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UNC's Courtney Banghart, Alyssa Ustby, Maria Gakdeng and Lexi Donarski press conference #UNC
Mar 21, 2025
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0:11
How we doing y'all? Good. How are you?
0:13
You guys good? Yeah. All
0:15
right. Hey, um if they don't address a
0:19
question to one of these
0:30
Welcome everyone to North Carolina's
0:32
press conference. Let me give you a
0:34
couple of announcements quick and then
0:36
we'll get to the questions. Um, please
0:38
remember to silence your cell phones.
0:41
Uh, media members, provide your name and
0:43
media ail affiliation each time you ask
0:45
a question. If you're joining on Zoom,
0:49
please use the raise hand function for
0:50
questions and we will address questions
0:52
in the room first and get to Zoom if
0:54
time allows. Recording of press
0:56
conferences on cell phones or cameras is
0:59
prohibited. Uh today for North Carolina,
1:01
we have Alyssa Usby, Maria Gakdang, and
1:05
Lexi
1:06
Dinarki. And we will start with
1:08
questions in the room. So feel free to
1:10
raise your hand and we'll come to you.
1:12
Remember name and affiliation first.
1:19
There we
1:21
go.
1:24
Sorry. Um I just wanted to ask, you
1:26
know, you've
1:28
um you know, from co season when there
1:32
was barely any fans in the stands to now
1:34
that you're hosting NCAA tournament
1:36
games. How much are you looking forward
1:38
to this moment tomorrow? Yeah, I'm
1:40
really excited for tomorrow because I've
1:43
been able to witness firsthand the
1:44
growth of this program from like you
1:46
said 2020 during COVID all the way to
1:48
what it is now. And I just credit all
1:51
the great people that have came here and
1:52
have poured everything they had into
1:54
this program to get it where it is
1:55
today.
1:58
Hi Alyssa Doug Buner AP. Um, on that
2:01
note, kind of with the growth of the
2:03
program, what does it mean just to have
2:05
a game u, you know, first round at home
2:07
and, you know, kind of see that come to
2:10
fruition? Yeah, it means a lot. Hosting
2:12
was one of our goals in the beginning of
2:14
the season and to finally have it be
2:17
tomorrow is something that's super
2:18
exciting. Um, and all of us girls have
2:21
been working really hard all season. And
2:22
so it's just something that we're
2:24
honored to be able to give back to the
2:26
community for because we have so many
2:28
great fans in Carmichael that continue
2:29
to support us every single game. And it
2:32
only feels right to bring them uh the
2:33
first two rounds of the March Madness
2:35
tournament home.
2:37
Matt Krauss, Tar Hill Sports Network
2:38
from Lefield. For Maria, Coach Bangghart
2:41
always calls you quote a problem. Why do
2:44
you think that you are quote a problem
2:46
for other teams?
2:48
just knowing like everybody knows and I
2:51
we know as a team and other teams know
2:53
when we play them like once I get the
2:55
ball in the low post like there's
2:56
there's no there's no answer for for me
2:59
and that's why she calls me a problem
3:00
every game. Um so just knowing that once
3:04
we like play through me get the ball to
3:05
me but knowing the double's coming but
3:07
also knowing how to play out of doubles
3:09
score easily. I feel like that's the
3:11
reason I'm a problem. So, yeah.
3:17
Down here to the right,
3:21
uh, Doug Fineberg, the Associated Press.
3:24
For all three of you, what is your first
3:25
March Madness memory watching it as a
3:27
kid? Is there a game you remember, a
3:28
play you remember? Someone said the
3:29
other day that the, uh, Enrique shot to
3:31
beat Yukon was their first memory. Is
3:33
there anything you remember as a kid
3:34
growing up watching March Madness? Lexi,
3:36
why don't you start and we'll go down
3:38
the row. Yeah, I would say as a kid when
3:40
March Madness started in the round of 64
3:43
and 32, my parents always took me and my
3:45
sister out of school to just watch
3:46
basketball all day. So that was where it
3:48
really started in elementary school.
