SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

March 6, 2025

Katie Abrahamson-Henderson

Asia Avinger

Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Georgia Bulldogs

Postgame Press Conference

Oklahoma 70, Georgia 52

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Georgia. We'll begin with questions for Asia.

Q. Do you feel like being tired and with a height disadvantage, played a major role in it? Did you feel like you expended so much energy yesterday, then playing, I don't want to say tall, I want to say a huge team?

ASIA AVINGER: I wouldn't necessarily say that. I would say it's just about the mindset that you come in with. Yeah, my body can feel tired. My body has felt tired the entire season.

Of course, I'm undersized. It's not about the size of me. It's about the size of dog in you. That's what Coach Abe says all the time. I try to show up every single day. That's all I can do.

Q. Asia, ending the season on a high note with wins over Auburn, Tennessee and Arkansas yesterday, how can you take that with you as you look back on this season?

ASIA AVINGER: I think it's just a testimony to see, like, the growth within this program. This is just the start of it 'cause this group is very special, especially the young ones. Once they understand and mature a little bit more, the sky's the limit for them.

I told them in the locker room, like, it's a privilege to be here. If you come to work every day and have each other's back, that's what's going to take you further than the X's and O's.

THE MODERATOR: Asia, thank you. We'll continue with questions for Coach Abe.

Q. The progress of your freshmen, how have you measured the progress of them, particularly the latter part of the season went on a run toward the end? I know you're happy with it, but how did you measure that progress?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: Yeah, actually I knew Trinity was going to come. I knew Trinity was that type of player already. Really just, I mean, Mia was not a huge surprise, but to be a post player in this league, you got to be strong, you got to be physical. She really handled it. You know what I mean? Actually, she was the one that was the physical one, more physical than everybody else.

Their growth was great. I thought Summer did a good job. MV is a rebounding machine, right? That's why Asia said, like, when they continue to grow and mature, they're going to be very, very dangerous.

We're probably the only team, one of the only teams in the country, that plays that many freshmen. We just try to stay positive with them. Asia was amazing with these freshmen. I mean, after every game she would text Trinity good, bad or indifferent, try to keep their heads high. Obviously my coaching staff did a good job.

Most of these kids that came in came from winning programs, like AAU or high school winning programs. They won state championships, these freshmen. Coming in here, we really wanted to keep them loose, not have them feel like they had any pressure on 'em. I think we did a good job, especially with Trinity and Mia.

Q. It's a different world recruiting. You have to recruit two things now. You have to recruit players and the NIL. That starts tomorrow morning, correct?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: I mean, got to wait till the portal opens up.

Q. I meant portal.

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: Okay. What's the question?

Q. The question was, you see as it is today in today's world, have to spend much time on recruiting the portal and players.

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: I mean, we got five really good freshmen coming in. We're definitely going to sign portal players, for sure. We really need some really good scoring guards.

I think it's just a different world. Now that the revenue sharing has come in, Josh Brooks has made it very clear he's going to support women's basketball, that's going to be super helpful to us going into the portal, getting the right key people to come in with our freshmen. Five freshmen coming in. Obviously the kids that are coming back.

I mean, who knows? We'll see who wants to be a Dawg in the portal.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.