BIG 12 CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 9, 2024

Jennie Baranczyk

Skyler Vann

Sahara Williams

T-Mobile Center

Oklahoma Sooners

Postgame Press Conference

Oklahoma - 69, TCU - 53

THE MODERATOR: Joining us, Oklahoma Head Coach Jennie Baranczyk, student-athletes Skyler Vann and Sahara Williams. Coach?

JENNIE BARANCZYK: So far I feel like there have been some great games here at this tournament, and TCU is a phenomenal team. So this was really good for us. And I feel like they have had some injuries but now that they're back and have a few of their players back from significant injuries, that's a good team, a really good team.

It's hard to prepare in your conference tournament when you almost didn't play that same team a month ago. Really proud of especially our second half effort, but I thought our effort was good today and just a fun game for the Big 12.

Q. Sahara, by my count you had 13 of your 17 in the second half. What were you able to do differently? What kind of looks were you seeing differently in that period?

SAHARA WILLIAMS: I thought we executed our offense and the shots found me, just running the floor and getting my teammates open and that's creating for myself. I thought we just kind of executed our game plan a little better in the second half which allowed a lot of scoring opportunities for everyone. So I think that was really it.

Q. Coach mentioned a different team than you played a month ago, yet you outscored them in the paint pretty good. What accounted for that tonight? For either of you.

SKYLAR VANN: Um, sorry, can you ask that one more time?

Q. With Sedona in there, different team than a month ago, you guys outscored them in the paint pretty well tonight. What did you guys do to make that happen tonight?

SKYLAR VANN: She's a huge post presence and we really had to hone in on the paint and make some adjustments. She can score inside but she can also pass and you can see we had to adjust that, kind of playing more out. I think just being really aggressive is what we focused on. Boxing out, don't give her any easy buckets, also don't bail out. I think in the second half we did a really good job. Because in the first half we gave her a lot of bailouts and stuff and we tried to not allow them to get O boards as well. And I think we did a really good job after halftime doing that as well.

Q. Whenever Sedona ended up with three fouls in the second quarter, I believe, did you all try to go at her more or was that something that you all even really accounted for?

JENNIE BARANCZYK: I mean, anytime there is a significant player that has some foul trouble, that's in your mind, but I don't know if we're really good at isolation basketball. We're a lot better when we play team basketball and when we take what they're giving us. So I felt like we needed to do a better job going into the paint, period, not specifically at anyone individually. I do think we left a lot out there, too, but she is such a presence that she kind of gets you without even having to get you. That was just part of our game plan to go in the paint, period. Which is in every game. Thank you. Appreciate you all.