3:50
These were the days we got off school
3:51
just to watch a lot of basketball and it
3:53
was a lot of fun. I would say there was
3:56
no like set memory, but in class having
3:59
those back like brackets, setting up
4:00
brackets um with your class and then
4:02
watching games throughout like the
4:04
school day. I feel like that was so much
4:05
fun with like your friends. So now like
4:07
being able to be that person on TV that
4:09
kids are watching has been like like a
4:11
full circle moment. So my answer is
4:13
similar to Maria's. Um I'd fill out
4:16
brackets in middle school and I'd
4:17
usually pick the teams that I thought
4:19
would win based on like their school
4:20
colors or their mascots and because
4:23
that's all I really knew about
4:24
basketball at the time.
4:29
Down to the right. Um for for either one
4:31
of y'all Mitch North Nation, sorry. Um,
4:34
you know, I'm curious what you've seen
4:36
kind of on film um of Oregon State and
4:39
what you're sort of prepared for. What
4:41
stood out to you about about them?
4:43
Alyssa, we'll start with you. Oregon
4:45
State has some good length and we've
4:47
played against length before in Kentucky
4:49
and so we just have a similar mindset in
4:52
going into that game of how you play
4:54
against height, which we want to make a
4:56
move side to side and not as much try to
4:58
compete with them by putting shots over
5:00
top of them. And so just kind of like
5:02
reminding ourselves of those principles
5:04
because we haven't played a team with
5:05
such great height in a while.
5:09
Maria, uh I would say making sure we get
5:11
out in transition knowing that they
5:13
can't they can't really keep up with us
5:14
as we get the ball down the floor
5:16
rebounding getting out. Um they have
5:17
scrappy guards and some big post players
5:19
so and they play a lot of zone so making
5:21
sure that we just keep moving get the
5:23
ball moving in zone. Lexi, anything to
5:25
add? Yeah, no I agree with what they
5:27
said. just play play with speed to
5:30
counteract their height
5:33
down in front.
5:35
Lexi or Maria, what do you learn late in
5:37
the season when um Alyssa and Ria were
5:40
out? You know, how important was it just
5:41
to kind of um persevere through that and
5:44
and bounce back in ACC tournament when
5:47
they returned? Lexi, you go ahead. Yeah,
5:49
this team is so connected and be
5:51
obviously we want them to be playing
5:53
with us and those games were challenging
5:55
when they weren't, but just playing for
5:58
them because we know that they still
6:00
want us to succeed even though they
6:01
can't be out on the court with us and
6:02
just making it through each game until
6:04
they're back with us, which thankfully
6:06
they both are now. So, yeah, just really
6:07
coming together and fighting. Yeah, just
6:10
continuing for both of us to keep
6:11
playing our roles as captains, as
6:13
starters, but having those people off
6:15
the bench that we know we have a deep
6:16
bench, we know people that we we can
6:18
play and having them come on the floor,
6:20
making sure that they know that we're
6:22
confident in them and that we can, you
6:23
know, keep playing without um our other
6:26
two starters, but you know, playing for
6:27
them was really important. So, Matt, go
6:30
ahead.
6:31
Mitch earlier. Um, as you sit here in
6:35
this practice gym and you think about
6:37
your five years here and having the
6:39
opportunity to host now, what does all
6:41
that mean to you for your role in this
6:44
program? It's super special. And even
6:47
like like you said, being in this
6:48
practice gym, this wasn't here um for
6:51
majority of my career. And like I stated
6:54
before, just to witness the growth
6:56
firsthand of this program and all the
6:58
elements that come with it is something
6:59
that's super special. I've been wanting
7:01
to host every single year that we've had
7:04
like the opportunity to in March. And
7:06
it's like it feels good to finally get
7:08
over that hump. And I felt like we
7:09
finally had the right pieces that were
7:12
all bought in to the same goal, the same
7:13
mission. And it's just really rewarding.
7:15
Like we put in so much work since in the
7:17
beginning of the summer and so we're
7:19
finally reaping those benefits now.
7:22
down to the front.
7:24
Uh Doug Fineberg, the AP Elysa, just to
7:26
follow up my question before, was
7:27
Carolina far in your bracket as a kid
7:30
because of the color scheme in the
7:31
mascot?
