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NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: SECOND ROUND - GEORGIA VS IOWA


March 18, 2023


Katie Abrahamson-Henderson

Diamond Battles

Audrey Warren


Iowa City, Iowa, USA

Carver-Hawkeye Arena

Georgia Bulldogs

Media Conference


Q. What kind of challenges does Caitlin Clark present in running an offense and distributing with her passing?

DIAMOND BATTLES: Caitlin is a great player and does a lot for her team. She disrupts; like she makes you change what you have, your game plan and everything. But just she's a key focus or the team, so just locking in on the game plan that we have and just playing our defense and just tweaking a couple things is just what we have to focus on.

Q. What would a Sweet 16 trip mean for you guys?

AUDREY WARREN: It would mean everything. Obviously we are taking it one game at a time and focused on this, but looking ahead, getting to the Sweet 16 would be great for us, the program, and exposure for the south. The NCAA is fun to play in and it's fun to keep winning.

Q. Your team is loaded with big kids that are really hard to move out of there and everything. But what do you see your role as guards to try to make Iowa spread the floor defensively for you?

AUDREY WARREN: I think what all teams, shooters will bring the defense; we will have to guard the perimeter more and open up a little more space. With the offense and the people we have on our team, the way they attack and make their own shots, the way we pass each other the ball, I think we are a tough team when we are locked in offensively.

Q. What's it like playing for Coach Abe, and what has she told you about her time living in Iowa and playing in Iowa and stuff like that?

DIAMOND BATTLES: It's amazing playing for Coach Abe. She brings so much energy and fun and she makes the game fun. She makes it fun to be around practice and be around off the court. She hasn't told us much about her experience at Iowa.

Abe isn't one to talk about herself but we know she came here and she lived here and her family will be at the game. It's fun playing for Abe. Especially all the years I've played for her and this year, it's been great playing for her at Georgia where she played as well, so it's been fun.

Q. You guys have played some raucous environments this year. Tomorrow is a sold-out crowd here in Iowa City and 99 percent Hawkeye fans. Do you relish that opportunity to play in front of a crowd like that where it's probably going to be all against you?

DIAMOND BATTLES: Yeah.

AUDREY WARREN: Absolutely, yeah.

DIAMOND BATTLES: Like I said the other day, every D1 athletes lives for this moment whether they are cheering for you or cheering against you. You get to play in font of a sold-out arena, who wouldn't want to do that? The lights are on and it's time to show up. I think our team is locked and loaded and we are ready to show up and put on a show.

Q. Have you gotten a chance to watch much Iowa film yet and what stands out?

AUDREY WARREN: Considering we played Friday, or yesterday, we only have like today to prepare and we'll have tomorrow. Last night we watched film. Again, we've got to go our game plan and just what we're going to do. It's not as extensive as most games during the conference might be but I think we'll be fine with what we have.

Q. How would you describe Caitlin Clark's game to someone if you're scouting her?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: Amazing. Amazing. I mean, she's one of the best players in the country for sure.

Q. You got a chance to go up against Iowa last year when you were at UCF. How does that experience last year, playing against a high-flying offense like Iowa carry over defensively?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: It really only carries over to three players, Diamond, brightly and 'Lish, and really diamond and 'Lish because brightly had COVID so she didn't play in that game. Obviously they are a more seasoned team this year, too. And it's the NCAA Tournament, so it's a little different.

Q. You held them to 69 points last year. You have different players this year but are there any tactics that you used last year to hold them to that point that you can carry over and use for this game?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: It's not just this team. Every team that we play we have a certain goal of how many points we want to allow people to score, and I don't know where we are ranked this year in the country in terms of defense, Top 15. Last year we were No. 1 in the country, last two years.

So I think defensively that's always our goal. We try to just do us and play us, and play Georgia basketball. That's always our goal. So you know, dependent on if we are going to press or not in this game, that will change a little the dynamics. Clearly I'm not giving you all my secrets, people. (Laughter).

Q. That being said, do you have a target number that you want to hold them to tomorrow?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: No. I'm not giving any secrets.

Q. How much would it mean as you rebuild this program, well, not really rebuild, but reload this program --

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: Reload.

Q. Yes, reload. So how much would it mean to be able to get a berth in the Sweet 16 in year one?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: I mean, I should get a huge raise, everybody -- just kidding. I'm kidding.

But I think for especially our fifth-year seniors, none of them have done that except Audrey Warren. Nobody else has. Obviously that would be amazing and kind of the Cinderella team a little bit.

Q. Caitlin is certainly the catalyst but what else about Iowa's offense makes them so dangerous to guard?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: I wish I had their names in front of me. Czinano, obviously we have played against Aliyah Boston, we have played against Angel Reece, we've played against dominant post players but she is -- everybody always talks about Caitlin, too. And she is phenomenal. She is good. 25 -- what's her first name? Monika, she's good. I love her. And then Jan Jensen does a spectacular job always with her post players. She's always had great post players and Lisa has always had great post players. And Jan, she probably doesn't get a lot of credit for it, Jan Jensen. She's the reason those post players are that good. I think she's phenomenal.

Obviously the cute little one with the eyes, who is that?

Q. They all have eyes.

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: Cute eyes, pretty eyes -- see, women know that. She's a really good defender and just -- I would consider her besides Caitlin a sniper. She can knock down shots.

Then everybody else plays their roles really, really, really well. Really well.

Q. How special was it yesterday being back here at Carver-Hawkeye? And are you looking forward to playing in front of a sold-out crowd?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: It's never about me, ever, and I think it's going to be about them and coming in here and being in the NCAA Tournament. I don't think anybody in their right mind would have ever thought our team would have been here, signing ten portal kids. We signed ten. That's a lot.

So pretty much this year we came in with 15 new players, and so, credit to my staff. They have done an amazing job. So now we are in the spot, and I think every game we play, our team is just super excited and like very, very proud of themselves and my coaches I'm very proud of them for getting us to this position.

I think when we came up on the screen and it said Iowa, they all looked at me, like, are you kidding me? Yeah, these storylines, I'm sorry.

But it's not about me, at all.

Q. Do you expect Lisa to try to change up the way they use their posts, given that you have a ton of really big kids that can crash the boards?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: You've got to define what you're saying to me. You mean offensively?

Q. What do you think Lisa might do with her posts in terms of just matching up with your size.

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: Defensively? What she might do defensively?

Q. Or offensively.

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: Well, I think defensively she's going to mix it up. She's going to play junk. She's going to play triangle in two; box in one, she's going to do a 2-3. She's going to play man. She's going to do all that. It's just going to depend who we have in. It's going to be a chess match I think the whole game, and I think she's really good at that. Depending who goes in the game, you may see her pull out a different defense. We're talking defense.

Offensively, I don't think 25 is going to move too far off that block because she is a stud down there, you know what I mean. They are going to move everybody around and get us to spread out as much as they can so they can throw it in to her. So we have to be smart about not getting too spread out.

Q. Your thoughts on Hannah, the way she plays the game?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: Yeah, I don't know if Hannah even knows I went to school at Wash. (Washington) Iowa and was coached by a really good coach in P.J., in Paul James. And Paul called me, he's like, "I'm sorry I'm not there. I'm in Florida."

I'm like, "You suck. You're in Florida right now?" That's tough. (Laughter).

I mean, I don't know her stats and everything at Washington. You would have to tell me that but I love it. We would have had a lot of great players come out of Cedar Rapids, Brenda Frese, Stacy Frese, her, and there's even more. So that program really breeds great players.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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