NCAA WOMEN'S FINAL FOUR

March 27, 1999

Peppi Browne

Nicole Erickson

Gail Goestenkors

Hilary Howard

Georgia Schweitzer

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: Well, I think obviously Purdue has fantastic guard play, and I believe we also have great guard play. I think it's going to be a great matchup between the two teams. And, you know, Stephanie and Ukari, in particular, they are just so tough. And they can hit the 3. They really don't have any weaknesses. I think in the past we've done a really good job of exploiting teams' weaknesses. And when you look at Purdue, I don't see many weaknesses. They are very strong. And a lot of it is attributed to their guard play and the tremendous decision that they make. I think Katie Douglas is an unsung hero on that team. She could be the MVP, because she does a little bit of everything. It's going to be a very interesting matchup. It's a tough matchup for us.

HILARY HOWARD: They are a tremendous backcourt; the best backcourt that we'll face all year. They score the majority of their points on offense. We're just looking at it as a challenge, and we're going to try to make them take tough shots and limit their touches on the ball.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: We talked the day after our Tennessee game. He came in and gave us all a big hug and a big congratulations. We talked just very briefly about the whole Final Four experience and what to expect and just how exciting it could be if we could both bring back a national championship.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: I think rebounding is going to be huge. I think defense and rebounding, two keys for both teams. And not just with our post players. Our guards have to do a tremendous job boxing out, because they have great rebounding guards. So we're going to have to -- we've been doing a pretty good job on the boards. You know, I was a little upset that we were outrebounded by Georgia. But we are really going to have our focus and do a great job on the boards to be successful.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: I've said for two years that Peppi is the best post defensive player in the ACC. And people, I think outside the ACC don't really know what I'm talking about, because she is only 5'11. We have put her on the best post players in the country for two years now. She has guarded Tracy Read, who is an All-American and held her to 12 points. She guarded Deanna Walker, who is -- could have been an All-American and held her to three points. So, she's guarded just about everybody she could guard from the 5'11, real athletic players to the, you know, 6'3 players. She is very smart. And she really uses her athleticism; uses her quickness and is probably our most determined player when it comes to playing great defense. She gives us so much on the defensive end of the floor and really her post defense is incredible.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: Well, I think it's going to be a good matchup. I think they do, you know, they do a great job -- I don't think it's just going to be Michele against Camille Cooper, because Purdue does a tremendous job with double teaming. I don't think we'll see a one-on-one play against them. I think it's going to be whenever Michele gets the ball, we're going to see quite a few double teams. I think that's key. We know we need to get the ball into Michele and find a way for her to get open. And she knows she can't put the ball on the floor because of the double teams. So, I think it's a key for us. It's something we need to take advantage of.

MICHELE VANGORP: We're the underdogs. I don't believe like we have any pressure on us. We're just out here trying to enjoy this and fulfill our dreams and goals. And the pressure here is on Purdue. They are the ones that have been ranked No. 1 every year. They are the ones that have to uphold their standing. We are the underdogs, and we're coming in trying to topple the big dog.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: We'll probably have several people on her. After last night, she is playing phenomenal basketball and very impressed with her. You will probably see everybody on our team trying to guard her at some point in time.

HILARY HOWARD: I think initially I'll start off on her. I know I have a tall task. I played against her in tryouts this summer. She is just phenomenal. She is real quick. She is a tremendous shooter. She makes great decisions. The way to stop her is to just try to let her not touch the ball that often and have a lot of help on defense.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: No, it was just -- I was in my office watching Georgia tape at about 8 o'clock in the morning on Tuesday and stressed out trying to get ready to go to the Final Four, and he stopped in, gave all of us coaches a big hug and said he was so elated for us, watched the game on TV. And, you know, I said, do you have any suggestions? You know, I've never been there, you've got all the experience. He said, you need to take today and enjoy today. He said it was such a huge win for your program. And he said you probably need to get the team back together tonight and get their feet back on the ground and get refocused. And he said the biggest thing at the Final Four is to try to not get caught up in all of the hoopla that goes along with it and remember how you got here. That was about the extent of it.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: I've asked the kids not to talk about the Purdue transfer anymore. We're really tired of it. It's time for us to move on. We moved on a long time ago. I know it's very, very interesting for all of you. It's old hat for all of us. We're really trying to focus on the present right now. The kids aren't going to answer any questions about the transfer, if you don't mind.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: I am so happy for Purdue. I was here as a spectator when they played in their first Final Four, sat up in the stands in their section behind Lynne Dunn and cried my eyes out because I was so proud and so happy. And I still feel that way. I'm very proud of Purdue. I'm very happy for them. But I'm more happy for us. It feels great to be here with them.