7:32
Yes, it's my f like Carolina blue is my
7:35
favorite color, so they're always making
7:37
it. Three of you. Just what is coach
7:39
Bangart like as a coach? I know from her
7:41
time at Princeton, she was a player le
7:43
type coach. What is she like for you
7:46
guys? Lexi, go ahead and start. We'll
7:48
work our way down. Yeah, she cares a lot
7:50
and she does what she needs to to get
7:52
the most out of all of us, both as a
7:55
team and individually. And she'll push
7:57
us, she'll get on us when she needs to,
7:59
but really she's really good at just
8:01
building that team atmosphere that
8:02
brings us all together so we can be a
8:04
player team because you need leadership
8:06
on the court to win big games. Yeah,
8:08
very effective coaching. I would say
8:10
she's very solution oriented. you know,
8:12
we ran into a lot of injuries last year,
8:13
but even this year, we we had to just
8:16
regroup a couple of times, and I think
8:17
we we fared well no matter what. And I
8:20
think she does the great job of um just
8:22
making sure that we all know that we're
8:24
confident in each other to go out and
8:26
win games.
8:27
Something that I admire about Coach
8:29
Bangart is how every single year she's
8:31
had a different team and those teams
8:33
have had different needs. And I felt
8:35
like this year she's done a really good
8:36
job at infusing all of us with
8:38
confidence because we all have the
8:41
basketball IQ and the understanding of
8:43
how we need to play the game and what
8:45
the game plan is. And so like her role
8:48
has been really great in just infusing
8:49
us with confidence and making sure that
8:51
we feel prepared and ready to go out and
8:53
do what we already know we can. Go down
8:55
here to the left. Kate Shaker of the
8:58
Daily Tarill. For all three of you,
8:59
obviously we're in your practice gym.
9:01
We're interviewing you in a different
9:03
setting and um you know you're still at
9:06
home but has how has this week felt
9:07
different? Uh I know March Madness
9:09
branding all that but has it felt
9:11
strange at all kind of practicing in
9:12
this setting? Alyssa, we'll start with
9:14
you and work down. It has felt a little
9:16
different just because of like the
9:17
access of our facilities was a lot
9:19
different and we have different
9:20
schedules that we have to kind of like
9:23
work our days around. But although it's
9:25
kind of weird, it feels special. like it
9:27
feels like something that we've earned
9:30
and something that we're excited for.
9:32
Yeah, I would say it is a little bit
9:33
weird but like a good kind of a feeling
9:35
to it. Um especially since like last
9:37
year we had to travel to get ready to
9:39
play over in South Carolina and then for
9:41
me the year before that like I wasn't
9:42
this wasn't even a reality for me like
9:45
playing in the tournament. So this is a
9:46
weird feeling but I think we we've
9:48
earned it. So I'm proud of us. Yeah.
9:50
Yeah, I would just say that we're all
9:52
seniors, too. So, this is our last time
9:53
to take all of that in and I feel like
9:55
we've really been doing that all week
9:56
long and we can we will continue to as
9:58
we get closer and closer to game time.
10:01
Matt, go ahead. Lexi, earlier list
10:03
talked about pieces and how this team
10:05
has the right pieces. You were a player
10:08
that didn't have a relationship with
10:10
Coach Bangart when you went into the
10:12
portal, but she sought you out as a
10:14
piece to make this all click. What does
10:16
that mean to you? Yeah, I mean, it means
10:18
a lot. I mean, Coach Bangghart is a
10:20
great recruiter and the second I started
10:22
talking to her and got on campus, I was
10:24
like, that's someone that I want to play
10:25
for. That's a program that I want to be
10:27
a part of. So, it means a lot and I've
10:29
really enjoyed my time at Carolina and
10:30
want to keep this season going as long
10:32
as we can.
10:36
Anything else,
10:38
folks? Down here to the left. Yeah,
10:40
Matthew Mayor, the Taro Tribune. Um,
10:43
Melissa, you obviously didn't get to
10:45
play here in Carmichael on your senior
10:47
night. So, how special is it for you to
10:49
get to play potentially two more games
10:51
in Carmichael and kind of have, you
10:53
know, a senior night of your own? No,
10:55
it's a great question. Um, not being
10:57
able to play on my senior night was
11:00
absolutely heartbreaking. I was so upset
11:02
that I didn't get to play on the court
11:04
that I've poured so much into for the
11:06
last 5 years. And so, that made me even
11:09
more urgent to like secure that hosting
11:12
spot. And so, that drove a lot of my
11:15
like recovery process. I wanted to get
11:17
back as fast as I could from injury just
11:19
to help my team make sure that we like
11:22
secured that opportunity for a host so
11:24
that I could play that uh Carmichael
11:26
court again. And I'm just so so excited
11:28
and again I just can't reiterate enough
11:30
of how proud of I of how proud I am of
11:32
this group uh for getting that done and
11:35
finally get to play on the court again.
