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BIG TEN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPMarch 8, 2020Brenda FreseAshley OwusuStephanie JonesKaila CharlesBlair WatsonIndianapolis, Indiana Maryland - 82, Ohio State - 65 Q. What do you think of those three games? BRENDA FRESE: I mean, it's unreal. It took an entire team. A different player stepping up for us each game, every quarter. It took a lot of grit and tenacity, obviously. An incredible day for Maryland with our men winning this afternoon, to be able to follow it up, and just so incredibly proud of this group, to go through what we went through in the regular season and then to be able to come out and take the conference championship, as well. Q. What about Ashley; three really consistent games, and she got the MVP obviously. BRENDA FRESE: She was undaunted. No moment is too big for her. I mean, she was the engine that made us go and really made plays for so many players. You know, obviously that was why she was the most valuable player. Q. Obviously Stephanie Jones had a big game, as well. She was outside the spotlight a little bit this season. Talk about her. BRENDA FRESE: Miss Consistency. I thought the MVP could have went to either one. She really brought it I thought every single game for us, and had to have those minutes from her from the offensive, as well as the defensive end. Q. This game seemed to really be a game of little tiny spurts on offense. How big was especially Taylor Mikesell and Blair Watson? BRENDA FRESE: I mean, it's going to come down to that in March. You're not going to have a lot of possessions to be able to take away, so those threes were critical, and just being able to chip away offensively as well as defensively. Q. How much focus was there on actually finishing the job here, after what happened the last couple of years in Indianapolis? BRENDA FRESE: I mean, it's a different team. Having a point guard allowed us to be in position to be successful. Just very gratifying, obviously, for our seniors. To come out empty-handed the last two, couple years, to be able to send them out the right way. Q. You've been talking about stringing three games and three days together for the freshmen. Ashley's performance not just tonight but over the weekend, what does that say about her growth? BRENDA FRESE: You know, she was just undaunted. She wanted the big moment. She was built for it. I told her she won four straight titles in high school, so all that kid does is win. But most importantly just watching the growth over the course of the season for her to be ready for the biggest stage. Q. Finally getting this title after coming up short two years, how does this help the confidence in your team moving forward? BRENDA FRESE: Yeah, I mean, the season has prepared us for what lies ahead, so conference schedule, now the Big Ten Tournament, we're definitely excited for what lies ahead. Q. I believe this is your fourth in six years; how does this compare to some of the other ones? BRENDA FRESE: You know, this one is incredibly special because when you've had a couple years where you haven't been standing up there and confetti is falling on you when you go off the court, you just realize how difficult it is. I think it's even more because this group had to sacrifice so much to be able to put themselves in this position to be successful. Q. When it comes to rest and recovery with these three games in three days, what did you see from your freshmen in particular this week that maybe might have set them ahead of some of the other groups? BRENDA FRESE: Yeah, again, they were just fearless. They wanted to make plays for us on both ends of the floor, and the moment wasn't too big for them. Q. You mentioned -- you gave a shout-out to the men's team, also. Does a day like today kind of take you back to the '06, '02 era in College Park? BRENDA FRESE: You know, just great vibes right now, great things happening in College Park. Can't say enough. Today you could feel the chills of just being able to win championships. You know, again, phenomenal things going on for both teams in College Park. Q. The play of Shakira Austin and Stephanie Jones down the stretch was kind of a big deal for you guys. Can you elaborate on how their play really was -- BRENDA FRESE: Shakira and who else? Q. Shakira and Stephanie. BRENDA FRESE: Absolutely. Shakira is our enforcer down low. We needed that rebounding. Those point beans for us and the inside presence, our rebounding has always been really critical to our success. Q. With Ashley, her being a freshman and all, do you expect her performance to continue into the NCAA Tournament? Are you worried about it capping off? BRENDA FRESE: No, not worried at all. She's just continued to keep getting better and better every time she steps out on the floor for practice, and elite-level players want to be in these moments, and Ashley is built for these moments. Q. Stephanie Jones and the rest of you guys' seniors, you mentioned it before, when you guys were giving your speech, during the presentation, but again, what does it mean to your seniors and to you for them to go out and get a Big Ten title? BRENDA FRESE: Yeah, you know, they've come up short the last couple years, so for us to be able to send them out regular season championship and now the conference tournament, like it's anything but easy. 18-game