NCAA Women’s Lexington Regional Semifinals
Saturday, March 24 2018
Lexington, Kentucky
Louisville
Jeff Walz
Myisha Hines-Allen
Asia Durr
Sam Fuehring
Louisville – 86, Stanford – 59

JEFF WALZ: I’d first like to just congratulate Stanford on a fantastic season. We knew coming into the game tonight that we had our hands full. We knew we were going to have to play extremely well, and I thought we did that. So just to congratulate them on a great year.

And then I’ll question you all, are you past your deadlines? We’re past deadlines, so what you’ll see is you can ask me as many questions tomorrow as you all would love to because I’d like to get these kids back to get into bed and we have a noon game on Sunday. My cell phone, I’ll be happy to give it to you when we’re done, you can call me, I’ll give you as much as you want. But I’m finished with my statement because it’s 12:10 right now and we play a noon game on Sunday. So I want to get these kids back to sleep. It’s the student-athlete welfare that I think is important. Thank you.

Q. You guys had some pretty unselfish play tonight, but talk about on defense, what were you able to do differently tonight that maybe you feel like you haven’t done against other top teams earlier this season?
ASIA DURR: Well, I think it’s been the same thing all throughout the year whole, pressuring the ball. We do a great job doing that. I mean — sorry, it’s late. But yeah, we do a great job of doing that. Dana, Myisha, Sam, throughout the whole — I can go throughout the whole team. I mean, we got some great steals. Our post players were getting steals. I think we played hard tonight.

Q. Asia, talk about Myisha just a little bit. 2,000 points. You know how difficult points are to come by in this league. What does that mean she’s able to score that many points?
ASIA DURR: I’m going to make it short, but Mya is a heck of a player. I have so much fun playing with her. She brings me so much confidence. It’s been nice to see her grow as a player. Each year she’s gotten better. I mean, she plays her butt off, and she does some great things on that floor. I feel like she’s the best post player in the country. She does some great things for us.

Q. How was the 9:45, 9:50 start for you out on the court? Did you notice any appreciable difference?
MYISHA HINES-ALLEN: No, we were happy to play. We were happy to be out there and got an opportunity to play a great team and to have the opportunity to get to an Elite 8. We weren’t really worried about the time, we were just ready to play, and it felt like a regular game. We weren’t really focused on what the time was. We just did our normal routine, warmed up the same way, so it was just like regular game, let’s go, let’s get the ball going.

Q. Myisha, did you know that you had the 2,000 points?
MYISHA HINES-ALLEN: Yes.

Q. What does it mean to you?
MYISHA HINES-ALLEN: It means a lot. I mean, I really can’t explain it. It’s just like 2,000 points, not a lot of people can do that or get that. But Angel McCaughtry and Shoni Schimmel in this program have gotten it. Just to be with those type of players is amazing, and I know Asia Durr is about to be up there, too, soon. Just to be in company with those players is crazy just to think about it.

Q. Sam, on the glass tonight, what was the difference for you personally?
SAM FUEHRING: I feel like I’ve been going to the glass a lot more than in the regular season. I don’t really know why I’ve changed like that, but I mean, it’s been working.

MYISHA HINES-ALLEN: She wants to steal my rebounds.

SAM FUEHRING: No, Myisha used to steal all of my rebounds, all of them.

ASIA DURR: Now you steal mine.

Q. Myisha, near the end of the third quarter, I’m not sure if this was the basket, but you had a long pass that you caught and laid it in and pounded the floor after it went in. Was that celebration of 2,000, or was that some other milestone?
MYISHA HINES-ALLEN: No, that was just milestone of us getting closer to the Elite 8. That was. I was just excited. I’m an emotional player, so I just got emotional.