NICOLE ERICKSON: I think throughout the whole thing we have been focused and we have, you know, the national championship on our mind. And we are just going about doing the little things we know it's going to take to get our goal. And I think having, you know, the seniors that we have on our team, and just the competition that we faced all year has really prepared us for the games that we have coming up.

MICHELE VANGORP: I know Lauren Rice has some lucky articles of clothing she wears. And about four people on our team, including Nicole, they all have t-shirts before they put on before their jerseys when they warm up. Peppi, Lauren and before when we are circling, we always have like the little hand clap, handshake thing we always do.

MICHELE VANGORP: She is. (Laughter).

MICHELE VANGORP: She is a sorority girl, you're right. She belongs to a sorority we like to refer to as "Visa Visa MasterCard." But she's -- I mean, she's very athletic. I mean, she doesn't look like she is, but she's fairly quick and on her feet. She can pretty much guard anyone out there. And a lot of times we give her the toughest defensive assignment. She puts up with all of the pain in her feet and goes out there and plays hard every day. It's like they say, you can't judge a book by its cover, because it's really what's inside that counts.

GEORGIA SCHWEITZER: I think she's very effective. She takes it to the basket. She makes layups over the post players; she takes it right in there and finishes a lot. I think people don't give her enough credit.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: Rebounding, we have to do a better job on the boards. And I thought early on we gave them a couple of 3s in transition. We knew that they would shoot the 3 in transition. I think it took us a little while to adjust to that. Purdue does the same thing if they are open for the three, they will take it. You have to really get a hand out in their face early. I thought also down the stretch when we built the big lead, you know, we stopped attacking. And I attribute a little of that to the fact that we started to try to run the clock out. And we became tentative because we were just passing the ball around. And we turned the ball over and gave them some great looks at the basket, and they capitalized. So I thought, though, we regained our poise and then we started to have that attack mindset. I think against Purdue we have to have the attack mind set for 40 minutes. You can't afford to have a five-minute lull. As far as the way we felt after the game, I think you're exactly right, we felt like well, this was, you know, another step closer now to our ultimate goal. And, you know, I -- we were talking after the game, you know, that when we're playing in the national championship game, why aren't we nervous or worried. We just feel like we belong here. And, you know, we've charted this path from day one. So it's not something that we feel is unexpected. So because of that, I think we feel pretty comfortable.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: My biggest concern with this team after last year was complacency. And my biggest concern with my staff was complacency. We were going to have a lot of experience on the bench and also on the court. And I felt like to help in both areas, if I could change the responsibilities of my staff, it would make them more hungry, you know, and a little on edge because they really had to focus on another area of the game. And I also did it because I want -- they both want to be head coaches, and to do that I think they need to be proficient with all areas of the game. And Gail had been in charge of the guards the entire time I had been at Duke. And Joann had been in charge of the post. So, I thought it would be very good for them. I also thought it would be good for our plays, because they were learning a few new things and hearing it in a different way from someone else.

PEPPI BROWNE: No, not really. I mean, we have plans, yes, to watch the game as a team. As for being swept into -- that whole camaraderie thing, it has not really phased us. We are rooting for them, obviously, on TV. So I don't think it really has been a problem.

MICHELE VANGORP: We played well against Tennessee. I think a lot of our players hold Tennessee in this -- in this light as an established program, and just someone to measure yourself by, as I'm sure many, many people do. And I think it just gave us a sense of overall belief. We had had this rough preseason and loss to UCONN and Virginia Tech. But we came on against Tennessee and played not great in the first half and okay in the second half, and ended up outrebounding them and defensively stopping their big three. So I think it gave our team a lot of confidence going into the ACC and just a lot of speed.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: Probably her biggest asset for this team was her passion. She has a tremendous passion for the game. She is what you would call a gym rat. Always in the gym, always working on her game. And I think that passion really was contagious for the rest of the team. They know how much she loves the game. And whether -- if she is not playing the game, she is watching the game, whether it be the women's game or the men's game. And I think she brings that passion to the table every single practice and every single game.

