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NCAA WOMEN'S FINAL FOURApril 2, 2012Skylar DigginsBrittany MalloryMuffet McGrawNatalie NovoselDevereaux PetersDENVER, COLORADO THE MODERATOR: Joining us now from Notre Dame, head coach Muffet McGraw, student‑athletes Skylar Diggins, Devereaux Peters, Natalie Novosel and Brittany Mallory and Kayla McBride. Questions for anyone on the dais. Q. Coach, what sticks out in your memory most about the game with Baylor early in the season, and how has your team changed, if at all, since then? COACH McGRAW: You know, I just watched that game. So I think we've gotten a lot better. I think we're a lot smarter. I think our shot selection is much improved, and I think defensively we're a lot better. Q. Natalie, could you just revisit last night just for one second in terms of the intensity of that game and how do you reassemble your thoughts so quickly for the next battle? Last year, I assume, was quite similar going into the Texas A&M game. But how difficult is that? NATALIE NOVOSEL: You know, yesterday being on the biggest stage, it's like a mix of emotions going from high to low and everything. So coming down from last night's win, it's an amazing win, but we're still not done. We're right here where we were last year; we didn't get it done. So there's definitely a new attitude going into today's practice and just knowing what we have to do to get things done for tomorrow. Q. Skylar, in the first game with Baylor, Odyssey Sims had 25points. I think 12 of them were from the free‑throw line. Could you talk about what you guys have to do differently tomorrow night in regards to Odyssey? SKYLAR DIGGINS: I think she's a key to the game. We'll throw different things at Brittney and stuff like that. But Odyssey is what makes them go. She's a great point guard. She does a great job getting to the line. She's 40percent from the 3‑point line, so you have to honor that, and she's also good at getting to the basket. So she's a terrific defender. She gets out. She gets steals. She's going to be aggressive. I think we need to make sure we pay attention to her. We have to shade her side. We definitely have to be up and try to pressure her, too, and not give her as easy looks to pass and things like that, and just approach her. Q. You're going to get to all the way of the last game of your last season. I'm wondering, A, how are you feeling and, B, can you talk about what your defense is going to be charged with tomorrow? BRITTANY MALLORY: It's a great feeling. We, us seniors and the whole team, really, just wanted to get back here. We had this chance last year, and we didn't come up‑‑ we came up short. And we're just excited to be here and we're looking forward to the chance to get that back. And tomorrow defensively we just really have to play team defense, get out on the shooters, find Griner, shade to her. Just the things we have been doing all year long that's been helping us get to this point. Q. Devereaux and Skylar and Coach, can you talk about Natalie's clutch play and kind of her mental toughness, not just last night, but I guess she had that buzzer beater against Duke earlier in the year and what you've come to expect from her late in the game like that? DEVEREAUX PETERS: I felt it was really huge for us. Me and Sky were joking about it last night, how easy it looked for her; she was just so calm and collected shooting that shot like it was the first play of the game or something like that. It's just great that we could expect that from our seniors. Natalie's done a great job stepping up when we needed her to. You knew she was going to go to the basket and box out, and she really applied herself at that point in the game and came up big for us. SKYLAR DIGGINS: Natalie has been clutch all year for us. She's a player that we can go to if we need a bucket. That's who we go to, Natalie. She's great at finding her shot, she's great at coming off of screens, she can create her own shot, she can shoot the 3 and she can attack the basket and she can pull up. So Natalie is like‑‑ like Dev was saying, shot the most nonchalantly I've ever‑‑ last night. But she's been clutch all year for us. So that's kind of what we expect out of Nat. It was no surprise there. COACH McGRAW: I agree with that. Since the Duke game‑‑ that was a huge win for us and I think really propelled us forward. We didn't lose again for a while after that game. I think it gave us a great confidence and for her to make that last shot gave her even more confidence. She's somebody who would like the ball in her hands. At different times in the game when we feel like we really needed to score, and she is ‑‑ it's in her veins. She's not bothered at all by the pressure or the moment. Q. Brittany and Skylar, you just talked up here and you've talked throughout the year about getting back to this game. So that's obviously a strong motivation, but that also can be very stressful. I mean, at what point did it become fun again and how did it become fun again? BRITTANY MALLORY: I think after that first practice that we had after the championship game last year, that was a