Q. For everyone up here, how exciting is this to get this chance on Sunday to get to the Final Four, your first Final Four?
MYISHA HINES-ALLEN: I’m super excited. I’m ready to get back to it and continue to work. We’re not stopping here. We want to go to the Final Four. We want to compete for a National Championship, and we know we have to take care of business on Sunday, so it’s going to start once we get back to the hotel with treating your body good, making sure whatever it is that Carissa our trainer needs us to do, we’re doing it, so we have a chance to actually compete to get to a Final Four.

Q. Both of you guys had your brothers in attendance tonight. Can you talk about how important family is on the sidelines and in the crowd?
ASIA DURR: Well, my brother is my best friend. We’re 14 months apart, so we’re pretty close. We do everything together. He’s really like my twin, but the boy version of me. It’s pretty much — yeah, I’m a big family person, so that means a lot to me.

MYISHA HINES-ALLEN: Well, if my brother wouldn’t have came to the game, I probably would have had to beat him up because he’s here, so it’s like — I’m just happy that he came, though. He’s in support of us, and Sunday he’ll be wearing red. Yeah, impressive.

Q. Asia, what was the key to you all getting — creating the types of shots you got tonight and being able to knock them down so well?
ASIA DURR: Tempo. I think we played with great tempo tonight. We were trying to push the ball. Our point guards have done a great job doing that, and our posts, as well. I mean, our posts are spreading the floor. It’s fun to play like that. You want to play with such a fast pace, but I think we did a great job spreading the floor tonight.

Q. What made your defense so effective tonight?
JEFF WALZ: Well, it’s been effective all year. We just played hard. The kids were dialed in, they knew what they were supposed to do, and I thought they executed extremely well.

Q. I’d like for you to speak individually about the three players that were up here, Asia, Myisha and Sam, and their performance tonight and how much you can appreciate the effort they put in.
JEFF WALZ: Yeah, when we recruited them, they weren’t very good. My staff has done a fantastic job of taking bad players and making them good. That’s what we do. I’m not sure any of them had scholarship offers. So we take — our staff takes all credit for what they’re able to do. Next one.

No, I mean, it’s all of them — they’re all — they work. They’re the first ones in the gym, last ones out of the gym. They’re great — not just great players, they’re great young women. You know, I’m hoping that we have a chance to play three more games. You know, but we know we have one on Sunday. But when it’s all said and done, the games are fun. The games are — you know, obviously it’s what we do, but it’s a time that we get to spend with them off the court that really is what this is all about. It’s why I love coaching women’s basketball, because you get these young women for four years, so you actually get to watch them grow. You get to watch them come in, and I call them kids and they get upset, but they come in as kids, and they leave as young women. We take a lot of pride in making sure they’re prepared for life, not just to be a good basketball player.

Q. 15 minutes before the game, you’re sitting on the bench, daughter in your lap, singing along to Journey. Don’t you feel stressed in that situation —
JEFF WALZ: Not one bit.

Q. — that’s a tournament game?
JEFF WALZ: Not one bit.

Q. Why?
JEFF WALZ: I haven’t missed a shot in 22 years. I keep telling them all the time, everybody is like, hey, man, I don’t want to talk to you — no, I’m fine, I’ll talk to anybody.

You know, we’ve done all of our work, and then my time comes when the game starts. Before that, I’m not one of those, you can’t talk to me, don’t do that. Again, that’s why I love coaching women’s basketball. You asked me that question about would you be interested in a men’s job. No. I mean, I want to sit there with my daughter to experience it. Unfortunately our four-and-a-half-year-old was home sick, but hopefully she’ll be able to come Sunday. But that’s what it’s all about. Memories like that that I’ll be able to sit there and share with her in 10 years.

You know, Coach Purcell’s daughters got on the big screen, and our players were watching the game out in the hall, and they all just started — our players are like, oh, your girls are on, your girls are on. That’s what it’s all about. Sure, if you don’t win enough games, you get fired. It’s part of it. But I love what I do, but it’s not my life. I tell people all the time, I’m going to play the power ball, I’ve got my tickets. I think it’s about 485, and there’s a chance if I win, Steph might be coaching tomorrow. You know, 485 million, I mean, I’d like to go count that, you know? I’ll ask for it all in 5s and 10s.

