NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: REGIONAL 1 FINAL - MARYLAND VS SOUTH CAROLINA

March 26, 2023

Brenda Frese

Shyanne Sellers

Eliza Pinzan

Faith Masonius

Abby Meyers

Diamond Miller

Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Maryland Terrapins

Elite 8 Pregame Media Conference

BRENDA FRESE: You know, we're really proud to be here in the Elite 8, and especially I think because no one expected that we were going to be here.

Really, really excited about the matchup with South Carolina. I think obviously their record being undefeated speaks for itself. I know we played them in the second game of the season without Diamond. I'm not even sure at that point of the season whether we would have had Diamond it would have made a difference in that game. We were so far away from being a cohesive unit that I'm sure South Carolina at that point probably wondered how we even got here.

But you see with South Carolina, I saw a stat the other day, their starters have started 130 games together, and when you look at our starters, it's been about 34. You see South Carolina, their roster is loaded, extremely impressive. I think how Dawn has been able to manage their minutes and keep everyone happy has truly been impressive to be able to see.

But I'm really happy for our group that they've trusted the process, and they just continue to keep putting their head down and working and continue to keep telling just a very sweet story.

Q. You and Dawn I guess have developed a nice little series here. I'm guessing that you think playing those kind of games early on helps you get to right here where you are right now. Is that what you get out of it, and is the series going to continue?

BRENDA FRESE: Yeah, I mean, we have always loved playing the series. To be the best, you've got to continue to keep playing the best. I think they bring the best out of you.

We've had games where we've gone down there and won and vice versa, back and forth. For us to play them the second game of the season with such a new roster, it just allowed our kids to really gain some really valuable experience.

Yeah, we want to continue to keep playing great teams. I think it prepares you for these times.

Q. You've seen a lot of great teams throughout your tenure. Where does this South Carolina team match up across kind of all of the ones you've ever seen?

BRENDA FRESE: I don't know that I've ever seen the size that they have. Obviously to be undefeated and to look at the depth and the size that they have, you bring the players off the bench, and they just even get better. It's pretty impressive to be able to see. It's got to rank up there as one of the best when you talk about all the size being on their roster.

Q. To ask about that size, you guys have been going against teams with bigger post players all year long, and you guys have figured out a way to offset that. But their size is a little bit unique. How has what you guys have done up to this point prepared you for that, and how is their size different than some of the other teams that you've faced that have brought in big lineups?

BRENDA FRESE: Yeah, they're sometimes playing three post players out there, so a ton of size. I think for us, we have to continue to keep being us and continue to play the style that we want to play. And again, I think we've had so many great battles between -- being able to play South Carolina, it's not a first time you play them here in the Elite 8, as well as the schedule. We've gotten to play at Baylor and Notre Dame and UConn at home, so we've gotten to really -- we just came off of playing great size with Notre Dame.

I don't think for us that -- I think if it was the first time you were seeing it, it would impact you more.

Q. You kind of touched on this with their depth, but I'm curious in the game how much of a chess match is it when you sort of look at that bench and there's like five players there that could maybe start elsewhere and she can pick and choose who to take at any moment?

BRENDA FRESE: Yeah, like I said, it's remarkable that you have so many players that are willing to sacrifice those minutes and come off the bench. I think as you see in this tournament, we don't have that kind of depth, although we have been able to extend our bench, which has made it nice. But this time of the year you're playing with the kids that can make plays for you.

Q. It's almost like you guys are in the SEC with as many times as you've seen Boston. What makes her such an elite player?

BRENDA FRESE: So many things. Her scoring, rebounding, shot blocking, her defense, and she's really physical. I think that's the biggest thing is being able to -- you can't move her down the block when you're trying to defend her. She's got great hands. Really, really difficult matchup.

Q. Lavender Briggs was on the team last year but didn't play, and this year to see her work back from injury and be a part of a good team, what are some of your perspective on what she has been able to accomplish this year for the team?

BRENDA FRESE: Lavender has been huge. I have really enjoyed -- our staff has enjoyed just the growth, to watch Lav. And it hasn't been easy coming off an injury like you mentioned, an she was slow to kind of get comfortable within our system.

But what I love about Lavender is she's trusted the process, she's continued to keep putting her head down and working. She loves the game, loves to get better, and is a huge X factor for us.

I thought just her second half -- really against Notre Dame, she gives us so much from a defense rebounding scoring that is huge for us.

Q. Do you feel a lot of pressure representing the state of Maryland, because I know you had Governor Moore there the first game of the tournament. Do you feel a little pressure that you're representing the whole state of Maryland and hopefully this could move into something great?