conference schedule and now three games in three days, so it's only fitting this group is truly a bunch of winners. Ashley Owusu Q. How come you've just caught fire here in the tournament? You were averaging 11 points through the season, but now you've exceeded expectations. ASHLEY OWUSU: I would just say staying confident and focused, and I give all the credit to my teammates and coaches. I come in every day and they push me to my best ability, and they have a lot of confidence in me. Q. Obviously passing has been another big thing during the tournament. What's making everything easy? ASHLEY OWUSU: I guess just keeping my head up and reading the defense. Q. Coach mentioned you're 5-for-5 now in tournaments. ASHLEY OWUSU: Yes. Q. What would it mean to be 6-for-6? ASHLEY OWUSU: It would mean everything. Coming out and winning a National Championship with this team would be awesome. Q. Is this what you had in mind in your first season? ASHLEY OWUSU: I would say yeah. I have a lot of confidence in myself and my team knowing we would come in and win a regular season and the tournament. Now us just staying focused for the NCAA Tournament. Q. When it comes to your personal performance, having the Freshman of the Year, is that something you also envisioned for yourself this year? ASHLEY OWUSU: I mean, yes and no, just coming in and playing basketball and doing whatever needs to be done to help my team win. Q. Ashley, typically freshmen come in and won't be like a leader right away. What are your teammates telling you about stepping up and letting you take the reigns? ASHLEY OWUSU: I would say they helped me a lot. I give a lot of credit to the seniors. I'm a young player coming into a great program, and they've helped me become the leader I am today. Q. What does this win mean to you as a player? Obviously you've won throughout your career as a basketball player, but what specifically about this is different? ASHLEY OWUSU: I would say the group of people I won it with. I just love my teammates, and to be able to come out and win the Big Ten Tournament with them is awesome. Q. Why do you think you've been so successful in postseason? ASHLEY OWUSU: I would just say confidence and staying focused. Playing three games in three days is not easy. Me and my teammates just came out, kept our heads down and worked to stay focused. Q. What kind of changed in the second quarter for you? It looked like the floor really opened up and you were able to get some really good passes down low and score in transition a lot. Was it defense that changed? ASHLEY OWUSU: I would say defense, yeah. In the beginning we were a little late on rotations and things like that. Our offense comes from our defense, so just getting out in a stance and then pushing and getting the steal? Q. What was the seniors' message to the team before this game? What were they telling you? ASHLEY OWUSU: Just stay focused. They've been in this type of position, and we also have earlier in the season, so just staying focused and not being rattled by what was going on in the first half. Q. Staying on the topic of the seniors, it's been mentioned that the last two years that you guys obviously came up short in the tournament. You coming in as a freshman this year, how does it mean to you -- for all their leadership for this season, for Stephanie, for Kaila and all the other seniors to go out of the regular season and now the Big Ten Tournament title? ASHLEY OWUSU: It means a lot. Like you said, they lost the last two years, so just coming out and winning it for them and winning it for ourselves. Stephanie Jones Q. Is it just a Jones family tradition -- STEPHANIE JONES: I mean, I guess we just have that sense of urgency like it's our last season, so you just want to go out with a win. Q. How did it feel after all of the staff from last year and the year before? STEPHANIE JONES: It feels amazing, especially to come short the past two years, and like we kind of followed the lead of our seniors our freshman year, so just to be able to do it as a senior, it means a lot. Q. Could you talk a little bit about what it's like to play with a player like Ashley. STEPHANIE JONES: I mean, she's amazing. The fact that she's able to create shots for herself and other people, you've always got to look for her. The defense never can take a break with her on the court, so yeah, she's tough. Q. Once again, you battled down low, getting those easy buckets, it seemed like people were finding you inside. Are you guys really figuring out that offensive chemistry between the inside and outside? STEPHANIE JONES: Yeah, I think that we're just being more patient with it. We're not forcing anything, and just playing with what the defense gives us. Yeah, like if everybody knocking down shots, we're able to go inside-out. Q. Have you ever seen a freshman with as much courage as Ashley? STEPHANIE JONES: No. Honestly, I mean, she's like really a silent assassin. She doesn't play much, but what she's able to do on the court says a lot. Q. Obviously pretty much everyone stepped up tonight in little ways. What's it say about this team that everyone is able to contribute in big ways? STEPHANIE JONES: Yeah, it says a lot about our depth and just the fact that everybody is able to contribute when their number is called. I mean, like they all knew what we were playing for, so just to be able to -- just to have