Up next in 10
Dressing room interviews w/ Lexi Donarski, Indya Nivar, Maria Gakdeng, Lanie Grant & Grace Townsend
Mar 27, 2025
#UNC #WBB
View Video Transcript
0:00
just continuing to advance and just show
0:04
everyone what we're about. Is from the
0:06
area and how special is it to to get to
0:10
to play with her basically in her
0:12
hometown. Yeah. I mean, it's a lot of
0:14
fun. We're we're all excited to be here
0:16
and happy for her that she gets to come
0:18
home. So, you you got to be in some
0:22
other rivalries when you're in the Big
0:23
12. What has being in the Duke Carolina
0:26
rivalry been like for you the last two
0:27
years? Yeah, I mean I feel like the D
0:29
Carolina rivalry is like the best
0:31
basketball rivalry in all of college
0:33
basketball. So just being a part of that
0:35
has been so much fun and just the energy
0:38
around the game, the competitiveness
0:40
that both teams give you like it's it's
0:43
a fight every game and it's a lot of fun
0:46
to be a part of. Did you feel that the
0:48
first time you played them last year?
0:49
Did it feel like something a little
0:51
different than than any other game you
0:53
played in some ways? For sure. Yeah. I
0:55
mean, it's you can feel the rivalry in
0:58
every single game that we played them.
1:00
Yeah. Now, you grew up in Wisconsin, so
1:01
were you did you have any sense of it
1:05
before you came here? Uh, yeah, for
1:08
sure. I mean, I feel like anyone that
1:10
watches college basketball, is aware of
1:12
the Duke Carolina rivalry, and just
1:14
knows what it means, and they love one
1:16
program and hate the other. Exactly. How
1:19
do you feel like defensively you've been
1:22
able to adjust? Obviously, you were
1:23
defense Big 12 defensive player of the
1:25
year when you're there and you came here
1:27
and brought that defense and especially
1:29
this year when you guys have been such a
1:30
good defensive team. How have you been
1:32
able to help raise that level of defense
1:33
here? Yeah, I mean the team is always
1:36
going to get my best effort on the
1:37
defensive side of the ball and just
1:39
trying to do my best to take the other
1:40
team's best guard out of what they want
1:42
to do. So taking a lot of actions,
1:44
making their shots more difficult, it's
1:45
definitely been something that I've
1:46
tried to do. And I feel like this year
1:48
especially, we've really had a full team
1:50
buyin that no, we're not playing
1:52
one-on-one defense. It's five on five.
1:54
So even teams that want to play ice ball
1:56
all night, we're like, no, that's not
1:57
how we play. Like you're not going to be
1:59
playing on an island, we're playing five
2:01
on five and we have each other's backs
2:02
on the defensive side. So I feel like
2:04
especially this season that we've really
2:07
had that full buy in and that's why
2:08
we're we've won so many games. What what
2:11
did you learn from the first two Duke
2:13
games as far as limiting turnovers with
2:16
the pressure that they're going to bring
2:18
and did Monday night kind of help in
2:19
that regard? I definitely think that
2:21
coming off a West Virginia game into
2:23
playing with Duke is very helpful. West
2:26
Virginia the pressure is similar
2:28
compared to both teams. Obviously they
2:30
play differently, but the ball pressure,
2:32
how difficult they make reversals and
2:33
just their uh yeah, just their pressure
2:36
on defense is very similar between the
2:38
two teams. So, I feel like we grew
2:40
throughout the game against West
2:41
Virginia, and that's something that
2:42
we're going to just continue to grow and
2:43
carry on into our next game. How do you
2:45
How do you feel about playing Duke on a
2:47
big stage like this? It seems weird.
2:50
Yeah, I'm super excited. I mean, anytime
2:54
we get to play Duke, it's a lot of fun
2:55
and it's always a fight. You're going to
2:57
get the best effort from both teams. So,
3:00
we're excited and it's definitely a team
3:02
that we know well, so it'll be fun.
