UConn Huskies women’s basketball head coach Geno Auriemma as well as seniors Stefanie Dolson and Bria Hartley met with the media on Friday in anticipation of UConn’s matchup with BYU in the Sweet 16 on Saturday afternoon.
Geno Auriemma, UConn Head Coach:
Opening Statement
“I was just saying at this time of the year you are just excited to be playing anywhere. There is only 16 teams left, so anytime you are fortunate enough to be in that 16 you have a lot of excitement on the team—coaching staff. We are in a new place for us, we have been to a lot of places but we have never been here in this arena. I am anxious to see what it looks like, tomorrow afternoon, we have heard so many great things about the fans here and the support Nebraska women’s team gets. It is an interesting bracket, not what everybody expected it to be. Sometimes that is good, we are anxious to get started.”
On being unbeaten, and what are UConn’s weaknesses
“I would try to get the coach to act like a dummy and get thrown out. There are weaknesses that every team has, there are things that every team does that really-really good. There are things that every team does that you can take advantage of. We are certainly no different from any other team in that aspect, the key is in every game can you take advantage of those weaknesses and can you sustain that for 40 minutes. What team can make the adjustment quicker? Our team and our staff we all know what our weaknesses are, but my job is to make sure the other teams don’t know what they are. But, I am sure Jeff and Doug and Gary Blair are all worried about the weaknesses on their own team like we all are.”
On the ability of the team to stay level
“I like to equate it to having children, if you have more than one, you know the first one you are over the top with everything. Everything has to be just right, 24/7 involved, everything that the little guy or girl does is the biggest thing in the world. Then once the second one comes along, you go—‘yeah I have been there and done that.’ My case, when that third one came along you are like ‘really?’ So what is the big deal, oh she is talking, yeah I have been there and done that. I think it is similar to when you have coached for as long as I have coached. We have coaches at this regional that have coached a long time, I think you have seen it all and you experienced it all. You don’t necessarily get over the top on any one game or any one thing. You don’t allow one game or one play make you feel like that is going to be. There were a lot of times when I was younger that if we played poorly in a half, I was just convinced we were going to play terribly the whole time. Or if the kid got off in the first 10 minutes and then finished lousy, I’d say they don’t have it tonight. As you get older that is not the case. A kid can go 8-8 in the first 10 minutes and then not make a shot the rest of the game. So you tend to view things more big picture, as opposed to what is going on in front of you right now. I think that helps the players too. That is just long way of saying I am too old to give a damn about what is going on out there—and I have no control over it.”
On BYU making it to the Sweet 16, and other 12 seeds making it
“Well just the fact that it has happened so few of times shows how difficult it is. I don’t think it is as difficult as it used to be and I don’t think it is going to be more difficult, I think it will be less difficult for a 12 seed to get to the regionals. Simply because the players are spread out more, there are better players playing at more good places around the country. I think it is good for our game. I think it is good to get some new faces and new excitement around the country. From a playing standpoint, if you ask anyone on our team what seed BYU is, they won’t know. They just know BYU beat Nebraska and you have to play them. So at this time of the year, you don’t get caught up in numbers. Not this year, but the committee has been known to make a mistake here or there on the seeding. So it doesn’t necessarily mean what the number is who you really are as a team.”
On if he is impressed with what BYU has done so far
“Yeah, I have watched a bunch of their tape since the other day and yeah—there are a couple of teams in this region that remind me of teams that I have seen back East in the past 35 years or so. Guys can handle the ball, pass it, shoot it, they spread the ball around and they are not built around one player. There isn’t one focal point where you can take it away and beat them. They are not going to be an easy team to play, let’s put it that way.”
