ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL TIPOFF MEDIA DAY

October 24, 2023

Joanna Bernabei-McNamee

JoJo Lacey

Dontavia Waggoner

Boston College Eagles

Women's Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll get things started. I do have Boston College here with me today. Joanna Bernabei-McNamee, head coach, as well as Dontavia Waggoner, and JoJo Lacey.

Coach, we'll jump right into things. Looking at a very tough league that you're playing through. For a couple of those years, you had to deal with a very young squad. You return 65% of your scoring including three players who averaged double figures. When you're looking at what this team can be in this season with so many different faces, what does that look like?

JOANNA BERNABEI-McNAMEE: Well, I definitely think it's, like, an open book, right? We got to turn pages and hit chapters. It really can go as far as I think these women want it to go because I think we're very talented. We have a lot of young players coming in the mix, but we also have, like you said, finally some seniors and people that know what's going on, can kind of be great leaders for those younger players.

I've had a blast coaching them throughout the summer. We got to play in Europe this summer. We got to go to Italy. That was amazing. It gave us some extra time with them in this pre-season. I think this can be a really talented team.

Q. The returning rebounder with Dontavia, when you are seeing what you were able to do last season, building on it, being more aggressive, dominant. Everyone knows what you bring to the table from last year. How do you counter what they may throw at you this year?

DONTAVIA WAGGONER: I think for my senior year, I have to go a lot harder. I've shown what I can do last year; this year I have to apply it, because it's like I did so much last year, so I have to keep building off that.

Q. JoJo, what does that mean for you?

JOJO LACEY: I think it's being a leader on and off the court, also just being consistent, being a great example for the new players coming along.

Q. We talked about the new faces that we're going to see. If you can give us a rundown of a couple of people that we need to be aware of going into next season that could make some noise in this league.

JOANNA BERNABEI-McNAMEE: Well, Teya Sidberry is a transfer that came in from Utah who is going to be interiorly for us. She basically can score at three levels, which is really exciting. She is just one of the maybe happiest go lucky kids I've ever coached.

Having her on it is rosters that lightened up everybody's mood but given us another dimension of scoring.

Then we have gentleman Kayla Thompson who is coming in as a freshman point guard. I think we're going to see her get minutes.

Also back is Kaylah Ivey, our senior point guard, who missed last year with an ACL. Those players are going to be our floor generals from the one spot.

We have a couple other players we're hoping to get eligible, things like that, that could really help us get a little bit deeper into our bench.

Q. I was able to talk to a couple of your players. They talked to right away, She can be a person that can light it up right away. You've had some amazing moments even in last season taking down Florida State at home. You talked about motivating this team in different ways because they don't know what they don't know.

JOANNA BERNABEI-McNAMEE: Right.

Q. How are they different this year where it's an understanding of now we can motivate ourselves?

JOANNA BERNABEI-McNAMEE: Yeah, I definitely think when you have a group of seniors, this group has been through a lot of adversity and a lot of things that have brought us to this grown-up state in their career where I think they're going to refuse to lose. That's a big part of when you have seniors, that mentality.

I'm really looking forward to how they, again, motivate each other. I do have an amazing coaching staff that's also going to work very hard to motivate them. I'm sure that together we're going to be pretty fired up for every game.

Q. When you have a league that has eight teams that get into the NCAA tournament, you're on the outside looking in, How can we be a part of this dance? What is it going to take? You two are the leaders of this group. A couple things you're going to hold your team accountable in those departments?

JOJO LACEY: One thing we talked about was we struggled in pre-season last year with starting out the game strong. This year we're going to start the game out strong and we are going to finish it, so we are just going to keep our foot down the whole game and get a dub.

DONTAVIA WAGGONER: For our team, we didn't have much experience coming from last year. We have a lot of freshmen. We didn't have any seniors.

This year I think we have chemistry together that we're going to have a big here and it's going to be better.

Q. Coach, you mentioned it, starting off strong, especially in pre-season? What game do you have circled on your schedule about how you can be tested early to see where you are.

JOANNA BERNABEI-McNAMEE: I think just even early we have Harvard that the ACC picked up. Second game of the year, I think that's going to be a challenging, fun game for us. I'm so excited that the ACC picked it up, the network picked it up, because that's a great move for us and for them.

Then we have the ACC-SEC Challenge in Kentucky that's going to be a huge game. We have Ohio State early. Our non-conference, then we go and play a little Fort Myers Tip-Off, which I think our first game there is going to be Marquette. I think we have a lot of non-conference games that will really prepare us for the ACC.

Q. You mentioned a couple of the new faces, what they can bring. As far as any other players, what you're expecting for them to make a next jump. Who would that player be for your squad? I think this person is really going to surprise some people this year...

JOANNA BERNABEI-McNAMEE: We have a couple players, but I think you look at T'Yana, our freshman, T'Yana Todd, we call her Toddy. She is a sophomore this year. She has the ability to make a big jump. The more that she stays focused and plays on both ends of the floor, I see that in her and her work ethic.

Who do you guys think would be the next?

DONTAVIA WAGGONER: Drea Daley.

JOANNA BERNABEI-McNAMEE: She's not even here with us (laughter).

Drea has really taken her game to the next level. As a junior, last year as a sophomore, she's part of that scoring that you mentioned. This year as a junior, she has really taken her life and her basketball to the next level. I mean, she's more organized, she's getting in the gym more and preparing for what it is to be an ACC player.

I think she's really putting the work, what a pro needs to put in, she's doing that. I think big things from her.

Q. It's one thing to hear that and see that as a coach. Where is that coming from? As a player, I have to be better? Was that a challenge for you and your staff for her to do more of those things?

