your scout now and who the team is now being how they played in their tournament run -- when I say tournament run, I'm talking about the ACC tournament, but also at the end of the season. I think it does help that your players are familiar with the opponent, but in terms of the scout, I think you've got to go a little bit more recent.

Q. Individually it seems like Rickea has been very consistent throughout the whole season, but what changed around like the start of SEC play that made her more impactful toward your team's success?

KELLIE HARPER: Yeah, I think we did a better job as a staff putting her in position to be successful. I think we moved her around quite a bit to take advantage of her strengths, which is a big part of our strength is her versatility, her ability to score inside, but at the same time, her ability to take people off the dribble as well. I think she's really bought in. I think she played hard and has been very consistent because of those things.

Q. There was such high expectations at the beginning of the season. There always are at Tennessee, but you were ranked it high in the pre-season poll, things were expected of a great season. You talk about the growth. What did you see that changed from early on when things weren't going as well as you probably expected early on to where you are now with playing great? I think you were only the second team to win their first two games of the NCAA tournament by 45 points a game, which is obviously a very good way to head into this weekend?

KELLIE HARPER: Yeah, I think early on we were really trying to figure out who we were, we were trying to figure out lineups, we were trying to figure out combinations on the court. There were a lot of things that we had to work through that our schedule didn't allow. Our early schedule was challenging and you just had no margin for mistakes and you could not play through some things, you couldn't experiment with some things, and get a win at the same time. It was difficult.

I think what has helped us is our players' belief in this team. They never wavered in their belief on who this team could be and where this team could go. They continued to practice hard. If you're not bought in, you don't get better. You don't see the improvement that our team has seen. And I appreciate them for sticking with that early schedule and embracing what we threw at them. It's helped them and it gave them adversity to overcome.

Q. You mentioned knowing your scout. What in your mind is so different about this Virginia Tech team now previewing tomorrow versus when you maybe played them back in December?

KELLIE HARPER: I think they're just a little sharper offensively. I think Georgia's taking -- probably taking some more shots I think now than she was when we played them early. I think they have got some tweaks within their offense now that's a little bit more scout-heavy.

I think they really have an identity and they're playing to that identity right now, especially in the offensive end. They mix some things up defensively. I think you grow as a team in that regard as well and how they need to play each and every game. But they're just playing with great confidence right now.

Q. To your point about the team kept believing, it can be really demoralizing to lose games that you're supposed to win, especially when you have all these high expectations and you're Tennessee, you're still a giant in the sport. Who was it on the team that refused to let everyone else give in?

KELLIE HARPER: I think it was several players, and you're right. I've mentioned this before, those early losses could have broken a lot of teams. I really do believe that. I think our upperclassmen, our returners, our veterans were the ones that stayed true with the belief in who we were.

I'll be honest with you, I don't know of anybody in the locker room that wavered. When you have so many positive voices speaking to what your team can do and your belief and the belief in each other, it's pretty powerful.

Q. You said last year at the Sweet 16 sometimes you let yourself think about what it would be like to take this program back to a Final Four. Curious what it would mean to you as a coach for the players to be a part of that as someone who helped to build the legacy at Tennessee to watch them help build the legacy as well?

KELLIE HARPER: Yeah, I would love to see our players be able to accomplish their goals. I would love to see them be rewarded for hanging in there this year and sticking with the game plan. I would love to see them rewarded for their hard work and for their belief in this program and in this team in particular.

I've been there. I get it. I understand what it is. I want them to be able to experience it. It's so special.

Q. What has this week been like for you? Did you hear from any mentors, former teammates of yours, in terms of providing congratulations, advice? And how has your preparation been different this year than maybe in past Sweet 16 experiences that you've had?

KELLIE HARPER: I think every -- I'll start with that one first. I think every year is different. I think as a coach you have to decide what that particular team needs and how they're playing, where the deficiencies are, where you want to improve, who your opponent is. We actually took a couple days off this week to make sure our legs are under us, and then had a really good practice yesterday. Yesterday was a very long day. Sorry, I have to think back. (Laughing.) I think every year you re-evaluate and reassess what your needs are.