tough practice. We were going real hard. And after that it became our motivation. We weren't stressed about it and it pushed us to work hard and kind of give our all every time we stepped on the court and just to really take every game game by game and not to look forward. We knew we couldn't win last year's game by winning a game this year, and we knew if we played hard and played together and ran our stuff we would get back here. Q. Brittany, this group of seniors has been together for so long, been through so much, redshirt years, everything, if things don't work out the way you hope tomorrow, is that going to color your experience at Notre Dame? Is it going to leave you feeling somewhat empty? Are you going to be able to carry away all the good things? BRITTANY MALLORY: I don't think any one of us are going to feel that we were a failure here. We have‑‑ I personally have had a great five years. I wouldn't trade any of it for the world. A great five years. And I wouldn't trade any of it. I've been through a lot, my ups and downs. My teammates, these are my best friends. They're like my sisters. And whatever the outcome tomorrow, I think, looking back on my career, it's been everything I could ask for. Q. How do you game plan for a 6'8" athletic long post player? COACH McGRAW: Well, it's gotta be different than the last game because we didn't do so well that time. She's an extraordinary player. I think she changes the game. She changes a lot of things. For us, we're kind of perimeter oriented, we like our guards to score a lot. I don't think it changes a lot for us. We don't jam the ball inside as much as some other teams do. So I think we'll be able to run the stuff we have and really maybe have to make that extra pass, which we've been pretty good at all year long. So I think that's going to be the theme for us, is just getting her engaged and then trying to make a few extra passes. Q. Brittany, can you talk about the way the perimeter defense has improved since that Baylor game? And also offensively are you guys going to have to shoot a lot of long 3s in order to beat Baylor? BRITTANY MALLORY: Our defense on the perimeter has definitely improved since that game. We've been really aware of 3‑point shooters, how to approach, who to run out, who not to, who's drivers. And I think we matured a lot this year. I don't think we need to shoot a lot of 3s. Like Coach said, we just have to engage. If we just play our‑‑ engage Griner. If we just play our game and drive, and hopefully get her up on her feet and dish over, we've been well ‑‑ we've been working well together and doing a pretty good job of getting easy baskets and just making that extra pass. Q. Coach, how does Skylar match up with Sims both offensively and defensively? COACH McGRAW: I think Skylar's a great player. I think she's the best guard in the country. I think it's an interesting matchup both being left‑handed. I think Skylar is a great defender, great passer. She can score. She does everything well. And I think Sims is a great player also. I think she's a huge key to their team. She has really, really done a lot of great things this year. It's not just because she can throw the ball to Griner; I think she can do a lot on her own as well. Q. Skylar, Destiny Williams from Benton Harbor, what do you remember about her from the high school days way back when and how have you seen her develop now over the years? SKYLAR DIGGINS: She was great in high school. Great offensive rebounder, that's what carried over to college. She's still a great offensive rebounder. Destiny led her high school and she scored a lot of points. She can score in bunches. They gave her the ball a lot. And she scored. And I think that she still scores. And what translated from high school to college is her aggressiveness to attack the boards offensively. She could block shots to get in there and get rebounds. And she's kind of‑‑ she's not the tallest, but she can get in there and she can still rebound it and score well. And I think she does a great job working off Griner when the double team comes. She finds her open spots and she finishes around the rim. Q. (Question off microphone)? COACH McGRAW: She had already graduated, had some opportunities to pursue. And really, for us, I thought she was essential to this team because of all the intangible things she gives as well as being a best lock‑down defender and 3‑point specialist. I think just her attitude and personality really affects the whole team. I think she's been a great leader for us. So I do. I think getting her to come back for this year‑‑ I don't know that we'd be here without her. Q. Devereaux, you guys have talked about the motivation of last year and the way that ended. Is there motivation also in playing Baylor again and having another shot at them after that game earlier this year? DEVEREAUX PETERS: Yeah, it's always nice to play a team that you lost to early on, especially at this point in the season, whenever your team is at their peak and playing their best game. So it would be nice to get that game back. And we were a completely different team back