NICOLE ERICKSON: As far as playing, I think it kind of prepared me, because the practices, it was like playing at a small division three school. And I think coming to state every year and playing in front of the big crowds, and I think we had -- we had pressure there, I think. And it really prepared me for college. I give my coach a ton of credit in high school.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: I know Carolyn very well. And she has my utmost respect. I coached with Carolyn the Jones Cup team a couple of summers ago, so I got to know her very well. And I know that she is going to give one hundred percent of her focus right now to her team, because they need it. And I know she'll do a great job. And when this is over, she'll move on to the next part of her life. And I know she is going to be very, very successful at the next level also.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: Not really. Just briefly. She is excited for everybody involved. You know, I think she is -- the biggest concern she had -- she just wanted us both to get to the championship game. So I think she is just so happy for everybody involved, you know, that we get to -- we get to play each other. So I think she is just ecstatic. I don't know who she is rooting for. I think she is rooting for both of us. I think she wishes we all could win.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: Do I need to answer that? I mean, that's exactly why. Because we are new faces. It's something exciting. Someone new is going to win a national championship. What could be more exciting than that. I think people are ready for a new national championship. And I think it's going to be an excellent game.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: Lynne has been wonderful. And I give her so much respect. And she is the one that trained me. You know, I had learned so much from her as an assistant coach. And she gave me a lot of guidance. She gave me a lot of freedom within the program. She made me work on every office aspect of the game, which is something you don't always like to do. You know, you don't like to do some of the stuff. But you have to if you really want to be a head coach some day. She gave me responsibilities in every area of the program, and really helped me learn and grow. But she has been a great role model for me.

HILARY HOWARD: She has just been tremendous for this program. When she took over, there were laughs in the ACC. And she has made such a turnaround in such a few short years. I don't know if anyone has done that so quickly. When I was being recruited, I was recruited by schools like Connecticut and Virginia, which were already established. But I just had the confidence in coach, because she was walking about getting to the Final Four, and I believed her. And I think the biggest thing is she works so hard. And we just want to go out there and try to match her intensity. We just feel so confident in her every day.

NICOLE ERICKSON: I think you're exactly right, everybody has their own special role on our team. I mean, be it seniors, people who never play, managers, everyone. And I think if one of those people were not around or not in practice, we definitely all feel it. They are very important to our team. They provide us with support and -- either make us laugh. They just do a lot of little things that I think sometimes that are taken for granted. We have had experiences where, you know, someone has been sick or whatever and everyone is kind of like, you know -- with Kiesha, for instance. If she is not at a practice or something, it's like practice is kind of quiet, and we don't get all laughing and excited before practice. And that's just an example of something. And it makes practice different.

