BIG 12 CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 8, 2024

Amber Whiting

Lauren Gustin

T-Mobile Center

BYU Cougars

Postgame Press Conference

Kansas - 77, BYU - 53

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by the BYU Head Coach, Amber Whiting and student-athlete, Lauren Gustin. Coach.

AMBER WHITING: Obviously it's not the way we wanted it to turn out, but hats off to Kansas. They're a really good team. They kept battling, they had a lot of weapons, and when Wooly went down in the second quarter, it kinda changed our game plan of what we had going. So that was kind of hard to recover from, but at the end of the day, I'm proud of my women for fighting the whole forty minutes and doing what they do.

Q. (No microphone.)

LAUREN GUSTIN: Like Coach said, I'm proud of us. Things didn't quite go our way. We weren't making baskets and whatnot, Wooly going out, that took a big hit, and I'm proud of us for fighting and competing, even though we had a lot of adjustments we had to make.

Q. (No microphone.)

LAUREN GUSTIN: I haven't decided that yet. I've been focusing everything on right now and the present, just taking all the time to soak it up with my girls and this team, so once the season comes completely to an end, I will go from there.

Q. Lauren, as one of the two seniors on the team, what was your message to the team after the game?

LAUREN GUSTIN: We don't want to be done yet so we didn't have much to say, because we're not done yet. We're hoping to be able to keep playing and we don't want that to be our last game so that's our expectation for this team.

Q. Coach, if you could talk about -- obviously it's the first tournament in the T-Mobile Center for women's basketball and what that means to you, your team and the future of NCAA women's basketball.

AMBER WHITING: Basketball is growing every day, and it's really special to be playing in this type of arena and in this atmosphere. I feel like the game in and of itself is based on these women, and if you take a good look at them and who they are, their character, their grit, their toughness, not just my team, across the board. Women's sports is in good hands, and they're very good examples, and there are some voices out there and leaders and for the next generation even coming up.

Q. Coach, is it your expectation that you're going to keep playing?

AMBER WHITING: We would like to. I want to get an evaluation of Woolston and see what's wrong and how bad that is. Like Lauren said, when they love it and love being with each other and around each other, that's a good thing to come out of the locker room with and have that feeling, so if we can we would like to.

Q. For both of you: Kansas did a good job of limiting you, Lauren, and Kaylee Smiler tonight. You have both had good games against them in the past. What was it they they did, both what you saw on the court then from what you saw from the sideline to really kind of shutdown what you were trying to do offensively?

LAUREN GUSTIN: Me personally, I didn't finish my shots. I had 16 opportunities and 16 shots and our coaches put us in a good position for us to be able to get those, just didn't finish the way I wanted to, and the ball didn't go the way I wanted it to. That was my problem.

Q. First year in the Big 12. What did you learn from the year? What are you looking forward to next year?

AMBER WHITING: I feel like this was a good jump start for us in the Big 12. I really respect and appreciate a lot of the coaches, the mentors they have been to me coming into this league. There are some real, real good people in this -- as far as coaches go in this league and just the fact that they will pull you aside to give you tidbits here and there. This is the best conference in the country.

Every single night out when you have to play the best of the best, that's what I love to do, and I love to get in the fight, and I'm super excited for where we're going and what we're building, and just -- Lauren is my -- like, they led us there. They both had opportunities to leave, and they both had opportunities go other places, but they chose us, and they chose to come back and lead us in the Big 12, and I thought they did a fantastic job.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.