then. It's just going to show how much we've grown since then. Q. Devereaux and Natalie, if you could answer this. Griner is a pretty incredible shot blocker, but sometimes what happens in games she blocks so many shots early people shy away. You guys aren't known for shying away from the basket. But how do you not let that shot‑blocking intimidation kind of get into your head after she might have swatted a few? DEVEREAUX PETERS: I think we have to use our judgment. Going in there, you know, we can't shy away at the beginning of the game. But we're going to attack. We're fighters. We're going to attack the basket. I think being relentless. She's a game changer on the defensive end, so we just have to be smarter and engaging her and dishing off and just to not go in there and go right up into her. It's easy block for her, just easy turnover. We've just got to be a little smarter on the offensive‑‑ DEVEREAUX PETERS: Yeah, I think‑‑ excuse me. I'm sorry. I think this is a team that's never been fearful of any team in that sense. And, I mean, she's 6'8" with a 7'4" wing span. She's going to block shots. I don't think anybody takes that person on. She's huge. If she didn't block a shot, there would probably be something wrong. You just gotta keep going at her. I think we're pretty smart with our shot selection, where we should be able to get them off as well. Q. Kayla, are you glad that you guys have the experience of playing against Baylor this season and how or why not would that be helpful? KAYLA McBRIDE: I think it's good that we played them. But, like they said, we're a completely different team. That's about the fourth game of the season. I think we've grown a lot defensively and offensively since then. Q. Muffet, last game was played in high 80s, 90s. I wonder if you expect this came we'll see that much scoring, or because it's the title game maybe points go down a little bit? COACH McGRAW: I think you're going to see a lot of scoring. When we met earlier this year, it was a pretty high‑scoring game also. I think both teams are pretty comfortable right now with being in the spotlight. So I expect it's going to be a pretty high‑scoring game. Q. Muffet, I don't know if coaches think in these terms, but your team is going to change obviously next year when the seniors go, and you haven't won a championship since 2001. Do you see this as a window that you personally need to take advantage of before the team moves on next season? COACH McGRAW: I would love for them to go out national champions. It's really special. There's such a huge difference between losing the last game and winning it. But for this group, as Brittany said, this has been a special group for as long as they've been here. And I've treasured every moment of this year, and I'm going to be sad to see them go, whether we win or lose. THE MODERATOR: Thank you. We'll continue with questions for Coach McGraw. Q. Coach, are you glad that your team has been on the court with Baylor this season, and how can that be helpful? COACH McGRAW: Yeah, I think until you see her close up in a game, you really can't even appreciate how big she is. I think for us having had that experience and knowing what to expect, I think it does definitely make going into the game a little less of a surprise factor. We know what she's going to do, and we can look at that film and see the few things that did work. There weren't that many. But we can try to look‑‑ we're running some different stuff now, it will be interesting to see how that works. Q. Everyone up on the dais seems to think this is a very different team now. When you looked at the tapes, how different is Baylor and in what ways? COACH McGRAW: I think Baylor's gotten a lot better. I think that their other players have really improved. I think in the beginning of the season Griner was having to get 35 or 40. And Sims would chip in with 15 or so. And the rest of their players really weren't looked at. They were the ones everybody left open. And now I think they've figured out ways to win and I think you saw that last night when Griner only had three field goals, Sims I think one field goal, and they still won the game with their other players. So I think they've improved a lot, too. Q. All season long you guys used the unfinished business mantra. It's rare that teams have a thought and actually get to live it out and get back to where they want to be. Can you talk about the season and what it takes to getting to that point and to this point, how one of you will not be able to finish off the goals of the year? COACH McGRAW: It's been inspirational and motivational for us all year long to look at that. It was written on the board by one of the players at some point in the summer. Every time they come in the locker room they look at that. And I think it has‑‑ they really embraced the pressure. We didn't talk about it a lot. But I think they knew it. And I think they handled it so well to get back to this point. It's really difficult. I think last year was a little bit of an upset to get here, and now we feel like we were the higher seed. So we should have gotten here. I