Now, we go back and we look at historically what we've done in the past, but I think for us, that was the schedule that we felt the most comfortable with. Yeah, I did. I heard -- we actually had -- I had a small group of former Lady Vols show up to practice yesterday to wish us well. I'm trying to think. I have heard from quite a few folks just with well wishes and congrats after the first two games.

Q. Jackson didn't play in that first meeting. I think Key did. How much is having Jackson in the lineup this time around and not having Key, how much has that changed the team you're bringing to the court tomorrow? And then in terms of your defense, I think you held Kitley to three baskets in that first meeting and Amoore to two. What's kind of the defensive keys to kind of maybe being as stifling with them tomorrow?

KELLIE HARPER: Well, Tamari Key defensively has been outstanding against Liz Kitley in the two games that we played in the last two years. So that obviously is a big hurdle that we'll have in front of us that we'll have to work through.

Rickea Jackson, Jillian Hollingshead, and Jasmine Franklin did not play in that first game. They give us athleticism and rebounding and obviously with Rickea a big scoring punch. I just think we look different. I think we play a little different than we played back then. It seems like ages ago. When we went back and watched the game, I was a little overwhelmed at how different we looked, and a lot of that is just personnel.

Q. First, will you tell us who the former Lady Vols are that showed up yesterday at practice?

KELLIE HARPER: Oh, let's see if I can remember all their names. Debby Jennings, a longtime SID, brought a group over. Shelley Collier. It was some folks from the '80s. Sorry.

Q. The other thing I wanted to ask you was: Obviously, you've been in this position as a player and as a coach. Do you like one more than the other? Do you feel more relaxed as a coach, more stressed as a coach, playing in the Sweet 16 versus when were you a player?

KELLIE HARPER: Oh, I think it's much harder as a coach. Players, you just show up and play. I mean, it's, Give me the game plan, Coach. I'm ready to go. Coaches, we're trying to figure out how to make our players feel good, what meals they need to eat, when they need to eat, where we need to go, do we need to watch this film, this film, break it down, what's our scout going to look like, and then you try to figure out your game plan. There's a whole lot more to be done as a coach to get it right.

As a player, literally, you just look at your itinerary and show up where you are supposed to show up. It's much easier. At the same time, when you get to the court, you control more as a player. You're the one that gets to go out there and make the plays.

Q. You previously mentioned some alum. We've got Mercedes Russell here that plays for the Seattle Storm. How does it feel? Have the players started to get a little bit excited? You haven't had practice yet. You're about to walk onto the court where the four-time WNBA Champion Seattle Storm plays, where a prominent alumni plays. What's the energy like now that everyone is getting into this building and getting into play mode?

KELLIE HARPER: I think this is obviously a really fun day to be able to take that court for the first time and get out there and sweat a little bit and feel good about what you're doing. They have been pretty good thus far. This morning we had a film session -- we had breakfast, had a film session. They have been pretty even-keeled. But I think they will be really excited to take the court today. They understand what this is. They understand how big of an opportunity it is and I don't think they take it for granted.

Q. You mentioned that some of those early season struggles, not every team might be able to overcome that. To where you guys are now, what is has been the key to success lately? What do you like so much about how you guys are playing heading into tomorrow's matchup?

KELLIE HARPER: Well, I think we have just improved in a lot of areas. Our defense was really good in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament. Our rebounding has been very solid, pretty consistent going down the stretch in the regular season. Our offense has been efficient at times. We have some people that can be really hard to guard because of, you know, just their versatility with Jordan Horston and Rickea Jackson, Jillian Hollingshead. I think we have some folks that can score. I think we've done a better job offensively knowing how we need to play, knowing the pace we need to play, and in trying to play to our strength.