BRENDA FRESE: Pressure is a privilege. No pressure. I love the fact that we get to represent Maryland. I think that's the coolest part of this journey is we get to continue to share our story, to rep Maryland on our chest and our university. We take it as a compliment, the fact that we are kind of waving the flag and carrying it for everybody out there.

Q. We've talked about sophomore Shy this year and how she brought her defensive game up, but ESPN had this crazy stat yesterday about she didn't give up any points and the number of turnovers that she forced on Notre Dame players. I'm curious, is this like sophomore-plus Shy?

BRENDA FRESE: Was that stat right? No, I saw that, and I loved it. I loved it.

It is. Shy has always been our lockdown defender. She took that last year, and then she added the scoring piece this year.

It gives me chills of what her ceiling is going to be. Sophomore Shy plus, I'll take it. But she thrives in these moments. She's really, really competitive, and she loves to win, and I love seeing that she's taking her game to another level.

Q. Coach Frese, UConn streak, Final Four streak ended last night. Just if you could put that into perspective for the women's game. And also it was a Big Ten team that took them out, and having three Big Ten teams in the Elite 8, we've thought the conference was great all year, but that's proven to be the case in the tournament. Just your thoughts on that?

BRENDA FRESE: Yeah, I mean, it's incredible what UConn has been able to do and the standard of excellence. And it is really, really hard to do to be that consistent for so long. I think you're also seeing in the men's game as well as the women's game, which is about 25 years behind the men, parity, and the portal and COVID and just the game has evolved.

I think it's awesome that you can't predict what's going to happen in the future, and for the Big Ten, we've lived this all season long. It's awesome to see it unfold right now on the national stage because we felt like as a conference that these teams were elite all year. And so to be able to kind of see it unfold and play out right now is what we've faced all season.

So really, really happy for the Big Ten, but I know we're nowhere close to being done.

Q. You said folks probably didn't expect you to get here. Being the underdog against a No. 1 South Carolina team, how does that fuel your team?

BRENDA FRESE: I think it's just the normal that we've had all season. We were picked preseason 18th in the country. And when you watch everything that's out there, nobody believes that we'll advance out of this game.

For us, we're used to it. It started back in the preseason, and rightly so. There were a lot of questions marks. But I love the fact that this team never bought into it and believed anything. They decided to kind of set their own path and their own course.

Q. I wanted to ask about Bri. She continues to get minutes and bring that energy off the bench, and you talked about being able to extend that bench a little bit. How does she continue to earn your trust and how much does it help that she comes in and is able to get gritty on defense and bring that energy?

BRENDA FRESE: It's huge. Bri is no longer a freshman in my eyes, and she's gained our trust all season. You have that ability as a player through your practices and your games, and Bri is built for these moments. You saw yesterday she's fearless, so she's confident, and she's physical.

She's built for March when they're allowing this kind of physicality within the game, that she thrives in it. And it allows us -- I think even for your upperclassmen to see a freshman that's so confident, it gives them energy the same way as they see what Bri is giving us.

Q. Going back to Shyanne, you've used her often as a backup point guard. What strengths does she bring to that position and is that something you can envision going forward with her?

BRENDA FRESE: Yeah, we're really fortunate that we can get her scoring from the off-guard position as well as from that point guard position. She's got great length, and she's just doing a phenomenal job of navigating at that point guard position, when to score and when to make plays for others.

She's so versatile with her ability to score, but also to create for others, that especially with her size and her length that it gives us a lot of great options to be able to move her around.

Q. These men's and women's tournaments have shown that nobody is unbeatable. Where do you see your advantages could be tomorrow, and what do you see the keys to the game are?

BRENDA FRESE: Well, I think both teams are going to try to play their styles of play, and they're going to want to use their size and pound it inside and go rebound. We're going to want to use our speed, and we want to get up and down.

Anything can happen, like you talked about in March. We've got to make shots, and we've got to be able to get stops and keep them off the glass.

I'm sure they're saying the same thing.

Q. I kind of wanted to ask, it was just a few weeks ago where you guys were in a neutral site against Iowa, now it's basically a home game for them. Eerily a similar situation in South Carolina. How does that prepare you guys to be in a hostile environment in a neutral site game?

BRENDA FRESE: Well, I think your schedule and your season prepares you for that, and you just made mention to it. We've been in so many of these that we don't even blink anymore. When you look at we've played at Notre Dame, we've been at Baylor, we've been at Iowa, Indiana. The Big Ten Tournament has well prepared us for this moment now.