think just the way they played all year long, focusing one game at a time, was great. And if we come into this game somebody's going to win, somebody's going to lose, we're going to do everything we can to win. Q. If I can just ask you a question about something off topic. Draft is coming up. You've got the three seniors. Have you had any conversations with the personnel people, especially about Natalie Novosel, and how do you see her as equipped for a professional career? COACH McGRAW: Haven't had a lot of conversations with too many people except the ones who came to Notre Dame to watch them play. We've seen the scouts at a lot of the games on the road too. But I think they're both getting a lot of interest. And I think with Natalie, I think she's a great scorer, and I think she can really, really play in the WNBA. I think she's probably got a little work to do. They may want her to handle the ball a little more, but overall I think she's going to be a great WNBA player. Q. If I read my history correctly, and I might not, but in 1982, the same calendar, Mulkey wins the NCAA title as a player and you take the job at Lehigh. What do you remember as a player and how would that translate into today's game 30years later? COACH McGRAW: I think she's exactly the same now as she was then. I admired her as a player. Louisiana Tech was the team to the beat at the time. She was the point guard. Loved the way she played. She was the floor general and bossy and she's probably doing the same thing now. I think really nothing has changed much. She's doing a phenomenal job there. Q. (Question off microphone)? COACH McGRAW: I don't know. A lot of people from the past always look at that and say what would our team be like now. And the game has changed, but for her, yeah, I think she could. I think she's got all those intangibles that make a great player. Q. (Question off microphone)? COACH McGRAW: Yeah, well, we only played six people. So we try to rest all the guards and give them a little break with Natalie coming in, and Dev's capable of guarding on the perimeter. So we have enough of team to play the full guards. We could still guard them. I like that lineup with the two bigs. I think we can do a lot more things and generally we rebound a little bit better with them. Q. Coach, can you talk about the mindset of having to play an undefeated team in the national championship game? You faced UConn before when they went through undefeated seasons. Can you use that as a bit to your advantage? Or just the fact that they have that momentum that they haven't lost all season, how tough is that to go against? COACH McGRAW: I think when you're undefeated you have a lot of confidence that you're playing with, but at the same time it's just a little bit of pressure of knowing that you've never lost. And when it gets down to the end of the game, you hope they feel that pressure. I think they have had a great season. They have one thing they want to do, same goal we have. And we're back to being the underdog. Finally. It's taken us a long time to get our green jerseys on. And we can now even be more loose and the pressure is all on them. Q. Last night Pat Summitt made an appearance at halftime of the Baylor game. And it's been quite a year regarding that. Looking back on your career, have you changed things as a coach because of her impact on the game, anything this year that you thought about when you were coaching, anything like that? COACH McGRAW: I think she's impacted the game. I think she's impacted every coach that coaches. I think she's a role model that whether you're just starting out or been in it for a while look up to and would love to emulate. I think she's done so many things with class and integrity. She's so well respected by everybody in the profession that I think you just look and you go, boy, I would love to be like her. I read some things and they said how she treated people. No matter who came up to her she would just give them the time to speak with them. And things like that are so important. And that'swhen I read things like that and I think to myself: Hmm, I wonder if people would say that about me. Maybe I need to work on that a little bit more. Q. I know you talked a little bit about the other day, could you reiterate on the women's team no one goes early. No one leaves. Brittany and Skylar both said they're staying. Potentially you could have had four players go to the WNBA. The men's side could have gone as well. Just talk about the women's game, how everyone sticks around and the fans actually learn about players instead of one and done? COACH McGRAW: I think it's great they stay. It helps your team development. I don't know how men do it because you're constantly playing freshmen because your upperclassmen are leaving. So I think in the women's game that's probably why we have all the No. 1 seeds advancing and maybe why we have a little less parity, because the teams who get the good players keep them for four years. I think it's great that they don't leave early. And the education. You have to look at the graduation rates between men's and women's