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PAC-12 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTMarch 7, 2020Kelly GravesErin BoleySabrina IonescuLas Vegas, Nevada Oregon - 88, Arizona - 70 KELLY GRAVES: First of all, we're very grateful and excited to be moving on. I thought at times -- tonight was actually a really good basketball game. If you're just a basketball fan, you would have had to have enjoyed it. It had back and forth, offensively, both teams were on point, I don't think either of us, you know, wanted to guard anybody tonight. I'm really proud of our team. I thought we gutted it out. That was kind of a grind-it-up kind of win. I give Adia a lot of credit. She's done such a good job with that team. Who would have thought that, you know, they're in the Semifinals this quickly, and battling us toe-to-toe. Hats off to them. It kind of had a feel of a Sweet 16, kind of Elite Eight game out there tonight. I won't be surprised to see Arizona at that level this year. They have got a really good basketball team. In the end, we had a great shooting night from the three again. You know, I thought they had to gamble a little bit, gave up open looks, and we knocked them down tonight. These two especially came to play and, you know, proud of their effort as well. Q. Coach, as you said, it was a great basketball game in terms of the offensive, came out firing. When you see that 23-20, back and forth, two teams that eventually broke the record for most threes in one game, do you like that kind of tempo knowing you have the shooters and the scorers, or do you make adjustments to slow things down or at least defend? Obviously you want to stop them. But do you like the tempo? KELLY GRAVES: Absolutely. 88 is barely above our average. This is kind of an average game for us. Offensively we're the most efficient team in the country, by a long way. Our true shooting percentage is best in the nation. Our turnover ratio is the best. This is a good basketball team offensively, we're an elite team, one of the best of all time, quite frankly. So when we get it rolling and get to that tempo and find shooters and knocking them down, we become really difficult because you have an inside presence who can, you know, command a double-team. And when she didn't get it tonight, I thought in the second half she was a little more aggressive, we got it to her, that opens up, you know, more opportunities for shooters, if shooters are hitting, that spaces the floor, and then you've got playmakers like Sabrina and Minyon and Satou that can make plays. When we're firing on all cylinders, like we have a couple of moments in tournament, it looks pretty good. He can't give up 70 points and expect to play too long. We have to do a little bit better job there. Q. Sabrina, you had an incredible game tonight, can you speak on -- also you became the Pac-12 leading scorer of all time. Can you elaborate on your efforts tonight? SABRINA IONESCU: I mean, my team came ready to play. I mean, when Erin shoots how she did, when Taylor shoots it and Jaz shoots it like they have been, it makes my job easy. So they're attracting so much attention that I got open shots, vice versa. Really just trying to provide anything I can in order for to us win. Had some open looks tonight, missed a few, but made enough for us to win. Q. Sabrina, many coaches and people have said that you're a transcendent player. What is your reaction to those notions? SABRINA IONESCU: Just really happy to be on this team. I mean, I don't really think too much about myself and what I'm doing, just honored and humbled to be a part of something bigger than myself and playing for these people around me that I love and excited to see how, you know, our team is really changing society and society's view on women in sports. That's something I'm really proud about and proud to be a part of. Q. You have set an example and off the court, inspiring so many people. How cool is it that you have impacted so many young girls and their interest in basketball? SABRINA IONESCU: I mean, that's always, you know, humbling to be an inspiration for those that need someone to look up to, especially the younger generations. We put ourselves in their shoes, and we realize that we were those kids -- we were those kids trying to find someone to look up to and someone to be inspired by. Just trying to be the best mentors and the best individuals on and off the basketball court that we can is something that we pride ourselves on. Q. For Sabrina and Erin. Sabrina, you addressed it, when Erin comes out hot, hits a couple of threes right away, really gets you guys rolling, is it a barometer for you when you know that Erin starts dropping threes that it will be a good night? SABRINA IONESCU: Oh, yeah, especially when she hit the first couple and she was coming aggressive to the basket, getting in the paint. We're a hard team to beat when that happens. So seeing Erin come out with that fire inspired me to want to be better offensively and get in the paint and dish. So we did that. I think we played well together. If they were collapsing on me, we made the extra pass, and