11:38
Down to the right.
11:41
Lindsay Gibbs with Power Plays. Melissa,
11:43
you've not only seen this program grow,
11:45
but you've seen women's sports and
11:47
women's basketball in particular grow
11:49
from few years ago being able to finally
11:51
officially say March Madness and now
11:53
this year with the units. What do you
11:55
think about how you've experienced the
11:57
growth of the women's basketball game
11:59
and where do you hope it goes in the
12:01
future? Yeah, I've been really fortunate
12:03
to be
12:04
alongside so many women's basketball
12:06
players that have a lot of courage and
12:09
use their voices to speak up for change
12:11
and have been just trailblazers in that
12:14
industry, whether they're still in
12:15
college or coming into college and
12:18
especially in the WNBA. There's so many
12:19
players that contributed to growing this
12:21
game where it needs to go and I see it
12:24
just continuing to expand. I mean, the
12:26
like the coolest thing I've seen is I
12:28
have three older brothers and none of
12:30
them watched any women's sports,
12:32
especially women's basketball, because
12:33
they just it just didn't seem like
12:35
they're something that was something
12:36
they were interested in. And now all
12:38
they care about is women's basketball.
12:39
They like found a different sense of joy
12:42
and pride in what the women's game
12:43
offers over the men's. And so, it's just
12:45
been really cool again to witness
12:47
firsthand how the change has like
12:50
impacted my life directly and my
12:52
families.
12:55
Anything else for the
12:57
ladies? We're clean on Zoom. Going once,
13:01
going twice.
13:03
All righty. Thank you, ladies. Good
13:04
luck. Thank you. Thanks, guys.
13:36
All right, we have head coach Courtney
13:38
Bangart here and we will open it up to
13:39
questions. Raise your hand and the mic
13:41
guy will come by.
13:46
Hey Courtney, Doug Fineberg, the
13:48
AP. There's a lot of really good
13:50
basketball gospel in this area this
13:51
weekend with the three women teams
13:53
hosting and the men's uh first round
13:56
site in Raleigh. What does it say about
13:58
the area having so much being the
14:00
basically the center of attention for
14:01
the NCA tournament this weekend? Yeah, I
14:03
mean gosh, how lucky for the people that
14:05
live in this area. Um, you look at um I
14:08
think I saw Kelly Graves saying that
14:10
it's for as long as he's known women's
14:12
basketball, it's been the epicenter, the
14:13
Triangle has been the epicenter of
14:14
basketball. Um, and we sense a sense of
14:17
pride for that, a sense of
14:18
responsibility to it, right? That um you
14:20
don't want to be the one left out,
14:22
right? And so you've got really good
14:24
teams on the men's and women's side all
14:25
within an hour radius. You want to make
14:27
sure that your team's there and holding
14:28
it it's it its side up. Remember when I
14:31
got this job, I think um you know there
14:33
were us and and Duke and some other guys
14:35
that that weren't sort of where we are
14:37
right now and um I know we've kind of
14:39
all been you know as much as it's hard
14:41
to say kind of secretly rooting for each
14:42
other to bring basketball. We're back
14:43
here and I think uh it's arrived.