DEBBIE BYRNE: We will resume with your questions for Gail.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: I think you're absolutely right. I think we're very similar when you look at our teams. We both have great guards. We both execute offensively very well. I think we both played very good defense and try and exploit teams' weaknesses. We run when we can, but we can also play the controlled game. I think there are a lot of similarities between the teams. I had -- honestly, it is going to come down to defense and to rebounding. Because I think both teams can score a lot of points. And we are going to have to take something away from them. And I know they are going to try to take something away from us; be it our inside game or our outside game.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: She is not a secret for people who know and watch the game. I tried to recruit her so hard. I tried to recruit both her and Stephanie out of high school. But Ukari we actually thought we were going to get. She came on a campus visit. We thought she was coming to Duke. We were surprised when she did not. That was a heartbreaker for us. I hope she doesn't break my heart again. I know she's going to try. She is well known, obviously, in the Big-10. But coaches around the country who watch and know the game know what a great player she is.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: That would be really hard. And I think that's why we've been successful, because it seems like every night somebody else has stepped up. It may be Lauren Rice, who has come off the bench consistently every game and just given us this huge boost. Nicole Erickson has had, you know, obviously great games. Michele, off and on; Hilary has been our inspiration. Georgia was the MVP of the regional. I don't know which one I would pick, but I guess someone who has given us that emotional boost, something we were not counting on, we were counting on the others to step up. She has really stepped up for us.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: We've been asked so many questions about it that I feel like it's kind of taken away from our team. You know, Duke University, this is not about the past, it's about the present. You know, one of the quotes I have used with the team, and I think we have been so good all year long and it's helped us to be successful is always focusing on the present. And one of the quotes that I wrote up on the board long ago was the past is history, the future is a mystery, today is a gift, that's why they call it a present. And anytime you look ahead, you're in trouble. And if you dwell on the past, you're in trouble. And so we've been successful focusing on the present. And that's what we want to continue to do.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: She is -- like I said, I think she is their unsung hero, because she does so much. She'll bring the ball down the floor. And the next minute you turn your head and she is playing the power forward position. So she's going to be very difficult for us to matchup with wherever she is because she makes so many things happen for them. So it is -- she's a touch matchup. But I think Stephanie White and Figgs are also touch matchups for us, because we don't have anybody with the speed and quickness of Ukari, either. And the strength and almost the wisdom of Stephanie White. I think she makes such great decisions with the basketball. So the whole team is a tough matchup for us. But we'll come ready to play. And our kids have been really good at being focused and understanding teams' strengths and weaknesses and individual strengths and weaknesses.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: She has come a long way both mentally and physically. When she did have the surgery, she was on crutches for 14 weeks. And that's just incredible. Didn't get to practice with us one day the entire transfer year, which was, I think, very difficult. And then last year she got to play. But I really think it hurt her sitting out that year and being not -- just not getting to go run up and down the floor. So her game did not really mature in that year off. And she struggled. Specific examples were she didn't start for us. Now she's a 6'6 All-American who spent a lot of time on the bench because she would let people take her mentally out of the game. If she got a bad call she would show too much emotion. And I would take her out and sit her down. She would get very frustrated very quickly and she would have to sit down. She would get injured every single game. We would see her fall on the floor and have an injury and I'd set her down. She spent a lot of time sitting on the bench. And this year she has just really grown and matured, and she can fight through things now, which last year she could not fight through adversity. And this year she can.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: It was the summer. I think she saw -- we felt she should have gone to the Final Four last year, but we had real inconsistent post play. And we knew to get to the next level she needed a consistent post player. And she wanted to be that post player in the worst way. And she made the commitment and got in the weight room every day, got physically stronger and got mentally stronger. I think once you're in great shape it gives you a sense of confidence. Played against guys every day. When you're on the playground, there are no officials. You've got to learn to be fit mentally. So she gets all the credit in the world, because she did it herself.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: The similarity I think is that we both had three great guards who could handle the ball and handle their pressure. Most teams turn the ball over so much. And once they get running, they are hard to stop. So we both took good care of the ball. And I think it was because of our great guard play and because of our senior leadership. When they did make their runs, neither of team folded. And we maintained our poise down the stretch. As far as that helping us tomorrow, I don't know. Because we are so similar. I think we are both going to try and control the tempo. It's going to be a battle of control for tempo. And it's going to be an interesting matchup.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: One would never do. We met a long time ago when I was a player at Saginaw Valley. He was the assistant coach. So I knew of him. But we weren't friends or anything. We just kept in touch when I graduated. Once a year we would probably have a phone call. And then when I read in the paper, USA Today paper, that he had received the job at Elon College, men's basketball coaching job, I thought to myself this can't be the same Mark Simons that I know. And I called up Elon, and sure enough it was him. Once he came down there we would talk periodically and just became friends over the course of time. I felt if he was willing to come all the way out there, there must be something to it. We thought -- it ended up to be fate he ended up just 45 minutes away from me.