You know, I love these kids. I love what I do. But I think family is the most important thing. You’ve got to make sure you have a good balance.

Q. You talked about your family. Your team plays like a family. Offensively you’ve got almost all five scorers in double figures. You held four of their starters to a total of 21 points, the passing. Have you ever had a team that is playing this well together at this time of year?
JEFF WALZ: Yeah, well, we’ve had two that have gone on and played for National Championships. I mean, you have to be playing pretty well at this time of the year to have that happen. But I will say it’s — our locker room is great, and that’s what it’s been like. You know, when you’ve got players that are excited for each other and not necessarily worried about themselves or trying to figure out how do I get a teammate on my page because I’m not playing as much as I think I should so now you try to grab one to complain with, we don’t have that. Everybody knows what they’ve got to do to play, and everybody is honest with each other. The players are honest with each other.

You know, and there is no — we have a saying that I can’t use the word for, but you don’t want to live in this area, okay. Like when you wake up in the morning, you have a choice to be in a good mood or be miserable, and we talk to our players every day. If you’re having a bad day, try to put a smile on somebody else’s face, instead of having to let everyone know you’re having a bad day.

And I’ve got a group of young women that have bought into that. I mean, they’re great to be around. It’s really hard to tell when someone has had a bad day on our team. And you have them. But everybody doesn’t have to know. And I commend them for that, and I think that’s why they enjoy playing with each other as much as they do.

Q. Obviously there’s going to be excitement after any big win, but a lot of these players have never been to an Elite 8 before. Is there added excitement right now in the locker room about beginning to take a step that’s never been taken before?
JEFF WALZ: No, it’s one game at a time. We know we have to play a very, very talented Oregon State team on Sunday. Sure, they’re excited because they get another opportunity to compete. But I’m telling you, and I’ve said it all year and everybody laughs. If we can keep winning, I’m telling you, we could win a National Championship, and our kids would want to play the next day because that’s all we talk about is just one game at a time. We don’t get caught up in the moment. Sure, will we sit there and enjoy this? Of course we will. But we know there’s bigger fish to fry, but I’m telling you, this group of kids, they love — they just love being around each other. They love playing with each other, and we have fun. I mean, we literally have a good time. Life’s too short.

Q. Tara was in here, and she said that if she didn’t have to play you, she would enjoy watching your team. What is it about your team do you think that is appealing to another coach?
JEFF WALZ: I think how hard our kids compete. I mean, I really do. I’m waiting to see what actually happened, but like Sam Fuehring, the epitome to Sam Fuehring and what she does is when she got the offensive rebound in the first half and the three players from Stanford fell on the ground. And I don’t know what happened. I don’t think she fouled them. But that’s Sam. I mean, there’s three kids on the ground, Sam gets the rebound and makes it, and then Sam falls.

You know, we compete. We play hard. Our kids have handled adversity throughout the year in terms of we’re down 12, it’s South Dakota State was a very difficult place to play, we’re down in the ACC Tournament — as I’ve said, we won an ACC Tournament championship I think by a combined total of 10 points in three games. You know, our league is really good. Virginia Tech is making a great run in the NIT, and NC State was who we beat in the semis, and they just lost tonight but had a great year.

So we’ve been in games that we know that you can’t get too caught up in the moment. You have to make sure you’re able to handle some adversity because it’s going to come.
 
NCAA Women’s Lexington Regional Semifinals
Saturday, March 24 2018
Lexington, Kentucky
Stanford
Tara VanDerveer
Brittany McPhee
Dijonai Carrington
Louisville – 86, Stanford – 59

TARA VANDERVEER: Well, it’s not the press conference that you want to have. I think we’ve had a great season. Our team has really demonstrated, I think, tremendous resilience and fight. We had to do a lot of that tonight.