14:46
Hey Courtney Doug Bonjour AP. Uh first
14:48
time in your tenure here hosted in first
14:50
round games. what's that mean to you and
14:52
kind of um obviously says something
14:54
about the growth of the program. Yeah,
14:56
it sure does. I mean that's probably one
14:58
of the things I'm not really good at is
14:59
is um reflecting and I've really worked
15:02
hard at that because I recognize how
15:04
much effort and energy and
15:06
intentionality goes into a journey like
15:08
this. Um and so I've really been
15:10
intentional to reflect on how hard it is
15:13
to do. You know, there's a lot of
15:14
heavyweights in women's basketball, but
15:16
you are you are the heavy you are one of
15:18
the heavyweights when you're hosting in
15:20
March. Um, and it's one of those things
15:22
that's not political. It's actually
15:24
performance-based. Um, and so, you know,
15:27
seeing all this, you know, all this
15:28
March Madness stuff, knowing that that I
15:31
can be at my son's game tomorrow morning
15:32
before coming to my own and things like
15:34
that, it's it's pretty remarkable. So,
15:36
really proud of, as Alyssa so eloquently
15:38
said, there's a lot of people that have
15:40
put their effort into this. You know,
15:41
we've gotten some administrative
15:42
support. We've gotten a lot of um, you
15:45
know, really good recruiting people that
15:46
have trusted me. um gotten great staff
15:48
people that have uh poured into this
15:50
program. Um and so this is I'm kind of
15:53
the spokesperson for a lot of people
15:54
that have given so much for for us to be
15:57
in a spot.
16:00
Mitch Northb Nation. Um Courtney kind of
16:03
curious what you've seen um so far from
16:05
Oregon State. You know, they're um
16:07
obviously a completely different team
16:09
from last year, but they did go to the
16:10
Elite 8 last year with with the same
16:12
coach in any ways. Um what have what has
16:14
stood out to you about them on film?
16:16
Well, first off, you know, Scott Ruick's
16:18
one of the best coaches in the game.
16:20
He's won at every single level. Um, he's
16:22
found ways to win in different ways. Um,
16:24
so, you know, you're going against
16:25
someone who's going to be prepared and
16:27
he's going to bring his team, he's going
16:28
to play to his strengths in a way that
16:30
puts his team in a position to be
16:31
successful. Um, you know, they've got
16:33
above average length in in all ways,
16:36
even even from basketball standpoint.
16:38
Um, so they've got great length like
16:40
Kentucky did. um they're going to mix
16:41
and match their their defenses. So,
16:43
they're going to really um play a
16:45
sagging style both in man-to-man and in
16:47
zone. Um so, they just they use their
16:49
pieces to their strengths. Um and so,
16:52
you know, it's the it's March and
16:53
there's, as I told our guys, there's
16:55
just no bad teams anymore. They're all
16:56
just different. Um and we'll have to
16:57
make sure that we're prepared to play
16:58
against this different um Oregon State
17:01
team. Matt, go ahead and identify
17:03
yourself for the transcript. Matt Cross,
17:05
Tar Hill Sports Network. Coach, last
17:07
night was the first women's basketball
17:08
game in Carmichael since February 2019
17:10
that you were not one of the coaches
17:12
boxes for. So, first off, how weird did
17:14
that feel? And B, how much pride did you
17:16
feel that it was your former assistant
17:17
that got the win in said game? I mean,
17:18
how cool, right? I go to the game as as
17:21
I was kind of conflicted in a lot of
17:23
ways because I wanted to go and just be
17:24
a fan because I just like college
17:26
basketball and as as a women's coach,
17:28
you don't get to go see games live. Um,
17:29
so I got to go see games live. Um, but
17:32
yet you're also preparing because you're
17:34
you're paying enough attention in case
17:35
that's a team you might see down the
17:36
road. And then you're also watching one
17:39
of the one of the coaches that coached
17:40
with you for I mean Megan was on my
17:42
staff for six years, you know, and
17:44
watching her grow into her own identity
17:46
as a coach and have her team play to her
17:48
personality. Um, I'm so filled with
17:51
pride, right? So I'm not supposed to be
17:52
rooting for anybody, but you know, and
17:54
then my other former player is is the
17:56
head coach at Lehi who's playing Duke
17:57
tomorrow or now today. And so her
18:00
parents came to the game. So, I've get
18:01
to see all these parents and people that
18:03
have watched when I was young. Um, so
18:05
yeah, it was it was really special and I
18:08
was kind of conflicted in a lot of ways,
18:09
but I paid enough attention.
