NCAA WOMEN'S FINAL FOUR

April 1, 2001

Camille Cooper

Kristy Curry

Katie Douglas

Shereka Wright

COACH KRISTY CURRY: Just thought it was just an outstanding basketball game, you know it was a shame that someone had to come out on the end that we came out on. I would just like to say that I am extremely proud of our entire basketball team and the things they have accomplished. You know, I just don't think it should take away from the year that we had. Again, it was a shame that somebody had to lose.

KATIE DOUGLAS: Kind of designed a play, and just kind of got out there. Didn't run it as well as we wanted to. Didn't execute. And, I don't know what really happened and took place. I thought I kind of -- had a good look at the basket, and it just didn't go down for me.

CAMILLE COOPER: We came up short at the end. Our teammates were playing hard, but we came up short.

KATIE DOUGLAS: Yeah, I was, but the pass went to Camille, and it wasn't -- I don't know -- I don't know, it just wasn't what we had really designed, but got to give Notre Dame credit, because they were, you know, on us and making it difficult for us. But we just didn't execute.

CAMILLE COOPER: She was big inside. We knew it would be a battle inside. I kind of wish we would have been able to play a little more, but that's the way the ball bounced, and you credit Ruth for playing very well.

KATIE DOUGLAS: She played a great game. If she was not blocking a shot, she was altering a shot. She was getting a lot of rebounds, and it was just her night.

CAMILLE COOPER: I'm very frustrated. Like I said, it's my last game and I would have liked to have played more. But as in any game, that's a questionable call, but I think we are all working hard and other players stepped up to try to pick up the slack.

KATIE DOUGLAS: The future looks very bright. They are freshmen, but they never played like it in the tournament, and we're just going to pass our torch and they will be back. I know the feeling that they have in the locker room; it's going to make them work that much harder and motivate them and they will be back.

SHEREKA WRIGHT: Just can't talk about it. They made the call. You've just got to accept it and move on.

KATIE DOUGLAS: We still dominated. We obviously out-rebounded them. We got 17 offensive boards -- (inaudible) -- we needed to limit some of their offensive boards a little more, but I think we did a great job on the boards. I don't think that's what happened.

KATIE DOUGLAS: We were doing a great job. Got to credit post that were picking up the loose balls or the missed shots inside, and that's what was really giving us the advantage. I think we did a great job in the second half, doing the same thing. That's just the way the things go.

COACH KRISTY CURRY: Are you asking me did I think what?

COACH KRISTY CURRY: Yeah, we really felt like we defended it well. You know some things, sometimes the ball just doesn't bounce your way. It didn't. I think that you have to take away from that last possession, the basketball game was not won or lost in the last minute. There's a 40-minute game.

COACH KRISTY CURRY: You know, we really wanted to get the basketball in Katie's hands. No, we didn't execute as well as we wanted. But then again, I don't think all eyes should be on that last possession. I thought we got a good look at the basket. That's a high percentage shot for her. Believe me, she's hit a lot of shots for us, and it's not going to focus on the last possession. We would have liked to have made the shot, but it didn't go down.

COACH KRISTY CURRY: I thought it was outstanding. Wright was just outstanding on Ratay, Camille Cooper on Ivey, and I thought that Parks/Douglas, all four of those kids really stepped up big time defensively.

COACH KRISTY CURRY: Not at all. Wanted to have the same intensity and energy. I'm sure Muffet gave them a little talking to at halftime and they started being more aggressive on the boards, and we tried to continue and not go away from what we were doing.

COACH KRISTY CURRY: I guess all I can tell you is I am so incredibly proud of what this team has accomplished, because, you know, we've had a lot of ups and downs and all-arounds, and this team has been through so much adversity. I think that's why it hurts so bad right now, because these kids are incredible people. It's like I told them a while ago, they are going to walk out of here tonight a winner. That's what matters. And they are going to win the game of life. Those five seniors are going to go out in the world and do pretty good.