On the challenge of facing a dominant shot blocker
“There are three different ways to be a really good defensive team I think, there is a fourth way but I don’t think that is great. The fourth way is to sit down and play defense every minute of every day and try and stop the other team and I don’t think that works long term. The other way is you steal the ball, and you get a layup. If you can’t do that, they come down and they shoot it, you block their shot. If you can’t do those things, you have to rebound obviously. Anytime you have a good shot blocker, you automatically have a low shooting percentage defense. People are not getting great shots, every shot it difficult relative to a layup. So having that one player in there, like we had Kara Wolters it was similar. It gives all the other players a chance to take risks. Do some things that maybe don’t look like they are successful. If you surround her that have basketball skills, you have a really good team.”
On Nebraska not making it to Sweet 16
“There are a couple of things that go into the NCAA Tournament that I am not particularly fond of. One is home games. People don’t understand the pressure that players and coaches are under to win home games. So when you play at home, you are expected to win. It has been my experience that when two really good teams in the NCAA Tournament play, and one of the teams is at home, it is one of the most difficult games to win in postseason play. The next thing is, when you know you are going to be home, and you have to win a game to get there, and the pressure you put on yourself to get back home. Then everyone is disappointed when it doesn’t happen. I can certainly understand the coaches and players at Nebraska, all the hype and all the buildup was well that is why we gave you the regional, the chance to play at home, 9000 or 10000 people there and you are playing the No. 1 team in the country. Don’t think that doesn’t play with people’s minds or emotions. It is a shame, I feel for them, but BYU deserves to be here. If they didn’t deserve to be here, they would not be here.”
On Breanna Stewart
“We take it for granted, for somebody like Kevin Durant does the things he does. If 25 years ago somebody did that, it would be like oh my god, there is a seven foot guy that can do all that. So we have come to grips with that. On the women’s side, we have six foot guards and forwards that can shoot the lights out, can handle the ball and pass the ball. We have had six foot four or five players that were really great post players. That could maybe make a 15 foot jump shot. I don’t know if the game has seen anyone that is 6-4 and can take the ball from one end to the
court to the other and run past most guards. Can block your shot when we come down on defense. Can score in the post and take your 6-7 post player and take them out and shoot a three and be comfortable making four or five. Not to mention she is a great passer. What most people don’t see in Breanna is how well she passes the ball to other people. It is a little known fact that we probably use our two best shooters, Kaleena and Breanna they probably complete more tough passes than anybody else on our team. Whenever we have something difficult we have to execute, those two guys are the two making those plays.”
UConn Players: Stefanie Dolson and Bria Hartley
On their approach to tournament games being a focus on the opponent or on their own game:
Hartley: “I think we go out there and we really focus on what we do. What we do offensively, what we do defensively. So we just go out there and look at our scout and look at the gameplan that the coaches give us and just focus on what we’re going to do, how we’re going to disrupt them offensively and then how we’re going to get into our flow on our offense, as well.”
On if it surprises Stefanie Dolson how they’ve won every game of the season so soundly:
Dolson: “Does it surprise me? Not necessarily. We work so hard and it starts with preseason and offseason. We all work on our individual skills and then, once we get together as a team, Coach (Geno Auriemma) makes practice so hard, so we’re always challenged everyday and, for us, we know going into a game that we’re going to strive to play our best. And I can’t say that doesn’t surprise me. There are a lot of great teams in this country and I think we just do such a great job of pressuring them and making it hard for them to score, and then we have so many offensive threats that I think we do a great job of finding each other and putting the ball in the basket.”
On if the coaches have mentioned not counting BYU out:
Dolson: “I think he (Auriemma) does that with every team we play. We always say you don’t look at what’s on the front of their jersey or what their ranking is. Going out there, it’s the tournament. Every team is going to play their best and you know that if you lose, you go home, so we don’t look at what their ranked or what their season was like. We just go out there and play as hard as we can and focus on our game and not the team we’re playing.”
On if they have ever been to Nebraska and their thoughts on Lincoln so far:
Hartley: “I haven’t been able to see the court or anything, but from the outside, it looks like a really nice arena and how big it is. I’ve never been to Nebraska, never thought I would be, but I think that’s basketball. It’s kind of cool the places that basketball has been able to take me.”