Q. Shy, Diamond and Faith, last year Lavender was on the team but didn't play, and this year worked her way back from injury to where she's been able to provide for the team, got her confidence back after injury. And what she's done this tournament run, what have you seen from her and what is it like to be her teammate?

FAITH MASONIUS: I can talk on it first. I've known Lavender a little bit before she came to Maryland so I knew what she could do on the court. It's just very unfortunate the injuries she had throughout college. But having her come to Maryland, I was really excited. She's an awesome person, awesome basketball player. So it's nice to see when people come off injuries and do so well.

Seeing Diamond, as well, coming back from injury, it's just awesome, and seeing myself, too, coming back from injury, it's just cool to be able to support people who are doing so well after injuries.

DIAMOND MILLER: Yeah, I know in the beginning of the season, Lavender was dealing with a lot of confidence issues. So just to see her bounce back from all that and now she's thriving, I'm just really excited for her. We're friends on and off the court. So she's doing good, and I can't wait to see what else she does.

SHYANNE SELLERS: I'm just happy for Lav. She came in to play at the right time. I'd rather have her have that little moment in the beginning of the season than now. I think she's bringing a big piece for us off the bench.

Q. Faith, you guys have been figuring out how to offset bigger teams all season long. What's been the key to that, and is South Carolina's size a little bit unique compared to some others?

FAITH MASONIUS: Yeah, I mean, obviously we all know South Carolina, they're huge. I think Notre Dame prepared us a little bit with that height. And I think the No. 1 thing that it takes to play big players, big posts, and we're not that big, is really just heart, hustle and working hard. It makes up for your height, makes up for that disadvantage. But we'll find it somewhere else.

Q. I think a lot of people didn't expect this Maryland team to make an Elite 8. You're underdogs against South Carolina. Basically everyone is. How does that feel, and how does that fuel you for a game tomorrow?

ABBY MEYERS: Yeah, I think since day one we've been writing our story. We've been the underdogs in any big top 10 matchup, and we've proved people wrong by beating the great teams, by not just 10, but double digits -- well, that is double digits.

In any case, I think we're just going to stick to us, stick to our support system, to the people that have believed in us since day one, and we're going to use that as energy for tomorrow.

Q. Diamond, you missed the last couple games with South Carolina because of injuries. How excited are you to go up against them tomorrow, and what's it like to play Aliyah Boston? I know you guys were both in there as freshmen when you played.

DIAMOND MILLER: Yeah, unfortunately with injury I've been -- I missed the last two times playing South Carolina, so it's just exciting. For some reason God was like, you're going to play this game. So I'm truly grateful that God has given me the opportunity to play the sport that I love at the highest level on one of the top stages in this year.

It's going to be fun. And Aliyah is a great player. They have a lot of great players, and our class 2019 is really thriving right now. It's going to be fun.

Q. Abby, when you guys first played South Carolina this year, it was an early-season matchup, second game of the season. From that point forward, how do you feel that this team has kind of gelled, kind of clicked a little bit heading into tomorrow?

ABBY MEYERS: Yeah, I think with every practice and every week of the season, we've gotten better, we've gotten closer. We've kind of learned how to gel not only on the offensive end but the defensive end. And for us, I think we've been progressively learning each other's strengths and weaknesses.

And what's most important is we've developed a very strong trust, and I know for tomorrow we're going to give each other 100 percent for this team, and it's going to be fun, it's going to be exciting.

The first game, it was a really, really tough game, but it was close until the end of the third quarter. We didn't have Diamond, and we didn't have some intangibles that we could have controlled better, and I think we're going to be prepared for this game tomorrow.

Q. Shyanne, about that first game, was it a little bit of a wake-up call for you guys after South Carolina came in there and beat you like that on your home court?

SHYANNE SELLERS: I don't know if it was a wake-up call. I think we knew it was going to be a tough game just knowing what was going on at that time. Diamond was out, we had nine new players, second game of the season. So I think that was a little bit of a tough one. I think now we have jelled a lot better and we've became more cohesive, so I think we're going to hopefully give them a run for their money.

Q. E, just curious what this postseason run has been like for you and did your parents get to watch the last game?

ELISA PINZAN: It has been amazing. I've never been to the Sweet 16, Elite 8, so just being here, I'm grateful.

Yeah, my parents watched it. Thankfully it was at 11:30 a.m. So they're six hours ahead, so that would be 5:30 p.m., but they're going to watch Monday night too. Even if it's 1:00 a.m. They don't care. It doesn't matter what time we play, I know they're going to be in front of the TV.