Q. You've had success with the transfer portal. When you played, there was no transfer portal. Kids would maybe transfer once in a while, but it wasn't like it is now. It's blown up to be this monster the last few years. Do you think that's the way this sport is going now, more try to find a kid who is a junior or a senior or a sophomore than looking for high school kids coming out who don't have as much experience and may have to transfer themselves if they don't play after one year, whereas back in the day, you played for one of the toughest coaches ever, and I'm sure there were days you're like, why am I doing this, I want to transfer, but no one did?

KELLIE HARPER: Yeah, I think we can evaluate it, we can comment on it and we can have opinions on it, both good and bad. But the reality is it's here and you have to utilize it as an option. Some coaches will use it more than others. But I think it has to be a viable option for you. It's been really positive for us, but I think as you continue to recruit I think you -- for us I think it's important that we have a balance that we have high school players, but we also look for those experienced college athletes that you know what you're getting. I think that's the biggest -- when you're looking at the positives of the portal I think that the biggest thing is this is a proven college athlete that's in there. You got to do your homework, you got to figure out who they are as people, because that's a big deal. The culture is a big deal. We're proud of our culture and we want to make sure we maintain it.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you. We'll have the student-athletes up here momentarily.

(Pause.)

THE MODERATOR: All right. We'll take questions for the student-athletes.

Q. For any of you, when Tamari had to step away during December, what was the biggest change that you had to make in your game and like how long did it take you guys to figure out your new identity?

JORDAN WALKER: For me personally, it was just my one-on-one defense because when you have a 6'5" in the center, you know you can take your player down there and she's probably going to send that out of bounds. So I think my one-on-one defense had to get better in that aspect. But also just as a team coming together and trying to fill the void that was left without her and just stepping up and leading.

JORDAN HORSTON: I feel like for me, I had to adjust my passes a lot because, even though she's 6'6", I would just throw it, lob it up there on pick-and-rolls, you know, the reads were a lot different because we didn't have a 6'6" player.

But we all came together, we knew that not one person could fill that void by ourselves because she played such a big role for our team. But we knew that collectively we could still make a difference. Like I said, my defense, honestly, I had to adjust as well because I couldn't get beat. We didn't have that rim protection anymore.

RICKEA JACKSON: Yeah, I agree with them, our one-on-one defense as well, just having a presence like that. People wouldn't just go in there on her like that, so I know if I got beat, she had my back. So basically focusing in on our defense one-on-one.

Q. Rickea, you didn't get to play in the last Virginia Tech matchup earlier this season. I'm curious, as you kind of think back about what this whole season has meant to you to be part of this Lady Vols program, where do you feel like you've grown the most and how you can help your team tomorrow in such a setting like the Sweet 16?

RICKEA JACKSON: I feel like I've grown most in my efficiency and being a better one-on-one defender. I feel like this team is a totally different team from when we first played them. We just overcame so much and we're really letting our defense speak for itself. So I'm just excited to see like what we do against them and we're just going to do really good things.

Q. Jordan, I think you had 26 points when you played Virginia Tech in December. What do you remember about that game and what do you maybe want to replicate offensively to have a big game again tomorrow?

JORDAN HORSTON: What I remember the most was ball screens. I'm going to have to fight over a lot of ball screens and not leave any space. Their guard is shooting the ball pretty good. She took 19 threes in the last game. Can't have that. So just got to lock in defensively and just let my defense dictate my offense.

Q. For all three of you, all three of you have played a part in helping rebuild this program. When you think about what it would mean to get to an Elite 8, to be the first team to get back to the Elite 8, or even further, what would that mean to you to be a part of that legacy?

RICKEA JACKSON: For me, it would mean the world. This is my first NCAA tournament. So with that being said, like going to the Elite 8 my first year with this team, that would just mean a lot. Of course we want to go farther than that, but we got to take it step by step. So we just got to handle business with them.

JORDAN HORSTON: For me, same. This is where we fell off last year in the tournament, and we want to change that narrative. I wasn't able to play as well. So I'm able to impact the game, I'm able to play. This is my way of thanking God for allowing me to be here, just continue to give back and be a great teammate.

