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PACIFIC-12 CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 8, 2013Chiney OgwumikeTara VanDerveerSEATTLE, WASHINGTON Stanford – 79 THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with Coach Tara VanDerveer, Sara James, and Chiney Ogwumike. Coach, if you'd like to open? COACH VANDERVEER: First of all, I just want to say probably the most important thing is to see June Daugherty behind the bench, knowing she was okay. It was really scary. We're really glad that she's doing well. Congratulate Washington State on a great game. I thought they played really hard. It was a much tougher team than we saw last week, and we had to‑‑ I thought we had to really play well in order to move on to the semifinals tomorrow, and we did play well. The two people next to me I thought had great games. Sara James has been practicing so hard. She really showed out today, knocking down five threes, which is I think a career high for her. She just had a great game. She worked very hard defensively on Galdeira who is an excellent, excellent player. The usual double‑double from Chiney, which we have come to depend on. Chiney rebounding, scoring, and I feel like I've got really good contributions from Mikaela Ruef, I thought she had great passes, six assists. I thought Joss who actually had the flu all week made some really big plays for us. Amber was steady. Bonnie came in and helped us, and E. Payne came in and helped us. We got a lot of contributions from a lot of people. Having said that, we'll have to play a lot better tomorrow. Q. We're used to double‑doubles from Chiney, but we're not used to behind the back passes. What did you think of that one? COACH VANDERVEER: I thought it was something that we actually practiced. We actually practiced behind the back passes as part of a bigger series of drills that we do. I thought it was kind of the right thing at the right time. Just in that our team needed something to kind of loosen them up, maybe, get them excited. That kind of did it. Along with others, right then were some steals. Both Sara James and Mikaela had five steals. But I think Chiney is lobbying for some point guard time. Q. Were you comfortable shooting tonight in a new gym? Sometimes it can be a tough night on shooters, but you looked comfortable. Did you feel comfortable here? CHINEY OGWUMIKE: Yeah, we came here and shot this morning. The ball was just feeling really good in my hands. I just knew that it was going to be a good shooting day. So I came out firing. Q. Chiney, can you talk a little bit about the play at the end of the first half when you got the ball, went the length of the court, looked at the clock or looked at the scoreboard? I don't know if you were counting the crowd too, but can you run us through what happened on that? CHINEY OGWUMIKE: It's funny. Sometimes I get burned on defense, and I feel really bad because I'm a risk‑reward type of defender and I sometimes get out of position. But knowing the last ten seconds going up I knew that our defense was pretty‑‑ ending the game with the defensive stop was big. But I didn't expect to get a steal. I saw their coach tell their player, don't foul, don't foul. So I just try to bring momentum. Today I haven't smiled that much in a long time playing. Today was a lot of fun. So many people got into the game. Like Sara James was diving on the floor. Mikaela Ruef diving on the floor. Amber her defensive presence. Taylor making great passes. Bonnie penetrating. How many times have you seen Bonnie willing to take contacts like that? I think it's March, and it's lose or go home. So I think that was just a really fun thing for us. Q. Are you aware this is the first 20‑20 game that's ever been in the conference tournament? CHINEY OGWUMIKE: I've recently become aware. It's funny. It's awesome. It's cool. But they don't really matter to me in the scheme of things. Because to me I'm smiling about how Sara James got that huge offensive board when the pressure was inside and how she hit five threes and spotted up really well, and Joslyn, how she responded in the second half. Those things got me going. Even those stats are nice. I look at the four or three turnovers I had, and I'm just hitting myself in the head. So that's what I focus on. It's just whatever our team needs, I'm down for. Q. How is Bonnie's head? COACH VANDERVEER: I think it was sore, but she seems fine. I'm mad at Chiney on that play. CHINEY OGWUMIKE: Oh, I know. That was my fault. I should have known the scouting report. Because Galdeira, she likes to drive right. She's an aggressive driver right, and I should have known that switching on to her. Bonnie really made me look good until she fell and hit her head because she tried to take a charge on that play. So if I knew what I was doing, Bonnie wouldn't have been put in that situation. That's part of how we keep each other accountable. So, sorry, Bonnie. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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