NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - HOWARD VS SOUTH CAROLINA

March 17, 2022

Ty Grace

Iyanna Warren

Brooklynn Fort-Davis

Howard Bison

Media Conference

TY GRACE: First I want to say thank you for having us here again. It's good to be back in here the next day.

I want to also give a shout out for Incarnate Word on a great game yesterday. They played well, well coached, great sportsmanship, so shout-out to them.

I just want to thank you everybody again for all the support we received so far since we've been here. The Howard community, everyone that's been here at the tournament, and we just are still happy to still be dancing.

Q. What have the last 24 hours been like go from pre-game prep, playing that game, the first-ever First Four game, and now you got to get ready for No. 1 overall seed?

IYANNA WARREN: It's been amazing, like we said before. You just try to take it all in, but not for too long. Like you said, we have big game coming up tomorrow so we enjoy the moment, we embrace it, but now it's back to business today in practice?

BROOKLYNN FORT-DAVIS: I agree. It's exactly like that. We have to enjoy it while we can, but we also have to stay focused because tomorrow is a big day.

Q. Obviously South Carolina does everything well with their record and their seed. Is there any one thing that really stands out when you put in the tape and start prepping for tomorrow? Can even you narrow it down?

BROOKLYNN FORT-DAVIS: We definitely have to play tough. They're a tough team. They have a lot of good players, but so do we. We just have to be able to compete and be tough.

Q. Iyanna, I know we spoke on Tuesday and we were talking about the South Carolina program and how appreciative everybody is of it and all the responses there, and now they're your opponent. Is there a mindset change? Both you guys can answer.

IYANNA WARREN: The mindset still stays the same. They're still the great team that they were two days ago when we talked, but now it's more of a competitive mindset. Like Brooklynn said, we have to go in -- we have great players and they have great players, so we have to go in with the mindset that we're here to compete and we're here for a reason.

BROOKLYNN FORT-DAVIS: We respect the program. We respect -- we're grateful for the opportunity to be able to play on their court, but we do have to come ready to play.

It's almost like we can acknowledge their greatness, but we have to put that aside for the game.

Q. Hate to sound like one of your college professors, but can you compare and contrast your trip to play in Columbia versus the trip to Orangeburg in January to play South Carolina State? Getting down here, plane, hotel, what is it like between the two of them?

BROOKLYNN FORT-DAVIS: It's very different. Like I said yesterday, we feel like superstars. Plane ride was nice. It was just us on the plane. It's very different, though.

IYANNA WARREN: Yeah, it's definitely different. Like you said, coming out here on a plane just for ourselves compared to flying with other people a few months ago coming down to play South Carolina State.

Regardless, we came to play basketball, so the end goal is the same: to get a win.

Q. Iyanna, for you specifically, you're initiating the offense; you're the point guard. What do you feel is the X factor going into tomorrow? What do you hope to find success leading your offense?

IYANNA WARREN: Our team, we do best when we're out running and gunning in transition. So that a main goal tomorrow, to kind of play our tempo and play our game, but we do best in transition, so going to try to push the ball as much as we can.

Q. How do you prepare for the No. 1 team in the country in one day, and can you?

IYANNA WARREN: Honestly, we're talking about numbers right now, but we have to do it like we been doing it all year. Like we said before on Tuesday, we play back-to-back Saturdays and Mondays, so it's something we been used to.

We got to cram in scout. Our coaches do a great job with the scout and the film and prepping us, and it's upon us to kind of take it in, lock in, and focus on it.

So we're here and we have to do it, so...

BROOKLYNN FORT-DAVIS: Everything she said. Our coaches do a great job preparing the scout overnight and we're going to practice, get some work in today.

Honestly, it's a mental game. We can't play this game like we're scared. Yes they're the No. 1 seed, but we have to play the game like they're just any other team.

Q. Brooklynn, being able to go through last night almost as kind of getting those first-game jitters out of the way to get ready for tomorrow, how much does that help you prepare physically just learning the arena, getting you locked in mentally? What did that do to get you ready for tomorrow night?

BROOKLYNN FORT-DAVIS: I feel more comfortable tomorrow. I missed a couple shots yesterday, but I do feel a little bit more comfortable. I think I found my rhythm late in the fourth quarter yesterday, so I'm prepared.

IYANNA WARREN: Like she said, yesterday's game kind of helped us get a feel for the balls, the courts, the rims. As you all know, the first half our shots were not falling, but towards the third and fourth quarter we kind of found our rhythm and our touch around the rim.

So we're going to carry that into the game tomorrow.