3:05
Lexi, um, one of the things that was
3:07
interesting that coach said, um, what
3:09
what do you think you guys learned from
3:12
the first two Duke meetings as far as
3:15
limiting turnovers? Obviously, that that
3:17
was a big deal in both games. And and
3:19
did Monday night's game kind of help you
3:21
in that regard? Yeah. Um, you know,
3:24
their aggressiveness on defense is
3:26
really what they're known for. They're
3:27
very handsy. They just make it hard for
3:29
us to get the ball in. And yeah,
3:32
limiting those turnovers is a key
3:34
component in the game tomorrow. Um, our
3:36
game against West Virginia I feel like
3:38
has has really prepared us for that
3:39
moment. They were very handy and like
3:41
their press was very very aggressive and
3:44
I think that kind of compliments the way
3:46
Duke plays and I think we watch film on
3:48
that and the games in the past and I
3:50
feel like we've learned from that and
3:51
definitely can grow tomorrow in that
3:53
aspect of turning the ball over. And
3:54
then the fact that you stayed with him
3:56
for much of the game without uh Liz,
4:00
without Reaniah at Duke, what what does
4:04
that tell you that you can do tomorrow?
4:06
Oh yeah, it just shows that everybody is
4:09
prepared to fill in like whenever we
4:11
need a sub, people are ready to play at
4:13
that the level that we need them to
4:14
play. And yeah, everybody's going to be
4:17
needed tomorrow and that's just exciting
4:19
that we have uh Rana and Alyssa back cuz
4:21
they're definitely going to help in all
4:22
those aspects. Obviously, you grew up in
4:24
the Triangle. You know, the Carolina
4:25
Duke robbery very well. How weird is it
4:28
to have those two rivals play here on a
4:32
big stage like this? Does that seem odd?
4:35
Not odd. It just shows the level of
4:37
basketball in the triangle. I feel like
4:38
having three teams in the sweet sweet 16
4:40
is
4:41
just very exciting for the area. Um, and
4:44
just to have that rivalry in this type
4:46
of tournament, I don't know. It's just I
4:48
think it's exciting. I don't think it's
4:49
odd. it it was bound to happen either
4:52
now or later on in the tournament. So,
4:54
yeah, it's just very exciting to be a
4:56
part of that game again for the third
4:57
time this season in this position. Has
5:00
there been any talk about the 2022 men's
5:03
game? Uh not not as a group, but I've
5:07
thought about it. I um you know, little
5:09
clips on Tik Tok show um show up about
5:12
that game all the time and it's just
5:14
exciting and the way that we were hoping
5:16
the way that game turned out turns out
5:18
for us.
5:19
Thank you.
5:23
Uh how how's how's the experience of
5:26
what what have you learned from the
5:28
first two games against Duke? Obviously,
5:31
it's not easy navigating inside against
5:33
Forier and some of those other players.
5:36
Yeah, I think they're really good
5:37
defensively. So, being able to be
5:39
aggressive, um they look to front me in
5:41
the post, so getting those easy lobs,
5:44
easy buckets is going to be really
5:45
important for us. Uh I'm excited for
5:47
this matchup. I don't really try to do
5:48
anything like different, special, just
5:50
playing my role, playing it well,
5:52
staying aggressive, keep posting up like
5:53
I do every other game. Um, it didn't go
5:55
our way last time, so obviously going to
5:57
have a different year going into this
5:58
next one, but I'm excited for for
6:00
tomorrow. Yeah, obviously teams have
6:02
been physical against you all season,
6:04
but that was particularly the case in
6:06
those two games. Um, how do you deal
6:09
with that? Um, honestly, I just I don't
6:12
have a choice but to play through it. I
6:14
don't have a choice sometimes. Um, I
6:17
feel like I could get some calls, but it
6:19
doesn't usually go my way, but I've
6:20
learned to play through it, honestly.
6:22
Um, play through that physicality. It's
6:24
something I've gotten used to. So, being
6:26
used to it at this point. Um, just keep
6:28
playing. Um, try to stay try to stay
6:30
like composed, I would say, because
6:32
sometimes it does get frustrating when I
6:34
feel like, you know, I deserve like a
6:35
foul call maybe, but um, staying
6:38
composed throughout all that. Not trying
6:40
to be like any different than I have
6:41
been. Um, continuing to call for the
6:43
ball. I think I can I can also I feel
6:45
like I get tired sometimes, but I got to
6:47
continue to just fight fall off the ball
6:48
because it does draw defenders in, opens
6:50
up shooters, opens up the floor for
6:52
everyone else. So, what's your view of
6:53
the of the UNC Duke rivalry on a big
6:56
stage like this? Um, the rivalry is
6:59
always big, always been big. It's a
7:01
histo. It's a historic thing. So, having
7:03
to play the men is going to be fun. I
7:05
think it's going to be a whole lot of
7:06
fun. I think um um going into tomorrow
7:10
um there's a lot of expectations on both
7:12
sides, but I think being it being at a
7:13
neutral site, it's going to be fun.