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: Coming from the bottom of the ACC, I'll never forget it. And I'm glad I had to experience it. At the time it was very difficult because I had never been on a losing team before as a player, as an assistant coach, nothing, never. So I don't think I was very good as a coach that had to give post game speeches when, you know, you lose and you lose and you lose. Because I had never heard the speeches before. I didn't know what to say. It was a totally new experience for me. But it was a great experience, because it was very humbling. And we had to work so hard. And I give those players all the credit in the world, because she built the foundation. And we talked about the fact that we were not going to win a lot of games, it was not going to happen. Our goal was to become winners within every game. And our goal was to play harder and smarter than our opponent. That's all that I could ask for. If we did it, we were winners. And I think that foundation has continued, and that tradition has continued as the talent level has risen. Now I think we have a good amount of talent. But we still have the same goals. And that foundation was set long ago. I also give credit to the players who took a chance on me and took a chance -- they were not taking a chance on Duke University. They were taking a chance on me, because I was an unproven coach. And we did have a couple of players, especially early on who -- Kira Orr, in particular, she was probably our first big recruit. It was between us and Stanford my first year, and Stanford had just won the national championship. And they were picked to recruit. We had just finished last in the ACC, and they were picked to repeat. And she chose to come and make a difference at Duke. So I just give credit to the players who have been willing to come and really set the foundation and set the standard. Every year we set a new standard for Duke's Women's Basketball. Am I surprised? You know, my goal, honestly, when I first came to Duke was in five years I wanted to be in the Final Four. I know that was a very lofty goal. Tara had done it at Stanford; so I compared Stanford to Duke and I thought maybe we could do it but I think in retrospect Tara had a lot more experience than I did. She had been at Ohio State; so I think it took me a little bit longer to learn some things that I needed to know as a coach to help my team along.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: I'm glad we played Georgia, because I think it was a great game to prepare us, help prepare us for Purdue because of their great guard play. We are an excellent three-point shooting team. We have had segments where we've been phenomenal. We started off slowly, like everything else we did not shoot the ball well early on. When we went through the ACC, I think over half of the season was through we had played 12 games in the ACC out of 16 and we were shooting over 50 percent as a team from the 3-point line; so we have done a pretty good job from the 3-point line as a whole. And we went through a little slump I think towards the end of the season where we weren't hitting as well, and we just picked the right time to come back. And I think because of our guard play because they are so smart; we do a pretty good job penetrating and drawing help and then dishing; so we get some good open looks and hopefully we'll have the same thing tomorrow.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: We talked about a lot of things. We talked about our goals. You know, our goals were both we wanted to win a national championship. I remember she had talked about it. And it caught me by surprise. Because I talked about her goals one day, what did she want to do, and she said she wanted to be a coach in the NBA at the time because the WNBA was not in existence at the time. And I thought that was very odd. But I admired her for that. She wanted to coach at the next level even then. So I think it's a perfect fit for her next year to go to Orlando.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: Similar to Purdue? We are probably most similar to Purdue. I don't know that we've played another team that's had such great guards, three great guards. Clemson has two great guards. Carolina has -- well, they have three great guards. Maybe Carolina, but they are not -- they are more athletic, but they are not as strong, as physical, and their decisions are not as good. So I won't say really similar to Purdue. They have got, I think, the best guards in the country.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: Because they are so smart. They work hard. They play well together. And they're so smart. They -- you know, again, they do some things similar to what we do. They try to take advantage of your weaknesses. And if you've got somebody out there that can't hit the 15-foot shot, they are not going to guard that person. They are going to double low. They give so much help inside. Great double teams. If you put the ball on the floor, it's gone. They help each other so well. And I think that's part of their whole team concept. You know, whenever you hear them talk, they are just -- they are so good at praising one another, and nobody is willing to take credit. They always give it out to each other. And it's that whole mindset, that team mindset that they have. And I think it reflects very well both in their offense, but particularly in their defense, that they are willing to help one another out.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: No, it originated with me. And I was thinking -- I really respect Carolyn a great deal. And I was thinking how does she feel right now? And I just don't think it's right. It's taken the spotlight away from Carolyn Peck, too, who has done such a great job with her team and her players. They can't focus on what their team is right now. And it's hard for us to focus on our team when everybody wants to bring up the past. And, also, I mean, Lynne Dunn, she has done such a great job. And I am so happy for her. It was the best thing for everybody. I think everybody is happy now. Lynne Dunn is coaching in the pro game -- she will be again, I promise you. That game is so well suited to her. So I think we just need to let well enough alone.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: We have to have her on the floor. And I think in the first couple of games, in the regionals, we got away with her being in foul trouble. And I told her it's not going to happen anymore. You cannot get into foul trouble. We need you to win. She is trying a little bit more. Some officials haven't seen her because we are getting officials from all over. She has to adjust. And that is all part of the game. If you get a quick foul, you need to make an adjustment, and you can't be quite as aggressive. But I think, you know, she did a really good job last night. She needs to do a great job again. Because I'm sure that Purdue is really going to try to take the ball -- their guards do just a great job of getting in and drawing contact on post players. They are probably going to try to do that, take advantage of that and get her in foul trouble.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: The seniors have been so important, especially early on when we went through that losing spell. If we would have had a young team, I don't know how we would have responded. I think I would have been very, very worried that they would have choked a little bit. But because we had such great leadership with our seniors, we were okay. And we got stronger because of the losses. And we got better because of the losses. So I give them a great deal of credit for coming together and leading this team from start to finish. I think it is sad that they are going to be playing, some of them, their final game, period. And some of them, their final collegiate game. But what a way to finish. What a way to go out.

COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS: Yeah. She did a better job towards the end of the game just turning, keeping the ball up. So I'm hoping -- we watched video on Purdue. She knows if she puts it down, it's gone. So hopefully she'll make some good decisions with the basketball. I thought the officiating was tremendous. And I never say that. I thought it was a great, great game last night as far as the officiating goes. And it was more physical in the second game. Obviously I think I would prefer the first officials, just because I thought they were great. I thought they had great control over the game. But I think over the course of the season we have learned to adjust to the physical style of play. We have gotten tougher mentally and physically. I would prefer the type of officials that we had in the first game, but I don't know. We'll just have to make adjustments.