I feel like we have went through so much this season. I feel like we deserve it. I want to see everybody on this team shine and I feel like we have all the pieces it takes to be the best team. We just got to go out and execute and let -- just play, at the end of the day. I'm really excited to see where we end up. But like every women's basketball player's dream is to make it to the Final Four and win a National Championship. Elite 8 is great, Sweet 16 is great, but that's not what we want to end up at. That's not our end goal.

JORDAN WALKER: I think that for me personally it just encompasses why I chose to come to Tennessee, just because of the drive that Kellie had while recruiting me and knowing what she wanted her culture to be. So getting back to greatness, being in the Elite 8, being in the Final Four, all of those things is what she's strived from day one. That's what she's told me. So it really just encompasses that for me.

Q. Rickea, your a transfer portal success story. You've had a great career so far at Tennessee. There's probably a thousand names in the portal already, if not soon enough. What advice would you give people in that portal? Not everyone's situation obviously is the same, but you have gone through it, so what would you think is the -- you would say to players out there who are looking to transfer or are in the portal already?

RICKEA JACKSON: I would definitely have to say go where you see fit. Don't just go like where someone just go deep in a tournament. Like, make sure you fit there. Look at the offense, make sure that's something that you're able to play in. Just not -- you can't have that same high school mentality that you had. Like, coming out of high school you only know so much about college basketball. So it's like, okay, I'm going to go here, it's a big-name school. But me having experience at Mississippi State and things like that, like I definitely wanted to just come to a healthier environment and an environment that just wants the best for you, like, outside of basketball. Make sure your coach doesn't just care for basketball, you know, they care for you after basketball.

So I would definitely have to say just let them focus on outside of basketball because one day the ball will stop bouncing, so have you to have goals and aspirations outside of that as well.

Q. You mentioned tomorrow some of the team goals and the ultimate end game is to win a few games and make it to the end here. You're about to step onto the court for practice. Do you have any personal goals that you have that you're going to help push the team forward to make it to the next round and the next round and the next round, are they stats-driven, are they tangible or intangible, what are you working on individually to help with the team?

JORDAN HORSTON: Well our goal from, you know, from the few games that we played in is just being a great teammate. Being there for one another. Because things are going to happen. Somebody's going to get scored on, mistakes is going to happen. But if you know you have this person to the left of you, this person to the right of you, this person to the left of you, (laughing.) I'm sorry. If you know they have your back it makes it a lot easier. You know what I meant. I was giving your left and right. Your left and right. But if I know my teammates have my back at the end of the day it's going to be a lot easier to get through things together. So just being a great teammate and just taking in the moment because not every team is blessed with this opportunity. So just being able to be present and just have a great experience no matter what.

JORDAN WALKER: I think just continuing to defend. I think a lot of things I do are already intangible, so just continuing to play my game and get everybody going and get everybody hyped. Just do whatever I can to help my team win.

Q. Your coach was up here earlier and mentioned that some of the struggles you guys faced earlier in the season, not every team would have been able to overcome it. What has helped this group stick together, and right now, heading into tomorrow's Sweet 16 game, what do you like most about the way you guys are playing?

JORDAN HORSTON: To answer your question, the first part of the question, I feel like, no, I do not believe a lot of teams if they went through the same thing that we went through they would be here. I feel like we had each other. When we were down we had each other. We went into each other. We never wavered. We knew that things were going to get hard, but we can't quit, we can't give up. It made us work even harder.

What was the second part of the question? How excited am I? How excited am I that we're playing well. Oh, I'm very happy that we're playing well. It's great timing, right. It's the end of the season, things are coming together. I gave an analogy to somebody early on, I was like, take it like this: So you get a puzzle, right. When you buy a puzzle, the puzzle pieces, they're not put together when you first get it. So how can you take a team that's fairly new and expect to have this masterpiece as soon as you get the puzzle. You got to find the pieces, you got to see where this piece fits, where that piece doesn't fit, see how people play. I feel like that's what happened. We got to figure things out early on to create this masterpiece and I'm so excited to see the finished product. But we're not finished yet. We still got a couple games left.