7:15
There's going to be supporters on both
7:16
sides. I think we might have more
7:17
because Rene's bringing a lot of people
7:18
from her hometown, so it'll be really
7:21
fun. Not trying to do anything special,
7:23
but just being ourselves. All right.
7:25
Thank you. Yeah. Thank you. What What do
7:27
you think you guys learned in the first
7:30
two games against Duke as far as trying
7:32
to limit turnovers? And did Monday's
7:35
game kind of help you in that regard?
7:37
Yeah, I would say that because we've
7:38
played them twice, we're very familiar
7:40
with them. We're familiar with their
7:41
personnel and their actions and their
7:43
style of play. So, I think that coming
7:45
into it for a third time, we'll be a lot
7:46
more comfortable with the pressure that
7:48
they're going to bring and just in
7:50
general how they play and just learning
7:51
from maybe stretches and the second in
7:54
the second game where we can be better.
7:55
So, yeah, just just comes down to making
7:58
good decisions with the ball in the back
8:00
court. Sure. I would say that's that's a
8:02
part of it, I think. can like like I
8:04
said just being more comfortable and
8:06
playing a little less like stressfree
8:07
like you know rivalry games people are
8:09
always a little bit nervous but you know
8:10
we're playing in a neutral sight for the
8:12
sweet 16 like it doesn't get much better
8:14
than that so you know being smarter with
8:16
the ball and also you know having Raya
8:17
back as our primary ball handler is
8:19
going to be very helpful along with
8:20
Alysa so it's going to be great so like
8:23
at the second game you didn't have
8:24
Raniah you didn't have Liz and you still
8:27
stayed with him for much of the game
8:29
what does that tell you that you can do
8:31
tomorrow I think that gives us a lot of
8:33
confidence I know that there's a lot to
8:34
grow and a lot to learn in from that
8:36
second game. But I think we got deeper
8:37
as a team and we learned a lot. I
8:39
learned a lot from that game. I've
8:40
watched it back a couple times. So, you
8:42
know, it forced people to step out of
8:44
their comfort like our the second game
8:45
forced people to step out of their
8:46
comfort zone and like grow as players.
8:48
And I think that now coming as a third
8:50
time like having Ray and Alyssa, it's
8:51
going to be obviously an added bonus.
8:54
So, I'm excited. You said you learned a
8:55
lot. What was the biggest thing you
8:56
learned? I would say just the amount of
9:00
effort it took to put a 40minute game
9:02
together like as somebody that was the
9:04
like one of the primary ball handlers
9:06
and people that were looking to score.
9:07
So I would say that in general
9:11
and you should be a senior in high
9:13
school but you're playing in the sweet
9:15
16. What are the emotions just when that
9:18
rings through your head? Honored and
9:21
humbled I would say. Like I was watching
9:22
March Madness last year and I had no
9:24
clue that in 365 days I was going to be
9:27
a part of it. And now like forcing
9:28
myself to take a step back and like look
9:30
at look at it from a whole and realize
9:32
like what I'm doing and like how
9:34
fortunate I am to be doing it with this
9:35
particular team like I mean it means
9:37
everything to me. Thank you. Yeah, of
9:39
course. What what do you think that you
9:41
guys learned from the first two Duke
9:43
games as far as trying to limit
9:45
turnovers? Obviously you were an
9:47
integral part of the second game. I
9:49
think at the end of the day it's like
9:50
you said limit we need to limit our
9:52
turnovers to protect the ball but at the
9:54
same time I think it's the same thing
9:55
defense and rebounding is just what
9:57
keeps coming up for us. This is your was
10:00
it you be your first sweet 16? Yes. What
10:03
are your emotions going into that? I'm
10:05
excited. I think it's fun.
10:06
kind of nice, but it's kind of nice to
10:08
play a team that we already know so
10:10
familiarly, but at the same time, it's
10:12
like gives us even more energy to play
10:14
them and compete at a high level and
10:16
continue to go up to the elite.
10:19
How much were you cheering for your old
10:21
school there? Made a nice little run. I
10:23
was watching their games. I was excited
10:24
for them. They were doing well. I think
10:26
it was a big win for them over Georgia
10:28
Tech in the first round. I think at
10:29
halftime, we like they like the chances
10:32
there against UCLA when they pulled
10:33
away. I think was fun to see them be
10:35
able to experience that in the NCAA
10:37
tournament. Thank you.