18:12
Mitch North of MSP Nation kind of
18:14
piggybacking off of that, I don't know
18:16
how many coaches in the NCAA tournament
18:18
have three of their former assistance
18:21
players coaching also in this tournament
18:23
and they're all also right here. Isn't
18:24
that crazy? Um, you know, we we saw
18:26
Addie yesterday at Duke. Car's over at
18:28
NC State and Megan's here. what what is
18:32
it's awesome. I mean, you've been doing
18:34
it long enough that I've got coaches
18:36
I've got assistant coaches kind of
18:37
littered through the business um across
18:39
all levels. Um but to watch them have so
18:42
much success and then to be put in this
18:44
area, you know, I've gotten to see their
18:45
families. I've gotten to um you get to
18:47
secretly kind of see them at times and
18:50
and root for them and give them a pat on
18:51
the back and a hug and um you know and
18:54
it it means that your time with them,
18:55
not that you need it to be validated,
18:57
but the time with my time with them was
18:59
is a part of their journey. Um and
19:01
that's partly why you get into coaching
19:03
is so you can be a meaningful part of
19:04
other people's journeys. Um and for
19:06
Carrie and Addie and Megan, like I was a
19:08
meaningful part of their journey as they
19:10
were for me, right? And so I think it's
19:12
as cool for me that they're here as it
19:14
is for them. Um, you know, they've all
19:16
said like, "Look at you. You're like,"
19:18
and I said, "Look at us." I mean, it's
19:19
just kind of a us thing, you know. So,
19:21
it's been very cool.
19:24
Hi, Courtney Dukor AP. Um, you dealt
19:27
with some adversity late in the year
19:28
with those injuries. I just wanted to
19:29
know what you learned about your team
19:32
that maybe you hadn't before and kind
19:34
of, you know, learning to persevere
19:35
without them. Yeah. You know, you never
19:38
want injuries, especially at that point
19:39
in the season. I I I give my kids a lot
19:41
of credit with their resilience really.
19:43
Um, and why I say resilience is we knew
19:46
that we were in a position to host
19:47
strongly, firmly looking at the two,
19:49
three seed, and then those guys go down.
19:52
And then you have um you've got to find
19:54
a different way to win because not only
19:56
is it two impactful all league players,
19:58
but one's your relentless rebounder and
20:00
one's your point guard, but you also
20:02
have therefore you have less less depth.
20:04
So you're at the end of the season when
20:05
you're most fatigued and you got less
20:07
people. You got 30 minutes a game times
20:09
two that no longer is is available. Um,
20:11
and so the resilience that it took for
20:13
those guys that played, the resilience
20:15
that it took for them to play a
20:16
different way because when you play a
20:18
different point guard, it's just a
20:20
different style that you have to adjust
20:21
to. Um, so I think the resilience um,
20:24
and the two injured guys that and what
20:26
what Raniah and and Alyssa did to come
20:28
back so quickly, you know, I think their
20:29
resilience um, and I I liked how Maria
20:32
worded it. There's a solutionoriented
20:34
mentality of this group. Um, and I think
20:36
we just quickly found solutions um, as
20:39
best we could. um as well as those that
20:41
were injured, finding solutions so that
20:43
they could also be uh more able to help
20:45
us. But um in the in the moment it was
20:48
really hard and I just said to myself,
20:49
we'll be better in March once we get
20:50
through it. And I hope I hope to prove
20:52
that.
20:57
Uh Doug Fineberg, the AP. Courtney, if
20:59
you can put on your WBCA hat for a
21:00
second. Yeah, obviously having units
21:04
this year is something new and a good
21:06
step for women's basketball. So just
21:08
talk about that for a second.
21:09
The other part is you've been around the
21:11
game for a bit now. When you first
21:13
started coaching, it's very different
21:14
than it is now as far as things that you
21:16
guys have to deal with. It's not just
21:17
X's and O's and recruiting. It's now
21:19
transfer portals, NIL, other things that
21:23
I'm guessing when you first got into
21:24
coaching was not one of your concerns.
21:26
So, just thoughts on where this game is
21:27
headed as a coach and would you suggest
21:29
to young coaches that hey, this is still
21:31
worth getting into or find something
21:33
else to do with your profession? Yeah,
21:36
100%. I'll start with that part. You
21:38
know, I've always said this, but college
21:39
athletics has changed a ton. I mean, I
21:41
came from non-scolarship division one,
21:43
and since then, we went through COVID,
21:45
we added a transfer portal, we added the
21:47
NIL. I mean, a lot of things have
21:48
changed, even in my time at Carolina.
