NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - ALABAMA VS BAYLOR

March 17, 2023

Kristy Curry

Hannah Barber

Brittany Davis

Gampel Pavilion

Alabama Crimson Tide

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with questions for the student-athletes.

Q. Weird question before practice, but can you both address, are different arenas different when it comes to 3-point shooting? And how soon do you know whether you've got the range from 3-point range? Is it the practice the day before or is it at shoot-around? Is it before the game or do you have to wait until the game starts to know if you've got it going?

HANNAH BARBER: I think it starts in shoot-around. Obviously, that's one of the challenges of playing on the road, but I think our schedule all season long has kind of prepared us to make those adjustments, just playing in different arenas throughout the SEC and things like that. So during shoot-around, we should be able to get a good feel.

BRITTANY DAVIS: Yeah, I agree with her. Our schedule has prepared us all year long, so I think we'll be ready for the challenge. So, yeah, I don't think it has anything to do with it. I think that it starts in shoot-around.

Q. You've played 12 games against teams who are currently playing in the NCAA tournament. Baylor has played 11 games against top 25 teams. Can you kind of address how having a difficult schedule prepares you for this time in March? And what was kind of a game where you look back and say that kind of showed us we could be this kind of a team?

HANNAH BARBER: I think it starts in non-conference. We started out -- our second game of the year was on the road at South Florida. So like they played earlier obviously in the tournament. So those kind of experiences prepared us for our conference schedule.

Obviously, we feel like top to bottom our conference is the best in the country, with the No. 1 team in the country. So I think we just try to draw from all of those experiences and just keep putting our best foot forward this time of year.

Q. What have you seen from studying film that makes Baylor so successful?

HANNAH BARBER: Obviously, their guards, their guard play is really good, and then with their post players' ability to shoot the ball and stretch the floor. Personnel and our ability to play it correctly is going to be really important for us. They're also really good in transition. So getting the ball stopped and getting our defense set to try to slow them down is going to be a key for us.

BRITTANY DAVIS: I agree, they do have really good guards and their post game shooters are good. So we have to be ready to play from the opening tip.

Q. Obviously, you guys in the SEC, play a lot of iconic places, in Tennessee and South Carolina and that kind of thing. Do you take a moment, though, when you come into a place with 11 National Championship banners and those names that are on the wall at Gampel Pavilion and look around and say, this is where we've gotten ourselves? Do you take that moment or is it just another game to you guys?

HANNAH BARBER: I think you have to take the moment. We were just walking in the door a second ago and I was walking with one of our freshman, Karly Weathers, and she said, The little kid in me is excited right now. And I think that's how you feel when you come into these environments. Just growing up a basketball fan and now to be able to play in a place like this, it's special.

As much as we want to think that we're super locked in on the game and that's the focus, the magnitude of the moment, it's in the back of your mind.

Q. Did you grow up watching UConn play basketball? Did you ever dream about playing at Gampel?

BRITTANY DAVIS: Yeah, I grew up watching them also. It is a special moment. But we have to keep our eye on the goal of what we came here to do. But it is special to be able to play here after growing up watching.

Q. Obviously 3-point shooting is a key for you guys, but what are the main keys offensively for you tomorrow? And what is it that you expect them to do against you defensively to take away what you do best?

HANNAH BARBER: I think taking care of the basketball is going to be a big key for us. Whenever -- obviously Baylor's good in transition, so if we're giving them extra possessions and allowing them to start their transition offense, it's going to be a tough game for us. So we're going to be focused on taking care of the basketball and being patient, not forcing shots and just moving the ball around and letting them guard for a majority of the shot clock to make sure that we can get the best shot that we can.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you, both.

(Pause.)

THE MODERATOR: We'll start with questions.

Q. You guys have played 12 games this season against teams who are currently in this tournament. Can you talk about scheduling and how that prepares you to be ready for the moment tomorrow?

KRISTY CURRY: Yeah. I think we knew coming into the season that when you look at the way the selections are made, I think we really worked hard on our pre-season schedule. We went to several Mid Major home gyms. There were several teams that won their league, Southern Miss, Gardner-Webb, South Florida. So we put ourselves in a position in the pre-season, and then we feel like we play in the best league in the country night-in and night-out.

So we feel like our pre-season combined with our season too with our conference really prepared us for this moment, and I'm really proud of our team.

Q. Obviously great 3-point shooting team, so what do you have to do tomorrow to make sure that you're on in that capacity? I mean, obviously you expect them to try to play a lot of perimeter defense and take that away from you, so what are the keys to getting that going and making it work?

KRISTY CURRY: We love to shoot the first open shot, make a one-second decision. I think that the biggest thing with this team and probably as of late that we haven't done the kind of job that we wanted to was finish at the rim. I think the counter-move, when you take the three away, we feel like we need to do a really good job of finishing shots at the rim. We've gotten some great looks, and we have really worked hard since March the 2nd to finish at the rim, to make sure that we're aggressive and getting to the free-throw line. So if you take away the three and you run us off of it we're going to try to get to the rim. We got to make some twos tomorrow.

Q. Baylor obviously coming in on a two-game losing streak, lost six of their last nine. Is that something that gives your team confidence or is it something that makes Baylor dangerous?

KRISTY CURRY: I think we're in similar situations. They had a streak there in February where they lost four in a row. We had a streak toward the end where we lost four in a row. So very similar situations. I was thinking about that exact scenario. I think it just comes down to will. Your will right now has to be stronger than your skill. They're obviously very talented and we feel like we're very talented. We're very similar in the adversity that we had on our schedule here with conference play. Again, I think our will has to be really special tomorrow. We have a group of kids that this was their goal going into the season. I think we were picked 10th in the SEC by the media. I think that this team has risen to the challenge. We've got several kids on our team too who two years ago were a 10-seed playing a 7-seed in San Antonio. And can hopefully draw from that success. It's a brand new season. It will be interesting to see who is will is a little bit stronger than the other one's.

Q. What have been some of the areas you focused on in preparation for Baylor?

KRISTY CURRY: Mason, I'm missing y'all back home. Thank you for joining in today. Repeat that question again.

Q. What are some of the areas you focused on in preparation for Baylor?

KRISTY CURRY: Oh, gosh. Number one, first and foremost, I think it's really, really important that we defend their ball screen action. They're really dynamic with their European ball screen and the things that they do. We've got to understand the importance of protecting the rim. We've got to make sure that we do that first and foremost. Secondly, we've got to get back in transition and limit their looks at the rim. So we've got to get the ball stopped early and often we got to meet their bigs early in transition they do a phenomenal job of sprinting from free-throw line to free-throw line. So you got to protect the rim against Baylor to have success. I think that's going to be a big challenge for us tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you.