JOANNA BERNABEI-McNAMEE: I think she's one of those players that in her heart, in her being, that's what she wanted to be, but maybe just needed a little bit extra motivation from our staff and her teammates to just make that next jump because she's a player, she's a pretty special kid along with these guys that have something about them in their character that you know they want something more.

Q. Let's talk about Italy. That's a good place to start. I need a couple of fresh places to go. How was Italy for you guys?

DONTAVIA WAGGONER: It was really good. It was really fun. It's just like a once-in-a-lifetime trip that not many people get to have.

The biggest challenge when I was in Italy for me would have to be the language barrier. It was kind of hard trying to communicate with a lot of people there.

Outside of that, it's really pretty. A lot of walking.

JOANNA BERNABEI-McNAMEE: A lot of walking.

DONTAVIA WAGGONER: But it's really pretty. A lot of places there that you would never see.

JOJO LACEY: I loved it. The food, we ate out to dinner every single meal, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Loved that.

I think for me, my favorite part was being with the team. I feel like my freshman year I didn't have summer because of COVID. Having the summer workouts in Italy, I felt like it really brought our team together. I think that's one thing we're going to have this year, on-court chemistry because we also have it off court.

Q. Rome, Florence, Venice, and Como. You mentioned how you were able to come together in those 10 days. How would you say you're able to do that? Not just playing together, but getting really closer with one another.

JOJO LACEY: I would say a great job to Coach McNamee and them planning the trip. We played two games down there, but we have so much free time. We could have dinner together. We found out each other's spots, where to eat, shop. I promise, we were out every day.

The second we were without the coach, Where are we going next? We had TikTok, little things to bond over.

DONTAVIA WAGGONER: Going off of that, because before we went to Italy we had to be on campus during the summer. Us being on campus, getting to know each other from June to July, in August it kind of a made us come closer together because we already had kind of a chemistry before we everyone got to Italy.

Q. You mentioned the chemistry, coming together, the 10 days in Italy flex. How about you on the court? Coach, I'll let you start with it. It's one thing to have the leading scorer, rebounder, but who is the glue for you guys?

JOANNA BERNABEI-McNAMEE: I think we kind of mentioned Drea Daley, but I think Kaylah Ivey is a leader from the floor general position. She had to sit out all last year. Even on the bench last year she would come out with great suggestions, Hey, why don't we run this? She was engaged as an injured player.

And now as a player that was chomping at the bit to get back, really missed the game, she's been a great vocal leader, somebody that really keeps these guys together.

Q. Do you guys agree, as well?

DONTAVIA WAGGONER: I agree.

JOJO LACEY: That sounds good (smiling).

Q. Looking forward, we've already talked about what you were able to accomplish last year. The best part is the next part, right? For you guys, the mantra going forward, what is that for this team? What's the identity?

JOJO LACEY: I would say trust, love, grit. We also say a mantra before every game. I feel like that kind of gets us locked in before every game. It's just, like, we're together as one. You know whatever happens, like, we're going to stay glued as a team.

DONTAVIA WAGGONER: Players who love to win.

JOJO LACEY: Love to win, hate to lose.

Q. When you hear your team say that, it takes a lot to put a roster together, and the buy-in, as well, what makes this group special as far as what your vision is, how they are buying in?

JOANNA BERNABEI-McNAMEE: Like they're saying, they're bought into each other. As a coach, that's the most thing, when you have a team that will buy into each other.

I can tell this is a group that's going to celebrate each other's big things that happen. They're going to celebrate each other. But I also think they're going to lift each other up when they're going through some tougher times.

They've already displayed that throughout the summer. It's a good group, the young players are looking up to the older players, the older players are taking advantage of that opportunity to lead the younger players.

I know from my standpoint and our coaching staff talks about this, we can't wait to get out on the floor with them every day. I know when you have something like that going for you, as a coach, I think you're bound to have good things happen.

Q. What can we expect from you guys as far as the predictions? When people are looking at Boston College, what are a couple adjectives they would use?

DONTAVIA WAGGONER: Underdogs.

JOJO LACEY: Determined.

JOANNA BERNABEI-McNAMEE: I like both of those (smiling).

Q. We'll go with that.

JOANNA BERNABEI-McNAMEE: I think we're going to have a good fight to us. Gritty. I love gritty, so...

Q. For you, I know we see the players on the floor and how they're determined, how they're gritty. For you how have you grown in this stint with Boston College, seeing how you can be a different coach as an ever-changing league as well as just players that are coming in, even in the transfer portal? What does that look like for you?

JOANNA BERNABEI-McNAMEE: I definitely think I've grown as a coach. Coming in, I didn't have a lot of head coaching experience. I'd only been a head coach for five years. Getting to grow with the team and even the atmosphere of college basketball, ever-changing, I think for me, I've taken a step to where I think I coach intensely and aggressively, but I've also learned how to manage emotions a little bit better. Sometimes I know I'm like a ticking time bomb.

Generally I know that it's a game, right? I believe that if they're not loving their time that they're putting into it, they're not going to excel at the highest level. I want them, as I said, our coaching staff looks forward to practice and being with them, I want them to have that same feeling every day where they look forward to our practices and they look forward to their time together.

I think when you have that, win or lose, you're going to have people that are really enjoying life and the experience it gives you.

Q. The mantra you use?

DONTAVIA WAGGONER: I give you a little piece of it (smiling). The first part is extraordinary teams are comprised of competitors, individuals who love to win and hate to lose. Extraordinary teams have a common goal and everybody has to make sacrifices.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks so much for your time.