21:50
Um, but college athletics has always
21:52
been about two things. The talent that
21:54
plays it and those that support it,
21:56
right? And I I just don't think it will
21:57
that that part will ever change. And so
21:59
as a as a coach and for people asking
22:02
about young people joining the business,
22:03
if you care about other people's
22:06
journeys, um, and you want to be a part
22:08
of those that support it, it remains the
22:10
best profession in the world. It's not
22:12
easy. Um, and there are I often say
22:15
there are easier ways to make money for
22:16
sure, but I'm not sure there are better
22:18
ways to spend my time, right? You're
22:20
kind of in that sort of mix. Um, so but
22:22
yeah, it has changed tremendously and I
22:24
just try to really, you know, I just try
22:26
to keep focused on what makes me
22:27
successful. connection, solutions,
22:30
resilience, you know, um, and then
22:32
that's kind of how I handle the business
22:34
as a whole. Um, WBCA, I mean, I that
22:37
role has given me access to so many
22:39
different conversations and in so many
22:40
different rooms and every conversation
22:42
in every room I've been in, I just say
22:44
units over and over. I mean, it's like
22:46
it was my first and last word I ever
22:47
spoke, right? Because it's it it is
22:50
overdue, right? And is the number right
22:53
on units? No, it's not. But it's a
22:55
start, right? And it it allows us to
22:58
have be be validated and rewarded for
23:00
postseason success, which on your own
23:01
campus now puts pressure on your
23:03
administration to value and and and
23:06
invest in your women's game, right?
23:08
There's just it's basic economics. Um
23:10
and so you watch these tournaments,
23:12
watch Carmichael tomorrow and go across
23:14
the tournaments. Uh women's basketball
23:16
is on fire and to not take economical
23:18
advantage of that would be both on your
23:20
campuses of those programs that have
23:21
invested in women's basketball, but also
23:23
nationally would be a mistake. Um, and
23:25
so I'm grateful that the rooms I've been
23:26
in as the president of the WBCA has
23:28
allowed me to just keep pushing. And
23:30
people who know me know that if I think
23:32
it's right, I'm going to keep pushing,
23:33
right? And um, along aside many others,
23:36
we were able to just say it enough to
23:39
ensure that units have have arrived. And
23:42
um, I think it will only improve as our
23:44
game improves. I always say as women, we
23:46
just got to provide value. If you
23:47
provide value, just keep doing that
23:49
dayto-day. And as we've done that, we've
23:51
continuing to see the growth of our
23:52
game. down here to the left, KMaker with
23:55
the Daily Toriel. Courtney, obviously we
23:57
just talked to your three veteran um
23:59
players who have had a lot of march
24:00
experience, but on the flip side, how do
24:02
you go about preparing freshman and
24:04
sophomores who have not seen this
24:06
environment or played like Sierra or
24:07
Laney or Blanca and all them? It's a
24:10
little bit like preparing me to be a
24:12
parent, right? You don't you just kind
24:13
of figure it out as you go, right? Um I
24:16
I was in probably at what I don't know
24:18
what time, but Laney's in the gym
24:20
working. I mean, there is a ment there
24:22
is an there is an moment to reflect on
24:24
this. There's also a moment when that
24:26
ball goes up that it's it's the same
24:28
sport we've been playing. Um, but I I
24:30
think there are certain things in life
24:31
that you just I'm not sure you can
24:33
really prepare for. And I think there
24:34
are more of those moments than there are
24:36
not. Right? I'm always I always say you
24:38
operate in two ways. You're either
24:39
afraid of failure or afraid of regret.
24:42
Right? Um I choose to surround I choose
24:44
to live and I hope to surround myself
24:46
with those that are afraid of regret.
24:48
So, what we're not going to do is be
24:50
afraid. We're going to and and
24:52
potentially um therefore be afraid of
24:54
failure. We're going to be afraid that
24:55
if we're going to regret how we don't
24:57
perform in these moments or what we
24:58
don't bring in these moments. Um so, I
25:00
don't really know how I can prepare them
25:02
um for it. They might be a little
25:04
stareyed. They might be I'm not exactly
25:05
sure. Um but I know that we'll make sure
25:07
she that she and her her young
25:09
classmates don't regret the opportunity
25:10
that they've earned.