I thought Louisville played very well. They knocked down shots. They were extremely aggressive. We turned it over too much. We didn’t do a good enough job keeping them off the O-boards, and I thought we battled in spurts really well, and then the two people next to me I thought really made some major contributions to give us a chance.

But I think we’re better than what we showed tonight, but I’m really proud of our whole team and how well — the season that we had.

Q. Brittany, talk about what they did that was so successful and some things that normally you’re able to do you weren’t able to do tonight.
BRITTANY McPHEE: Yeah, they were just really physical. We faced that earlier in the season and struggled with it. But yeah, they just came out and didn’t back down, so it was difficult just to get open or just to get a handoff or something like that. So they played really difficult defense.

DIJONAI CARRINGTON: Yeah, they just knocked down a lot of shots. They were very aggressive on the offensive boards, from the 1 to the 5, and we didn’t match that today.

Q. Brittany, from one scorer to another, what do you recognize in Asia Durr’s game? What makes her so effective?
BRITTANY McPHEE: I think she just exudes confidence, and she’ll take any shot and think it’s going to go in. She was feeling it tonight, and she has range from anywhere, so she’s just a great player.

Q. Brittany, can you talk about what this team is going to mean in terms of your memories of Stanford and your Stanford career?
BRITTANY McPHEE: It’s going to mean a lot. Everything does. I don’t know. Each year is different, and this year was great, and I wouldn’t have wanted any other teammates.

Q. For both players, do you think in the fourth quarter the Cards were a little bit faster than the Cardinal? Were you getting tired, or was the strength still there?
DIJONAI CARRINGTON: I mean, our goal is not to back down at all. We always thought — in every game never give up. It doesn’t matter what the score is because as you guys have seen this season, last season, we have come back from big deficits. Yeah, I didn’t really see that, but they played really well the entire game, and I think we were a step slow the whole game. So I don’t think it was a little bit slower in the fourth, I just think that’s how the whole game went.

Q. Can you talk about what you’ll take from both Brittany and Kaylee as they move on?
DIJONAI CARRINGTON: Yeah, especially Brittany, she’s a super hard worker, and I’ve seen the progression of her game from when she was a freshman until now, and that’s definitely something I want for me is just to continue to improve and not become complacent. Last year she had a great season and especially a great postseason, and I mean, she improved from then to now, and that’s what I want for myself.

And then with Kaylee, just her leadership. She is always talking, always just communicating, making sure everyone is aware of what we’re running, keeping everyone engaged and ready to go, in practice, in games, and I think that those are two things that I definitely want to take into my game and the whole team, as well.

Q. As a Pac-12 team, how do you see them matching up with Oregon State?
BRITTANY McPHEE: I think it’ll be a really good game. Both teams probably are going to scout super well, and it should — I don’t know what else.

DIJONAI CARRINGTON: Yeah, they obviously play very different styles, but I think both teams are well-coached, and it’s going to be a battle.

Q. For both players, you guys have mentioned Louisville’s shooting and their strength on the offensive glass tonight, but what were they doing on defense that disrupted you guys?
BRITTANY McPHEE: Yeah, they were just being really physical and then they were limiting us to one shot most of the time. It was tough to get extra momentum. They were getting back on defense, so we didn’t really get any fast breaks or anything like that.

Q. Coach, what makes Louisville’s defense so tough to deal with, and why the 19 turnovers?
TARA VANDERVEER: You know, I mean, they have a combination of athleticism and aggressiveness, size. They really extended their defense on us, and I think that we — intellectually we knew that was going to happen, but you can’t — it’s hard to kind of talk to people about this is what’s going to happen, and when it happens, it’s a little bit different.

I thought they were extremely aggressive, and they were quick to the ball. A lot of times — they were just more physical. You know, just sometimes you kind of just get kind of put on your heels right away, and I don’t think we recovered very well.