Q. So obviously tomorrow night or tomorrow afternoon is going to be a lot more packed than it was yesterday. Is there a certain approach to that? Do you try to absorb some of the Gamecock fan's energy?

IYANNA WARREN: Like you said, it's going to be packed, it's going to be loud, but we have to focus on everybody that's going to be in Howard jerseys tomorrow from our coaches all the way down to the supporting staff.

So we just have to make sure we lock in, and to a certain extent we got to kind of drown out the noise. We have to make sure we stay focus and we stay locked in.

BROOKLYNN FORT-DAVIS: Playing at an HBCU there is always the band, the cheerleaders, the atmosphere is always loud, so we're used to playing with a lot of noise.

I definitely think we need to lock in on like the Howard voices, because I know the fans will be load and screaming.

Like Yanni said, we just need to tune in with our own game.

Q. Brooklynn, you had I think 16 rebounds last night. You're going head-to-head with Aliyah Boston tomorrow. Does that matchup kind of excite you, getting to take on one of the best rebounders in the country?

BROOKLYNN FORT-DAVIS: Yes, I'm very excited. I had a chance to play against her when we were younger in the AAU circuit, so it wouldn't be my first time playing against her, and I'm excited to be able to play against one of the best.

Q. What's one thing -- I know it's a really quick turnaround -- but what's one thing you saw from last night that you want to adjust and do better in the next game?

BROOKLYNN FORT-DAVIS: I definitely think that we need to execute better early on so we don't have to play catch-up later on in the game.

IYANNA WARREN: I don't know if it's really something you can adjust, but like I said about finding our touch around the rim. It really helped in that third and fourth quarter when we kind of settled down, jitters were gone, and were finally started playing our basketball and we started making shots we that usually always take.

So just keeping that same rhythm going into the game tomorrow.

Q. Same question I asked the players, how do you prepare in one day for this type of team, this type of caliber, and is it even possible to completely prepare for to type of team?

TY GRACE: It is possible. You know, and like the players said, we try to teach them that. There is a preparation process, and it doesn't always happen in the timeline that you would like.

Sometimes it is very quick, and we try to do our best to get them ready. They do their job by coming to the floor ready to play, and we do our job by giving them the information that they need to try to execute the game plan.

So, yes, it is quick, but like they told you, we've had quick turnarounds. Even during the COVID year we had to play Saturday and Sunday because we weren't allowed to travel the way we had before. So they got used to it in that time frame, too.

I think it's something that's not going to affect them because they're going to get information, get the game plan, and then they just got to go out and execute. You can never, never try to have too much preparation, but I think we'll be okay.

Q. Your team struggled quite a bit especially in the first half last night. Do you think playing through the adversities is something that helps going into tomorrow?

TY GRACE: Oh, absolutely. Hopefully we got that out, because I'm hoping those shots we missed in the first half are going in the first half tomorrow at 2:00.

Yeah, we been able to come through in the second half. Sometimes they call us a second half team, but it's part of the game. You miss shots and you make shots. I always tell our team, Your next shot is your best shot. Keep shooting the ball, you keep trying, you don't quit.

Obviously we want the ball to be on in our favor.

Q. Stylistically it seems like both and you South Carolina are very similar. You like to get the ball in open court, turn it over, get those long rebounds, get out and run, run, run. How do you make sure you're able to assert that style?

TY GRACE: Hopefully it'll be fun to watch, but we want it to be in our favor. Obviously we want to make sure we value those possessions. We don't want to be playing so fast that we're turning it over.

We want to make sure we are getting good shots at the basket, and same thing, contain them defensively. So we know the way they want to play and I know they know the way we want to play.

We're hoping we an contain it in a way that is fun to watch. We're not throwing the ball over the gym. We're still rebounding, running, and we're still taking good shots.

So hopefully everybody will be settled down and it'll be a great game to watch.

Q. How do you approach the mental aspect of tomorrow? Do you have to give your players confidence that they can play and defeat a No. 1 seed, or does that come naturally from themselves?

TY GRACE: I think it comes from themselves. When I talk to them about approaching anybody who we feel like we're not going to have an opportunity, we know what the opportunity is, it's just to go out and play and compete.

I don't think about No. 1 seeds. Obviously that's on paper. We know what this is. It's not a question how great South Carolina is. I know how good they are.

I also know that these kids want to play. They came to Howard to play and compete for championships. They came to make the NCAA tournament.

Now they're here, so I don't think there's going to be fear there. I think it's a matter of numbers, like you said, how the game goes.

But they're not going to come out and be in awe and shock. They respect this team, I respect this program and TY GRACE, but I just want them to come out and play and compete.

I think they're going to very well do that.