them on the court and get that moment means a lot for them, too? Q. At one point you were 6-for-6 from the field. Did you have confidence coming in after shootaround, or was your feel of the game just coming to you early on? STEPHANIE JONES: Yeah, I think it was just the feel of the game, my teammates finding me, just being aggressive on the boards, too. And yeah, I knew what was at stake, and just like the energy boost that I would get from my team. Q. How does this team compare to the team you were on as a freshman? STEPHANIE JONES: I don't know, I mean, we both won. We both won the championship, so that was three years ago, so I don't know. It's far back. Q. Looking big picture, you guys got the first two things that you wanted, the regular season title and the tournament title. Playing three games in three days, how is it going to help you guys as you guys move on in the NCAA Tournament and possibly make a run to the Final Four? STEPHANIE JONES: Yeah, I think that these three games being back to back like this and with stuff competition really prepares us for the NCAA Tournament just because it is so tough and then just to be able to have those games where it's like one, and then a day of rest and then another one. Yeah, and I think it really prepares our underclassmen, too. Kaila Charles Q. How does it feel? KAILA CHARLES: It's amazing. This whole year we fought hard. It wasn't easy but it was worth it. I love the fact that we did this together. It wasn't just one person, it was everybody, somebody different every night, and yeah, it's amazing. I'm glad that we finally won it. I've been here four years in a row and we lost the last two, and it hurt. It hurt. I think my seniors who went through that, we had a big chip on our shoulder, we were motivated, and we got the W and we went out with a bang. Q. What were the feelings at the end? KAILA CHARLES: It was just a lot. We were all excited. I shed a couple tears because we worked so hard, and I always believed we were going to win today. I was just so excited in the hotel room, ready to play because I was just like, I'm ready to cut those nets. We went out there, we executed, we grinded and we won. Q. Ashley getting the MVP and looking so beyond her years in this tournament; what do you think of her? KAILA CHARLES: I mean, Ashley is amazing. We call her "Cashley" because she's amazing. I'm not surprised at all. She's just doing what she always does. I'm so proud of her, I'm happy for her, and hopefully she can get that run of three years in a row. But yeah, love the fact that she came out here aggressive, confident, and that's what we're going to need moving forward in the tournament. Q. What about Steph making the all-tournament team, she really came out at the end of the year and it's a regular thing? KAILA CHARLES: Yeah, Steph was just doing Steph things. We call her Ms. Consistency. She just went out there and played her hardest, left it all on the court, and it just was working for her, finding her, she was getting the O boards, stops, finishing through contact and all that stuff. So Steph played amazing. Q. You guys had five players in double figures tonight, not to mention that you guys had two players with double-doubles, and then you also had your freshmen step up and combine for like 29 points. What does it say about the balance of this team and how it can help you guys throughout March to hopefully make a run at the National Championship? KAILA CHARLES: Yeah, it just shows we have so many weapons. Everything is spread out through our whole team, through all nine players. And you can't take away one person because there's eight other people, so I love the fact that we're so balanced and everybody can come off the bench and score 20 essentially a night. So yeah, that's something we're going to need moving forward, especially in the Tournament, we're going to play some tough teams outside of our league, and we need everybody to contribute, we need everybody to score and just give us the defense that we need, offensive rebounding, all that, so we need everybody. Q. You have so much NCAA Tournament experience. How are you feeling about the potential of this team with everything you've done? KAILA CHARLES: Yeah, I'm ultra-confident in our team, especially with our new defense this year. As you can see, we're one of the best defensive teams coming out of Maryland. We hold people to a lower points than they had in years. So I'm excited going into this tournament because we have a new defense that not anybody hasn't seen this year, so yeah, like you said, we had so many contributors on this team, it's not just one person; we've got two, three, four. And so I love the fact that we have good chances going into the NCAA because we are just so balanced. Q. You guys obviously struggled to win this tournament the last two years, but now moving into the NCAA Tournament, what do you think the key is going to be to moving further ahead in that tournament, as well? KAILA CHARLES: Just sticking to Maryland basketball, playing together, playing for each other and sharing the ball. When we do that, good things happen, especially when we're locked in on the defensive end. That's all that really matters. Q. You guys played three really tough games the last couple days. It was a really close score at halftime and you came out in the third and fourth quarters and really