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MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 11, 2006

DENVER, COLORADO

THE MODERATOR: We're now joined by University of Utah Mountain West Conference Champions. We have head coach Elaine Elliott, student-athletes Kim Smith, Shona Thorburn and Julie Larsen. And, Coach Elliot, if you'll open with comments, we'll open for questions.
COACH ELAINE ELLIOTT: Well, just, you know, our kids played a great game from start to finish. I was so happy for all of them, certainly for our seniors. This had alluded them. As a coach, you just like to see them have as many great experiences as you can. And getting to win this tournament format is so fun. And I'm just really happy that that has happened for them, and they played incredibly well.
THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes first please.
Q. Were you aware of the triple-double?
SHONA THORBURN: I had no ideal until after.
Q. Julie, can you talk about your shooting and how did you feel like you were quite open and then were you feeling it all day, just how it felt?
JULIE LARSEN: I think my teammates were getting me wide-open shots, and luckily today I was on and hitting those shots for them.
Q. Kim, can you talk about what it's been like to wrap up your career this way and what did you see as some keys to the game?
KIM SMITH: As far as wrapping up my career, it's not really the way we look at it because, you know, we're hoping we still have a couple more games left in us. So it was just a great win. It's nice to finally seal the conference tournament championship game.
As far as all of my teammates, everybody has played well all year long. We've had Heidi and Julie and Morgan, and everybody just steps up. And tonight everybody stepped up when we needed them to, and we were burying the ball in the hoop and playing defense.
Q. Shona, can you talk about the feeling of finally win the Mountain West Conference tournament?
SHONA THORBURN: Well, I almost broke down and started crying when he took me off, so I think that describes it pretty well. Gosh, it's so worth it. I guess it was worth the wait and worth the losses that we, you know, experienced in years past. And it's just a great way to end your conference career, and we look to go on and keep playing. I'm glad that I had Julie and Kim here to do it with.
Q. I just want to ask Kim or Shona, I guess, how was Julie able to get open so much?
KIM SMITH: She doesn't need a lot of time to get her shot off so it's not very hard.
SHONA THORBURN: We've learned that in practice. I think we did a good job of penetration, and penetrate and kick. And her man had to help a little, so Julie was open. And I think we did a good job of swinging the ball and hitting the open person.
THE MODERATOR: Okay, ladies.
Questions now for Coach Elliot.
Q. Obviously your team is no stranger to these title games. How much of the process of the past few years builds up to how you played tonight or are the events separate?
COACH ELAINE ELLIOTT: Well, I really think that every game is new and so I certainly think every season and every game like this is new because every team is different. At the same time, when you do have leadership that is capable, first of all, to get done something that they've set their minds to, it makes a big difference that they've had that experience and they're setting themselves to accomplish something that they've fallen short of.
It was certainly -- it has to be an indication of their preparation tonight, their play tonight. You play well when you're really focused. You play well when you're really interested in what's out there. And you really have a love of competing. And I just credit those kids for the mindset to do that and play well.
Q. Any different style of play tonight or how was your game plan?
COACH ELAINE ELLIOTT: It's -- we've started fast quite often and shot the ball well early. But don't mistake, we certainly continue to talk to our kids about don't fall in love with this. There's a long game and we can't talk at the end of this talking about how we didn't go to the rim and didn't go to the post and we weren't aggressive. So, we have to balance that success with knowing that there's a long game to play and that that isn't something that you ever want to rely on. You just want to ride it while you can. And that's really pretty much how that worked out.
Q. How much was it a matter of the game plan setting up Julie's shots in the game or the game coming to her?
COACH ELAINE ELLIOTT: Well, the thing is, she has a guard -- the ball is in somebody's hands who can go to the rim and can still find her. Shona has that triple threat that she obviously showed tonight. There's not a lot of guards that can do that, both get the finish done themselves when necessary or draw and kick.
You can't defend that in terms of if it's working well or if you get that penetration, it can hurt you. So, you know, Julie just understands spacing and she stays available, and your choice is to stay on her, in which case you'll have problems with guards that can penetrate or try to give help. So it's a tough call, if you can get both things done.
Q. Coach Judkins after the game revealed a conversation you two had afterwards about, I guess, some angry words of your not pulling your starters. Do you have any response I guess to what he was talking about?
COACH ELAINE ELLIOTT: What did he tell you?
Q. He basically was complaining how you left your starters in the game, and felt you should have pulled them earlier. He said that has been a trend, apparently.
COACH ELAINE ELLIOTT: Apparently. He accused me of running up the score, in a championship game, Division I level, against the reigning regular-season champions. You take that for what it's worth. I was just waiting for them to come back.
Q. You've got the NCAA tournament selection on Monday this year as opposed to this Sunday. What are your thoughts on the women having their own day and waiting a day for that?
COACH ELAINE ELLIOTT: Other than you're sort of one day later in terms of preparing or knowing what to expect or -- I don't -- it doesn't re -- -- I don't have much of a comment. I don't think one way or the other. I'm fine it's okay. Do what's best for the game. If that's better for the game, we'll all survive.
Q. Coach, last year we sat out here, you scored 37 I think it was in the championship game and you surpassed that in the first half tonight. You talked about having your team better or at least they were better prepared. Did you do anything differently from last year to maybe get them prepared to have this kind of game?
COACH ELAINE ELLIOTT: You know, again every year is so different. And, you know, this is the first year that we -- that we weren't the favorite. It was a completely different role. Don't feel like we didn't talk about that. We felt the pressure was on them. They were the regular-season champs. They're supposed to win. And we've been on that side of it. It's a whole different mental framework to compete -- you're always competing in a different mental state.
So, I think we probably took the best advantage we could of being in the position that we were, and kind of felt like we just thought, you know, we were a combined 2.1 seconds and two air balls from a regular-season championship. So we kind of thought, I guess there was a reason for that, and it's to put us where we are today. And this chance we have today is kind of a no pressure-under underdog, so maybe that helped.
Q. Can you talk about as far as the tournament next week, you could come back here. I know you don't have a say. Would you like to come back to Denver if you could?
COACH ELAINE ELLIOTT: Are you talking about NCAAs.
Q. Right?
COACH ELAINE ELLIOTT: You bet. I've been doing this a long time, and the longer the airplane ride, the worse for me. I would love to stay close.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, coach.
COACH ELAINE ELLIOTT: Thank you.

End of FastScripts...

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