Q. Players aside, team aside, how have the last, I don't know, 16 hours for you as a coaching staff to go from celebrating the win and kind of enjoying that moment, but immediately having to get back to game prep for such a short turnaround?

TY GRACE: It's been fine. I say to everyone I you have an amazing staff. They do a great job. They make me a better coach. So we meet, we talk, we laugh, we joke. We just try to make things go as smooth as possible.

We try to talk about game plans and things of that nature, but we also know it's bigger than basketball. We know that you're going to have an opportunity to do things beyond this. This is just a part of it that makes life so sweet.

We're just trying to enjoy these moments together. And we plan and we get ready, we talk to the team, we talk to each other, and then we go about and do the normal things we do.

I'm just enjoying and happy that the staff is able to be on this platform, too. They've been great in terms of getting players and me ready, keeping me settled and not having me worry about anything.

It's just been really good.

Q. We talked about it a little bit on Tuesday, knowing that you had potentially to go up against ^ Dawn Staley, but now you actually are. Do you want to expand on that?

TY GRACE: I mean, like I told everyone, yes, I've been a Dawn Staley fan for a long time. We're colleagues in terms of being head coaches at two D1 universities, so I have the utmost are for her. She represents women's basketball on the highest level, and I can't thank her enough for all she's done for the sport, for me personally, and how I admire her.

I'm just excited for the opportunity. I think everybody is going to enjoy it. Obviously everybody is talking about it, and I'm just happy for the moment. I hope she is, too.

Q. This is going to a national telecast tomorrow on ESPN. What is having your brand and your program in front of an audience like that going to do for you in the future, whether that just recruiting or as a program in general?

TY GRACE: It means everything. I mean, to be able to have this university be on this kind of stage is just -- it means so much for the university, so much for these players for people to really know who they are, to not have the stigma or this thought about what they think HBCUs are, what they think Howard is.

It's one of the great institutions in the country with some of the best, best, best student-athletes, the best students in the country.

I couldn't be more proud. I'm glad that they really get to see who we are, and I hope they get to continue to see it tomorrow.

Q. Could you speak a little more on Iyanna and how important her role will be tomorrow to get make sure that she gets her teammates in the right places, get the offense going. Obviously South Carolina can throw a lot of different looks, a lot of different personnel, very deep bench. How important will she be to the team's success and finding comfort early?

TY GRACE: It's going to be very important. She's like the heart and soul of our team. You saw her struggle a little bit in the beginning of that game, you know, just trying it get settled.

Then you seen her come and take over and score 6 or 8 straight points. So I know her contribution is going to be heavy in how we play tomorrow. We go off how she goes.

I just want her to settle down and enjoy. Our team trusts her. They know at some point she's going to get us to where we need to be. I trust her, too. I believe in her wholeheartedly and I know she gives everything she needs to give to this program, and I couldn't ask for a better point guard.

Q. What do you think your team's biggest strength heading into this matchup?

TY GRACE: I think defense has been one of the biggest things. Rebounding obviously. We haven't scored the ball as good as I've wanted to, but I think we defended at a really good level.

And just being able to scout teams and take away their strengths when we needed to. So I think that's going to be one of the things.

But South Carolina has a high scoring power offense so that's something I know they're going to find shots. They're going to find shots, we're going to get beat off the dribble, they're going to offensive rebounds, but we're going to stay solid, try to take away things they like to do, and then we'll see what happens.

Q. One more about Coach Staley. You talked a little bit the other night about how she sent you and other Black women's coaches a piece of her championship net. Talk a little bit more about what that meant to you personally and how it gave you hope and motivation that she's behind you and believes in you. And then also wanted to ask you have you had a chance to talk to her this week and what that conversation was like?

TY GRACE: Like I said early in the week, it was a great feeling to see that net. Obviously I've always felt supported by other Black coaches, basketball coaches, and just to receive that net was a tangible thing, just something you can have as a reminder.

It was a great reminder. I appreciated Dawn thinking of us like that and her wanting us to be as successful as she and wanting us to aspire and be at the toppest level of our careers.

You know, I just couldn't have asked for anything else. Like that's something that you just carry with you throughout as a memory. As you go through things like this, being in a tournament, it just kind of reminds you of how you can achieve anything. You can be on the top of the world and win and advance and all those things.

So I'm just thankful for that. I did get to see her in the hallway. We just said hi because the teams were passing by and we were looking up as they were walking by. You know, she just said she was glad to have us here and she was happy for me. She wished me luck. She said, I'll see you on Friday. We just hugged and talked a little bit longer.

It was great. We just have a really mutual respect and she's amazing. I'm just thankful for the opportunity.