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BIG 12 CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 7, 2007

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

MODERATOR: At this time we'd like to welcome Kansas. Coach, your thoughts on this evening's game?
COACH BONNIE HENRICKSON: Tremendous amount of credit to Baylor defensively. I thought they set the tone and tempo early. And you know, disappointed certainly. We didn't respond to the pressure on the ball, pressure and passing lanes and really got us out of rhythm, out of sorts pretty quick. We went to the bench early to see if we could get somebody to respond. We just didn't.
But a tremendous amount of credit to them. And to come out and set the tempo right away.

Q. Coach, how did fatigue factor into the game, particularly with you playing one night ago and Baylor haven't played for a week?
COACH BONNIE HENRICKSON: I really felt like going into the game, we talked -- walked through today, I thought it would be an advantage for us to have played last night. Got a win, a good emotional win. A game we played awfully well, and we were pretty excited about what we were doing.
I've been in both where you've had to come in with a day off and come in where you had to play a second. And I think our kids are in great shape. I think we're one of the most fit teams certainly in the country. Take pride in that. I didn't feel that was a question. I didn't feel that's what it was. We were like deer caught in the headlights right away. Down 20. Body posture and just that was a puzzling look to me that really couldn't -- we just never got through that.

Q. Coach, can you talk about their defense tonight? It seemed particularly aggressive?
COACH BONNIE HENRICKSON: I thought great pressure on the ball. Great pressure on passing lanes. And you know, you've got to neutralize some of that athleticism by screening it and getting it off balance and change of pace and speed. We didn't do that. We didn't respond. We stood around, wanted someone else to handle the pressure. And they were all looking at each other for someone else to handle the pressure. We didn't do a good job. Weren't aggressive on the ball screens and like sharks in water. They smelled some blood and found some blood and kept coming. We just never made them get off of us. We never did much to get some separation.

Q. Coach, it's not too often you get whistled for a technical foul. Talk about that the frustration.
COACH BONNIE HENRICKSON: Yes. Yes.

Q. Remember your last one?
COACH BONNIE HENRICKSON: Got one at Oregon. Really my first one, I called a timeout in Oregon. My staff clearly told me I didn't have any left. And my mother still swears it's their fault. But I called it and I didn't. And I didn't have one.
Not that I earned this one. I didn't say a bad word. I want that made public. I did not say a bad word.

Q. Coach, I just wondered can you talk about the progress of this team and how it's come and especially the win in the tournament, first win since 2003 and the final stretch of the season for you?
COACH BONNIE HENRICKSON: Right, I think you've got two kids that are sitting up with me this evening right now that are sure a big part of that. But Sharita Smith, our two seniors, Shaq and Sharita have done good jobs of being leaders and voices in the locker room and providing great energy in practice every day. And every day even though we couldn't find a way to win we try to get better every day. And that speaks to who they are as people.
Speaks to their character and resiliency and fortitude and that's -- you win with kids like that. And that's been important. So it's disappointing to struggle in play tonight. But in time we'll be able to walk away from this and still have great pride for the progress that we did make and played with a lot of pride for what was on the front of our uniform.
And especially the seniors will walk away knowing they made the program better and help the young kids get better.

Q. Coach, when you look back on the season what will you remember the most about what Shaq brought?
COACH BONNIE HENRICKSON: Shaq for the rack, I guess, you know. I think that's fair. Larry Keating coined that. I can't take credit for it. Her aggressiveness and willingness to step up and take big shots and make big plays and just not off the dribble.
Her shot was a lot better this year because when she's in between classes or when it was after workouts this spring and summer, she had the gun out there, the machine that kicks it back to you. She wore that thing out and did a great job. Spent a lot of time to make herself a better shooter. And that just didn't happen overnight. She made a commitment to get it right. Made a commitment to be a great player at Kansas.

Q. For the players, do you agree you had a deer in the headlight look before Baylor pulled away?
DANIELLE McCRAY: I think we did. They had their first shot and I think we were just kind of, I don't know, not expecting it at first. And then like Coach said we were kind of down but we were only down by 2. I felt it in the huddle, too. I don't know, I think we just was -- I don't know, just not ready for it.
SHAQUINA MOSLEY: We didn't match their intensity. We just came out lethargic, lack of a better word.

Q. Shaq, if you could answer this first and then Danielle. You're going out. You've spent the last part of two years rebuilding it Danielle three more years. Could you talk about the progress of Kansas and Shaq what you've meant to it and Danielle what you hope to?
SHAQUINA MOSLEY: Well, a lot of people asked me at the beginning of the season did I ever regret coming here after last season. And I don't regret it one bit. It's only going to make me a better person. And Bonnie's a great coach and I had a lot of fun here and I've learned so much. Like she said, we can just take that throughout life and I hope everyone who comes in here just works hard and know that even if you are struggling that you can still make a difference towards the end of the season. It's not over just because you maybe lost two games in a row.
You still have to push and keep fighting. And hopefully players that come in after this year have the determination to keep pushing, even if you're winning, keep working hard, because it's not going to come easy.
DANIELLE McCRAY: I agree with Shaq what she said. The beginning of the season we were struggling and everything, and I think we just stayed together as a team and we knew that, knew it was going to be our time sometime. And we did that down the stretch and we got a win last night.
But, I don't know, just coming back from this one this year, I have learned a lot. And off season, I'm just going to work to be even better and make Kansas better.

Q. Coach, I know it's tough after a loss, but you guys have changed so much in the last month or two from being 0-9 to a pretty good, a win in the Big 12 tournament. Just how happy are you with the progress?
COACH BONNIE HENRICKSON: I'm excited about our growth. I'm excited that I really believe we got the right people in the program. I believe that you know I believe in my coaching staff and their commitment to these kids to grow and you know develop players and develop a program and we're not there yet. Certainly obviously -- but I think we're headed in the right direction. I think we're able to build some momentum down the stretch.
It's good for the young kids in the spring and summer workouts but recruiting is huge for us. It is for anybody. We've got some position and needs we need to feel and we've got the answer and we're certainly working our tails to get that done.
MODERATOR: Coach, have a great spring.

End of FastScripts

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BIG 12 CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 7, 2007

Bonnie Henrickson

Danielle McCray

Shaquine Mosley