basketball. I think probably women's are higher. I think that's a really important stat, too. But, like I said, if somebody's giving them a million dollars, somebody would probably have a lawsuit and try to change that. Q. In 2001 you lost to Connecticut in the Big East finals, then you beat them in the national semifinals on route to the title. Is that something you've dropped out there with the players? Are they aware of that? COACH McGRAW: We talk about that a lot with Niele on the bench and in practice. She gets to talk about her championship quite a bit. So I think we did draw a lot of parallels with this. We actually went through Denver to get to St. Louis for the finals. So I think there's a lot of things that we look at and say, boy, there's a lot of similarities. I'm not that superstitious, but my team is, so I think it's a good thing. Q. You're going against another Southerner, like last year. I wonder if you could just talk about personality‑wise you and Kim. Over the years you guys have crossed paths a lot. Just maybe a little bit of contrast in personality. And then also just she sort of has this fiery temper on the sidelines, maybe sometimes you're more subdued. Could you talk about the contrast a little bit? COACH McGRAW: I think there's a contrast starting with the outfits and going through the game. I think she really has a lot of emotion on the sideline, a lot of fire on the sideline, and I think that's how she coaches because that's the kind of person that she is. I think over the years I've gotten less‑‑ I've gotten more patient with every single play that happens and try not to react to that. But it works for us. That's just her personality. And it's an interesting contrast. Q. Coach, you talked about it a little bit earlier, but with Baylor do you have to kind of pick your poison? Because that's kind of what happened last night. COACH McGRAW: Yeah, you know, you really do. I think you can't let Griner just get 50. And you can't just let her go and try to guard her one on one. So you have to do something. You have to hope they shoot poorly. That's what it comes down. The team that makes the most shots is going to win the game. Sounds so simplistic, but you get open looks, but they're not going to be around the basket. They're going to get open looks, they're going to be around the basket. I think if we can force other people to shoot the ball and hope they shoot it poorly and we shoot it well, that's got to be the big key to the game. And you have absolutely no control over how you shoot the ball, so it's a little scary. Q. In this whole last 10, 15years of UConn‑Tennessee, Notre Dame and Baylor are two teams that are‑‑ one of you two is going to win two titles during that. Can you just talk about those two programs being able to be as consistently good at the top level with the two titans, the way they've been? COACH McGRAW: Yeah, it's a refreshing change, I think, to see two different teams in the finals. I think that both of us have built our programs in different ways. I think we're just happy to be in that conversation now of being an elite program that can get to the Final Four, and certainly we're there a lot because of Skylar and the chemistry we have on our team. And Griner has certainly done that for Baylor as well. So I think we've both kind of built around some pretty good players. We look a little bit more at team chemistry and how we're going to fill the other roles maybe than they do. Q. A lot of focus on Griner, obviously, but can you talk about what Destiny Williams gives them at the other post? COACH McGRAW:  I think she's been the X factor for them. In a lot of games you'll see she's really doing great things to offset the defense on Griner, and then a lot of games they're bringing Griner high and giving it to her on the block. So I think she really is the unsung hero of their team. She's played well all year, rebounded well, scores, can shoot the jumper, can score on the block. Rebounds. And that's what makes them dangerous, when that other‑‑ that other player. Q. Ruth and Griner are different types of personalities, but I remember Ruth's freshman year she got frustrated a lot, was in foul trouble, kind of adjusting to the physicality. Certainly by the time she was a senior, no matter what you did to her, you couldn't get her rattled. Brittney as a junior now has gotten that calmness. How do post players do that when they take as much physical abuse as they do? A.I admire that, because I think when you're tall you don't get a lot of calls. We watch high school kids play, you feel like you're watching the game wondering when the ref is going to make the call. But most of the refs are pretty short. And I think there's a little bit of a bias there, like, well, you're 6'5", you ought to be able to make that shot with somebody hanging on your arm. I think they do put up with a lot. If they have that kind of personality and that poise that Ruth had, I think it does make it a lot easier for them to handle it. THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach. 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