grinded, as you said. Just looking forward, how is that going to be able to help you guys as you guys maybe get to the Sweet 16, Elite 8, maybe the Final Four? KAILA CHARLES: Definitely. This conference, this league, they definitely have prepared us for postseason. Every game throughout regular season and this tournament was a battle, and we were battle tested every game. So among the fact that we were very competitive, this league is very competitive because it's going to help us even more, like I said, in the NCAA. I think we were challenged a lot, and we were able to grind it out and prove what we can do, and we've just got to keep it up. Q. What did Coach say to you going into the halftime? Because when you came back out you stretched the lead. KAILA CHARLES: She was just saying that we need to lock into our defense, and that's something she's been saying all year because our defense leads to our offense, we get a lot of stops, that leads to our break. It's just like lock into the defensive end and all the rest will flow, and she's saying, share the ball, have fun, and go out there and leave it all out on the court, and that's what we did. Q. Speaking of defense, you guys held Juhasz scoreless for the second half. How did that happen? KAILA CHARLES: Just like as a collective. We know she's a good player, but we know if we play team defense, we were able to try to limit her touches. So we were trying to front, have help side so they couldn't get in to her easily, and it essentially worked and we were able to build a lead because she wasn't scoring as much. It was just a team defense and all of us coming together as a collective. Blair Watson Q. What's the feeling now? BLAIR WATSON: It's just surreal. I honestly have no words. I'm just so proud of my team. I think it just kind of shows the grind that we had all season long, even preseason, and I think it's just sharing it with my family, sharing it with everybody here, I think everybody is so excited, so happy and I want to take this momentum into the NCAA Tournament. Q. Ashley getting the MVP and looking like a beast throughout the whole tournament, what did you think of her? BLAIR WATSON: She absolutely deserved it. She's a floor general for our team. She plays offense, she plays defense, she can steal. She does anything you honestly ask her to do. She's honestly the quietest person you'll ever meet, but I think her actions speaks volumes to what she's capable of and what she does for our team. I'm just so proud of her, and she definitely deserved that award. Q. You individually in that third quarter, you hit two threes, one being a step-back with a hand in your face. Did you feel like you guys had the game after you caught fire there? BLAIR WATSON: I just felt like we were never going to give up and we were never going to lay down. It really didn't matter who was against us, I think we were just going to go out there and play our game and have fun doing it. You had almost everybody in double figures. It was just a great night for everybody. We shared the basketball, we had so much fun, and it just shows today. Q. You guys as seniors combined for nearly a third of you guys' points. What was you guys' message to the team as you guys were going through your shootaround this morning and especially in the hotel last night? Just how major was it for you to be able to go out and get the Big Ten title as seniors? BLAIR WATSON: I think Brenda holds our seniors to a higher standard because we've been here for four years and we know the system and we know what she expects out of us. We were going in shootaround and we were in film and we were just talking, you've got to lay it all on the line, no matter what happens. It doesn't even matter what the name is on the chest, you just go out and play Maryland basketball. And at the end of the day, Coach B, she got us right. We were in the locker room, she's like, y'all need to step it up, and she's like, you guys came out really flat, but I need you guys to pick it up, and I think that's what we did in the third quarter, and it really, really showed, and it helped us get that win. Q. How does this team compare to the other three teams you've been a part of? BLAIR WATSON: I mean, I can't knock all the other teams because they were so great and I loved everybody who was on them, but this team is special. They're younger, they're goofy, they just have fun with everything, and I just love them to death. I wouldn't change this team for the world. Q. You guys have had so much success as a senior class, and you guys have had success in the NCAA Tournament. How is that going to be able to help you guys as leaders moving forward as you guys pursue this tournament run? BLAIR WATSON: Yeah, I think just treating every game as if it was your last because I mean, at the end of the day, it is. I think just going out there with a fight and a hunger that we're ready, we're willing, and after today, I mean, somebody better step on the court with us because I don't think they're going to like it, but we're going to come with some fire, and at the end of the day, we're going to go through all the little things and at the end hopefully the result will be a win, but I think we're just looking to have fun and play together at the end of the day. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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