Dolson: “I agree, I’ve never been to Nebraska. I’m not even sure what’s around here, state-wise, so I could be close. I’m geographically-challenged so I don’t know. But I’m excited, hopefully CD (Associate Head Coach Chris Dailey) will bring us around to explore. And like Bria, I haven’t seen the court yet, so I’m excited, and the arena looks great from the outside. It’s going to be interesting.”
On if Stefanie Dolson has played anyone like BYU’s Jennifer Hamson and on their upcoming matchup:
Dolson: “Definitely not this season. She’s extremely tall and is going to change a lot of shots and probably block a lot of shots, but I think for us, it’s almost the same thing about them not being intimidated by us, we have to make sure we’re not intimidated by her size. We have to make sure that we keep attacking her, and for me, setting a lot of ball screens and bring her out of the paint so that our guards can drive it in there. It’s definitely a new look for us this year. We haven’t played anyone her size. I don’t even think anyone close. So it’ll be a fun game. I think we’re going to have a great practice today and we’re excited for tomorrow.”
On their thoughts on not playing the host team this round:
Dolson: “Honestly, I haven’t really thought about that. This tournament, anything can happen, so we didn’t expect anyone to get to the round, we didn’t know what was going to happen. Obviously not playing the home team is a little bit more of an advantage, but BYU probably feels the same way. Well, not that they were going to play here, but anyway. We have great fans, so we knew wherever we went that they would follow us and come and support us. Whoever we’re playing, it doesn’t matter to us. We’ve played enough away games that we’re ready for it.”
On how Bria Hartley and the rest of UConn’s guards will stop BYU from hurting them from three-point range:
Hartley: “I think we have a focus in practice on containing penetration, keeping them from getting in the lane and kicking it out. Number 21 on their team (Lexi Eaton), she’s kind of their engine that makes them go, and I think we just want to disrupt their offense and go out there and make it tough for them to get into a flow. That’s what we try to do when we play a lot of teams and especially with their best players, keeping the ball out of their hands, and maybe getting them a little frustrated out there and make it really hard for them to score.”
Locker Room Quotes
Moriah Jefferson, UCONN Guard:
On being in a good groove right now…
“That just comes from the team. When we’re all playing good together, that helps me out a lot.”
On the team’s sharing of the ball…
“We don’t have any selfish players on this team. We just want to move the ball and when people are open, knock down the shots.”
On playing against 6’7” Jennifer Hamson
“I think we’ll prepare well, and we’ll be ready for it in the game.”
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, UCONN Guard/Forward:
On the challenges of facing 6’7” Jennifer Hamson
“I think the challenge is just to keep her off the glass and make her uncomfortable. We want to keep her outside of the paint as much as possible, and if she does get it, we want to make her pass it out.”
On the benefits of having so much experience…
“We’ve been here, and we’re a little more used to this. We’re not as nervous as they are. They’re excited and nervous. We both have a lot riding on this, but because we’ve been in this position before, we’re prepared and know how to approach it.”
On where the team has improved the most this season…
“Our ability to work together and play to our strengths has got so much better throughout the year. The fact that we can play on a consistent level with the same consistency has improved also.”
Breanna Stewart, UCONN Forward:
On the challenge of facing a team with a 6’7” player…
“That’s going to be a challenge for us just because it’s not something that we’ve seen very often. We’re going to accept the challenge and perform well.”
On the pressures of playing at UCONN…
“When you come to Connecticut, you know that they’re in such a spotlight. We have pressure each day of the season, because we’re UCONN. Being able to adjust to that and learn from that in your freshman and sophomore years is helpful, and you become comfortable with it.”
On being in the spotlight…
“The coaches always do a good job in making sure that we’re always respectful, doing the right thing and being good role models.
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quotes courtesy of UConn
photo credit: cloe poisson – hartford courant