25:12
Mitch Mitch North of Mesby Nation um
25:16
units um you know if I have this right
25:19
because of the ACC success initiative
25:22
you know women's basketball is a part of
25:24
that so um as teams in the ACC earn
25:28
units women's basketball you're going to
25:29
get a bigger piece of that because you
25:31
were winning those games um I guess what
25:33
does that just say about like this
25:35
conference and how it cares about
25:36
women's basketball and if you were a
25:38
part of those conversations at all like
25:40
you know It sounds like the ACC was kind
25:43
of pre-preparing for the units to come.
25:46
Yeah, I think that those are decisions
25:48
fortunately that I'm I've got other
25:49
decisions I have to make. I don't have
25:50
to make those, right? Or I don't get to
25:52
make those maybe. But, um, I think that
25:55
this conference has been awesome. I
25:57
mean, the level of preparedness you get
25:59
from every night. Um there's a level of
26:01
investment across the board, perhaps
26:03
some more than others, but you know,
26:05
there's just I remember when I left the
26:06
Ivy League, part of it was, you know, I
26:08
think our margin of victory my last year
26:10
was 27 points a game, right? And I just
26:12
needed a different challenge. I was
26:14
ready for a different challenge. And
26:15
then I'm not kidding. I say it every
26:17
year, where's the bad team? I'm like
26:18
missing some of those 27 point wins,
26:20
right? Um there's just not any bad
26:22
teams. Um and so um the ACC has prepared
26:26
these these teams that are playing in
26:28
March really well and they should be
26:29
proud. They should be really proud. Even
26:30
if the those teams themselves aren't
26:32
playing, be really proud because they
26:34
have prepared all of us who are. And I
26:36
think we're all better for their for
26:37
their part in our journey. Um, and you
26:40
know, it's Yeah, it's fun to root for
26:42
them. It's not fun to play them.
26:45
Matthew Maynard, Tar Hill Trabune.
26:46
Courtney, you just heard Alyssa talk
26:48
about how special it is to get to play
26:50
in Carmichael again. What was kind of
26:52
the process over the past couple weeks
26:54
with her? And how special is it for you
26:56
as her coach to see her get at least one
26:59
more game and potentially two more games
27:01
in Carmichael and just your relationship
27:03
with her? Yeah, I mean for this is a
27:06
house in a lot of ways that she's
27:07
rebuilt, right? And for her to not have
27:10
her name announced on senior night was
27:13
was really hard, right? And knowing that
27:15
and then hearing her ovation at the NCA
27:17
tournament, I won't forget it, right?
27:18
She deserved it. Um, and I know there'll
27:20
be a lot of people that are so grateful
27:22
for what she's given to this court over
27:24
her fiveyear tenure. Um, and and the
27:26
fact that we can host, she said it so
27:28
eloquently, like the fact that we get to
27:29
host, we get to give back to the fans
27:31
and the people that have supported us. I
27:33
mean, this place is rocking, whether
27:34
it's our students or our or our uh
27:36
general fans. Um, it is one of the
27:39
premier places to play in the country.
27:41
Um, and unfortunately, I don't get to be
27:42
a part of that. I'm coaching, right? So
27:44
I I don't get to to to sit and enjoy it
27:46
in the same way, but there are a lot of
27:47
people that have choose to show up and
27:49
the fact that we get to bring March
27:50
Madness to them. Like I'm almost as
27:54
happy for them as I am for my team
27:55
because of how much they have been a
27:57
part of our success and they make this a
27:58
homec court advantage all year and they
28:00
and we literally are bringing them a
28:02
gift and bringing them March Madness. So
28:04
super thrilled. Um and for Alyssa um
28:07
it's a it's a main reason she came back,
28:09
you know, her wanting a chance to host.
28:11
Um, and it's a main reason she came back
28:12
so fast um, from being sidelined was
28:15
that the opportunity to to give it back
28:19
on the court a few more times. We've got
28:21
time for one more.
28:24
We good?
28:26
All righty. Thanks, guys. Thank you,
28:27
coach. Good luck.
28:34
As a reminder, Ham and Communications
28:36
will post a recording of this press
28:38
conference in the NCA digital media hub
28:40
at
28:43
nca.veritone.com. Transcripts are
28:44
provided by ASAP and will be posted
28:47
shortly. Thank you for joining us.