Q. Louisville is a team offensively that can score from the 1 through the 5 position. How much more difficult does that make it to play a team that has the depth that they have?
TARA VANDERVEER: You know, I think that they do, they have a very balanced team, and they’re a No. 1 seed for a reason. Like you said, they did score 1 through 5, and then they had some people come off the bench and score, too.

I think what’s — there are a lot of things that were very impressive about their team. I thought they passed the ball very well. They shot the ball well. In the first half they were like 64 percent, and I mean, they — our defense, we were not aggressive enough. We didn’t keep them off the glass well enough. We didn’t take care of the ball well enough. But that’s a credit to them.

They have an All-American in Asia Durr, and she’s, I think, a candidate for national Player of the Year. She had a great game tonight. We worked hard on her, but she still found spots and was able to knock down her shot.

Q. Talk about Brittany McPhee and what she’s meant for you over the last years.
TARA VANDERVEER: You know, Brit is really — it’s been really exciting to see her development, come in and — she’s really improved a lot. I think this year — each year we’ve seen more and more from her in terms of her scoring, her passing, her rebounding. She’s really been a great leader for us this year. So it’s been really fun to see her development. Our team is going to really miss her a lot, and I’m really proud of how well she’s done and proud to have been her coach.

Q. You spoke about Brittany’s performance during the season, but in regards to her play tonight, could you give us a few words about what you thought of her play tonight and Di’s play tonight, also?
TARA VANDERVEER: Well, I think kind of the way Louisville played you, there were basically players that can put the ball on the floor and attack the basket were successful, and that’s what Di does and that’s what Brit does. Brit loves to score. She puts the ball on the floor really well and goes to the basket, and she was doing that really throughout the whole game. There were some points in the game when two and three and four people would converge on her, we need her to pitch it. But I think her ability to put the ball on the floor and go to the basket is something that helped her, helped us do well tonight.

Q. You’ve seen both these two teams now, Louisville and Oregon State. What do you think that game is going to look like?
TARA VANDERVEER: Well, you know, I think that Louisville probably will try to do the same thing.

One thing, the way Oregon State plays, they really — they spread the floor very well, and if — and they have someone that they can go to inside. Gülich is — I think Gülich is an All-American, too. So they put her in there, and they’ll go to her, and if she’s one-on-one, she’ll score on whoever is guarding her. And if you help off of her, then they have, I think, excellent three-point shooters around her.

I think as Dijonai said, I think it’s going to be a battle, and it’ll be kind of who can win out. Is it the defense, aggressive defense, extended out, or are they going to be able to attack that and go inside?

Defensively I don’t know that — when we played Oregon State, defensively they’re not a super quick team, but they play really good position, and again, they have someone inside that blocks shots and is a kind of protector. I’d come back for the game. I’ll watch it on TV.

Q. Obviously you guys had never played Louisville before, but watching from afar over the past few seasons, how have you seen their program develop to a place where they’re a contender now?
TARA VANDERVEER: Well, I mean, it’s about players. They have really complementary players, and they play very well together. I also think that — I think it’s great they’ve also built a great following with a lot of people coming and cheering for them and getting really big crowds, which is great for women’s basketball.

If you’re not playing them, I think you could really enjoy watching them play. They pass the ball well, they shoot the ball well. They work hard on defense. They’re extremely physical, as our players pointed out. A very well-coached team and a very unselfish team. They score well together.

Q. You spoke about Louisville’s following, but the NCAA I don’t think would have sent you this far east three years in a row if your fans weren’t such great followers. Speak about your appreciation for your fans if you would.
TARA VANDERVEER: Well, I think that we have great fans, and they’ve followed our team. Our team struggled early, and our fans have — just as our team stuck together, our fans stuck with us, which has been a great thing.

And again, I think that the journey that this team has been on is a real credit to the type of person we have on our team, the young people that we have. They’re really mature, and the fans have recognized that and I think been very supportive.