Q. Now I'm curious if you do a lot of puzzles in your free time.

JORDAN HORSTON: Listen, actually, in the bubble, I did complete some puzzles, so go with that.

Q. Could you tell us what the contraption that you have on that was beeping when you first sat?

KELLIE HARPER: The Venom? Yeah, so this is not a paid advertisement. Sponsor me if you would like. But this is the Venom. This is what gets me through my life, okay? They have back Venoms, they have knee. JoJo got one on. Every athlete should get it. Don't sponsor me, though. It's okay.

Q. (No Microphone.)

JORDAN HORSTON: It's like heat and it has, like, this like vibration, like, some -- I don't know.

JORDAN WALKER: Like, pulses.

JORDAN HORSTON: It feels like a little massage going when it warms up, so. I mean, Venom, if you all are trying to do something, hit me up.

Q. You lost to them 59-56 at your place in December. What has to be different or better for the outcome to be different this time around?

JORDAN WALKER: Just looking at that game now, we had some people missing and now we're missing Tamari Key. But I think that where we're at right now and how we're playing will make up for a lot of that. But I do think that our defense, with the way that their guards are shooting and the way that Kitley has been playing, that has to be better, as well as rebounding. But those are all things that we've been focusing on and I think that we'll do fine with that.

Q. I feel like each of you have a different reason to be a little extra motivated for tomorrow's game. Rickea didn't get to play in the first matchup, Jordan, you didn't play in the Sweet 16 last year, and other Jordan, you didn't -- this is your last year. How did you describe your mindset and how those reasons maybe motivate you more, a little bit more, going to the game tomorrow?

JORDAN WALKER: I mean, it's just go mode. This is my last Dance. I want to win, and that's really what's motivating me. I want to win. I want to see our team do well. So, I mean, I want to do whatever it takes to make that happen.

JORDAN HORSTON: Same. I mean, it's the end of the year. It's the win or go home and I'm not ready to go home.

RICKEA JACKSON: Yeah. And I do want to make up for not being there for my teammates when we were playing 'em last time. So we definitely going to handle business though.

Q. For any of you, so there's 12 women coaches in the Sweet 16. And there's three black women, right. I'm curious any of you can answer this, what is that like to see more women in coaching and having the success, more women of color, and is it important and if so why?

JORDAN WALKER: I think it is important just because I have aspirations of wanting to coach. So to be able to see Dawn Staley and Coach Yo in those positions. It's just like, wow, little black girls, they can do it too. So I think it's really inspiring. It just makes you want to push harder. Because the foot is in the door so now with three in the NCAA Sweet 16 round right now, you know, what can it be later on down the line.

JORDAN HORSTON: I'm going to run to real. Let's go.

Q. I don't know if you guys saw last night the punch in the Memphis-Bowling Green handshake line. Curious, it's not, I mean it seems that things like that and the Hailey Van Lith thing get blown up more than what you guys do on the court. So, curious, as players, is it frustrating that people pay more attention to things that aren't really basketball related and that shouldn't be celebrated or discussed more than what you guys have done or what other teams have done on the court?

JORDAN HORSTON: I would like to focus our questions on just basketball. I'm sorry. We don't really want to talk about that type of stuff. Respectfully.

Q. I wanted to ask y'all, if you had an unlimited green light do you think you would put up 19 threes in a game? (Laughing.) And can you over respect Georgia's ability to pull from anywhere?

JORDAN HORSTON: I mean, you going to have to respect it because she going to pull it regardless. So you're going to have to respect it.

JORDAN WALKER: Yeah. I mean, she definitely has a super green light. I think all of 'em do. I watched the press conference and he's really confident in his players and their ability. So that's really good for them. But like Jordan said, you have to respect it.

RICKEA JACKSON: Yeah, for sure, like confidence is a dangerous weapon. And not many people know like how much confidence goes into things like that. Like, if you don't have the confidence you're not going to do that. And clearly their confidence is through the roof. So I'm pretty sure that is something that we want to make lower. Like we don't want them to get hot and things like that. So we just have to focus on what we do on the defensive end.

THE MODERATOR: All right, thank you.