vice versa. So continuing to learn to play with each other and those around us, but we're a hard team to beat when Erin is shooting the way she is right now. Q. Erin, when you hit a couple of early shots, do you feel like it is going to be a good night as well? ERIN BOLEY: Yeah, I think, you know, it was a good start to the game, and I, you know, tried to get into a rhythm with the rest of the team. Like Sabrina said, if -- once I hit a couple at the beginning of the game, it starts opening things up for other players too. It helps us get into a good rhythm. Q. Sabrina, as you pointed out, you broke another record tonight, kind of what you do at Oregon. Outside of winning a national championship, I just wondered if there was any other records you had your eye on that we should be aware of? SABRINA IONESCU: What record did I break? Q. You're the Conference tournament all-time leading scorer? SABRINA IONESCU: Oh. KELLY GRAVES: That's good. Congratulations. SABRINA IONESCU: Thanks. What was the question? Q. Besides the Final Four -- excuse me, a national championship, which you have been pretty open about, is there any other record that you have your eye on, paying attention to? SABRINA IONESCU: No. Absolutely not. Cutting down nets, it if that was a record, that's one of them. Hopefully three more to go. Q. Kelly, can you talk about somebody being as great a distributor and playmaker as Sabrina is and the all-time leading corer? We know this triple-double thing, how amazing it is, but to have the all-time leading scorer to be this type of playmaker? KELLY GRAVES: Again, to be the first to go 2K1K1K is an incredible feat. It has never been -- it's never been done in college basketball ever, so who is to say it will ever happen. It would be pretty neat to be in a club all by yourself, wouldn't it? Unless you're in a Vegas club? No, not tonight. No. I think they're just equally impressive, you know, the scoring. It is not like she's the only scorer on our team. You know, look at her average this year, she's not even averaging 20 points a game, but it is just so consistent. The assists, her elite vision. And I coached one of the best in Courtney Vandersloot, and I'm often asked about the comparison, they're both equally, you know, phenomenal. I think of all the stats that I think are pretty neat are the 1,000 rebounds from the guard position. That's just unheard of. You know, so just the well-rounded nature of the game, I think she's become a better defender, a much better leader. He's a super nice person, four, five days a week that I have to deal with her. But, no, it's really been a blessing and an inspiration to coach her each and every day and to see the greatness that she displays not just on game nights, you guys, but what you see on game nights is what she's doing in practice every day. Q. Coach, I got a chance to sit behind the huddle, I never get to do that at a game. There was a time when you barked at Sabrina a little bit, you were on Ruthy, you got on -- it is like everyone is treated equal in that huddle. Can you speak a little bit about how you manage the team and how they respond to you? KELLY GRAVES: Well, first of all, they know I love them. So my job isn't always to just pat them on the back, and there are times that -- you know, that everybody can use some coaching, and sometimes it is harder than not. Did you see that Sabrina also came back at me? Which is good. It is an equal partnership. I like that. You know, she sees it one way, I see it another way. I think it is healthy. Same with Ruthy. You know, Ruthy, it is mainly just a challenge, you know, to get deeper position and just let us get to the basketball and take over the game. Because if they double-team, we're the best passing team in the country. So she's a willing passer. So every once in a while you just have to, you know, just have to get on them, kick them in the ass, that's all right. Right? SABRINA IONESCU: Yeah. KELLY GRAVES: You still love me? I still love you too. Just sometimes I want her to make the pass to a different spot. I think we have a healthy relationship, the coaches and the players, all throughout the team. You know, it's not always you know Romper Room. Q. Kelly, this probably sounds like a silly question, but tomorrow night, win or lose, it is not going to change how you're put on the NCAA bracket more than likely. What does it mean to win this tournament? Is it the feel of the mental feel going forward, cutting nets down, that stuff? Just -- I don't know if it is a practice run, but what does it mean I guess to win something -- KELLY GRAVES: We're on a mission. We don't want to share the regular season title with someone else that wins the tournament championship. We want to continue to build the resume as well. Right now we're 9-1 against teams that were in the last top 16 reveal. 9-1. Five of those games on the road. South Carolina, 4-0. Baylor, 1-1. Maryland, 2-2. We actually have more wins against the top 16 than the other three projected number ones combined, including five on the road, and the other two -- other three have two combined on the road. Our resume is solid, but we want to -- you know, that's nice and everything, but we want to cut down the nets. We don't want to share this. We don't want it to be tainted. Yeah. They won the regular season championship, but what did they do in the tournament? They'll get our best shot, whoever we play tomorrow. And they're both equally impressive. They both offer great challenges to us. But if we play our basketball game, we're the best team. I don't mind saying that. We just are. We proved it over a two-month grind in Pac-12, and now we have three days. We have two of them down, now we have one more. It was all the bald guys in the front row. I like it. I like it. You should get special preference. Q. Erin, earlier this week you called this a shooter's gym. Can you explain what that means? ERIN BOLEY: Yeah, Coach was asking me if it was a shooter's gym, and I said that every gym is for us. Yeah. We were just talking about getting into a rhythm, no matter where we're playing at. It is really important for us to be shooting well as a big part of our offense. Yeah. I think it showed over the past two games. Q. Coach, I'm just -- we have been sitting pretty close to fans, and I have noticed them, you know, really laying into the officiating. I'm wondering if you think that fans and people in general are a little harsh on the refs? SABRINA IONESCU: They're taking after him. KELLY GRAVES: I'm going to go on record and say I think the Pac-12 officiating has been the best in the country this year. So, yeah, those fans need to lighten up a little bit. You know, I kind of trained them. I always tell them, you can yell at the referees, you just can't yell at the coach. They yell at both. It doesn't really matter. I don't know. I thought the officiating was fine tonight. You think I'll get any Christmas cards from them now? No. Q. Sabrina, before the game, I was in a position to see you and Ruthy holding hands during the anthem, having a moment together. I wanted you to talk about, you have come through this experience together, and what's the significance of the two of you sort of standing side by side in this moment? SABRINA IONESCU: Yeah. I mean, it is special to come through these four years with a best friend and someone that you met here and that's going to be your best friend for the rest of your life. Being able to go through all the ups and downs, adversity, championships with her, it is truly special, and we have always lined up in the same spot at the National Anthem, and we're a very superstition team. So that's something that we have done since our freshman year, it has just kind of grown. Being able to grow our relationship off the court but on the court as well with her is special, and I think everyone sees that from us. And then, you know, I think they want to carry that into their friendships and relationships, and our team is the closest I think it ever has been this year because one of the main reasons is obviously we have a lot of us returning from last year, but even the new players, I think, they see how tight we are and how we rely on each other for a lot of things non-basketball-wise, and they want to do the same. Q. For Kelly and Sabrina. You sat, Sabrina, I think right after the game up at the networks with Kelsey Plum. You two have done a lot of incredible things in conference over the past few years. I wondered, has she ever given you any advice? But also, Kelly, for you especially, what's it like to just see how this conference -- how individuals keep raising the bar within this conference? SABRINA IONESCU: I mean, she's one of the best players to have ever played in conference and to ever play in this conference. I know from my freshman year, being able to watch how she worked and how much time she put in to her craft, was something that, you know, I didn't take for granted. I was able to watch her game in and game out and continued to get better and better and really put this conference on the map. So, obviously, friends with her now, and able to talk to her about stuff, U.S.A. Basketball and here in the conference. It is awesome to know that we're friends now through this conference. KELLY GRAVES: Well, look at the game tonight. We had four of the top 15 Naismith finalists playing in this past game. We're going to have some more here. We had some play last night that lost and are going home. We not only have really good teams, and I think we've positioned ourselves well for the NCAA tournament, all of us, and that comes down to we have really, really good players. It is not going anywhere. You see the young kids in this tournament that are really shining. So I think it is neat. I'll tell you this, Pac-12 prepares us like no other conference. With all due respect. We'll see how it plays out in the NCAA Tournament. Now we have to all go win. But it prepares us like none other for what we're about to go through. I told the team tonight, every game we play now from here on out is against a team that will be in the NCAA Tournament, or is in the NCAA Tournament. There's no gimmes now. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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