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

March 19, 2023

Katie Abrahamson-Henderson

Diamond Battles

Javyn Nicholson

Carver-Hawkeye Arena

Georgia Bulldogs

Media Conference

Iowa - 74, Georgia - 66

THE MODERATOR: We will begin with questions for our student-athletes.

Q. For both of you, what are the emotions like after a hard-fought game and a tough loss like this?

JAVYN NICHOLSON: It's disappointing of course we're competitors. We want to win. We feel like we had a good chance, a good fight, we had a good game plan and we were sticking to it. This is March Madness though. There's going to be plays where, you know, tough players make tough shots. And that's just really how it went. But how we feel, we're grateful to be here, we're blessed to be here. We feel like we took advantage of our opportunity. But it is very bittersweet for our seniors, for our group in general. We have a great group. We're really close. Just bittersweet.

Q. This is probably more for Javyn and Diamond, I guess both. The defense that you were able to play and kind of keep the ball out of the paint for Iowa, and I think they only scored 2 points on second-chance opportunities. Is that indicative of the defense you played all year, and if so how did it help serve you today in your opportunities?

Diamond Battles: I mean, yeah. That's just how our defense is. We locked in on the game plan. We focused on key components of what Abe says to do. We just knew that we had to pressure the ball and disrupt their sets. Our defense was really good today. We stuck to the game plan. We boxed out. We was on the boards. We got loose balls, we played Georgia basketball today.

Q. You guys got the game to within 2 points there late, 66-68. What was your feelings? What happened there? Why were you not able to, sort of, get over the hump?

JAVYN NICHOLSON: Things happen. Game of basketball you can't -- you are not perfect in every area. Things happen. And people miss shots. And that's how, you know, the game goes. That's when momentum swings. Fortunately, we had an opportunity, and we didn't capitalize on it. That's how things go. We tried to get it back on the other end, but it just didn't happen that way.

Q. Diamond, 16 of your 21 points game in the first half. Was there something you noticed Iowa do differently in terms of defending you in the second half?

Diamond Battles: Wasn't letting me catch it as much. When that happens you have to get my teammates open and create somewhere else, and I tried to do that. Definitely, you know, they made it harder for me to score on-balls and everything else. They, kind of, keyed in a lot on me in the second half, so that's why.

Q. Diamond, seemed like the louder it got, the better you played. Do you enjoy playing in this atmosphere? Does that make you motivated?

Diamond Battles: Like I said yesterday, when the lights are on, I kind of want to shine. I was ready for this. My teammates helped me get ready for this. I love playing in environments like this. I get to prove to the world who I am. Showcase my name, let everybody see who I am. I guess today that I was ready to play and ready to show the world on ABC Network that I was here.

THE MODERATOR: All right, ladies, thanks for joining us. We'll continue with questions for Coach Abe.

Q. It seems like things kind of fell apart there in the final 2 minutes with those 3 consecutive turnovers. What do you think went wrong there?

COACH ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: Well, let me say first, Diamond was the best player on the floor tonight. She had -- how many points did she have? Diamond had 21 points. So I mean, she was the reason why we were doing what we were doing. So, you know, I think, you know, our team played and did an amazing job, and played great defense, played suffocating defense. And down the stretch down is not anything indicative of the game.

Q. Coach, every time Iowa made a run in this game you seemed to have a response. Can you talk about your team's resiliency?

COACH ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: We made a lot of runs. I know everything is going to be about Iowa right now. But my team is really good. They are really good. We came in here, we fought like crazy, we were the underdogs, but there was no underdog here today. We represented Georgia really, really well. And it was a tight ball game. We made runs. We went up. They cut it. They made some runs, we cut it back. It was an even game the whole game. The whole game. The last 2 minutes is not the game. So, you know, I mean we had two really really good teams on the floor today. And one of them was Georgia. For sure.

Q. Along those lines, what does it mean big picture for the program? In year one you are able to be as competitive as you were with a really talented Iowa team?

COACH ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: It means my coaches are amazing, and we have a really good coaching staff, and we took 15 players and got them to this point, which is unbelievable. That's why I say Georgia was here too, everybody. And they are a seasoned veteran team. And they are good. And we were here. We were here. And we almost won the game. We were close enough to win that game. And I'm proud of our team. We brought a bunch of kids together. They bought in. Some of the Georgia players stayed. I brought kids from UCF. Some of the kids like Audrey Warren wanted to transfer because she wanted to be a part of greatness. So the Georgia brand is there, and I'm just really really proud of them to do this this year with 15 brand new players and our coaching staff. That's why I keep saying that Georgia is here today.

Q. Your bench outscored Iowa 24-0. Have they been that consistent all year?

COACH ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: Yep. Yep. You guys just don't watch us. We play in the SEC. The SEC is tough. They are tough, tough, tough, tough. Our defense has been the same. Our defense has held people down. Our defense held a lot of people down to their lowest scoring. And obviously, offensively, you know, we have a lot of weapons. So a lot of people were high-scoring today, and obviously, Diamond Battles led the way for us. Diamond Battles is a pro. She's a pro. I know her name is not going to be out there. Caitlin is a pro for sure, but so is Diamond Battles. She is the reason we have gotten this far. I mean, she is -- comes to UCF with me, Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year. All that. Then she comes here and makes Second Team, All-Defensive Team, plays one year here for us, and was the best player, in my opinion. She was leading everyone in scoring today. And played great defense and got steals and tips and all that. I feel like Javyn played well, Brittney played well, Audrey played well, Zoe played well. Everybody that went in really represented. And understand that a lot of them haven't been -- there's probably five of them, six of them that have never been in the NCAA Tournament. So we did an amazing job.

Q. The other day you mentioned that you guys kind of go into games defensively with a goal in mind of how many points you want to give up for every team. Was 74 points near the goal is that what you guys were looking forward today?

COACH ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: We had them down before the last 2 minutes of a bunch of free throws. I mean, you know, when we played LSU we held them down to lowest scoring and everything. I mean, yeah. We had them right there. Yeah, I'm not going to give you the number.

Q. You are saying goodbye to many fifth-year seniors. What's it mean to do it with this group of players, many that came with you from UCF. And what can everyone expect from the future of Georgia Basketball?

COACH ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: You just saw it. There's going to be a lot of young kids that are going to want to play for us because winning is written all over Georgia. It's been in the past. Andy Landers built Georgia. And to talk about the five seniors. That's hard. Diamond Battles I have known since she was a junior in high school. So it's probably been eight years. Brittney Smith I have known since she was a junior in high school. Eight years for her. Lish has probably been four years. Our freshmen I've known. None of them have played, but they are all coming back next year. And they are good and they are talented. I've known them for a long time. The only ones I really haven't known for a long time were the ones that decided to stay at Georgia and trusted as a coaching staff. It's just going to be really hard to lose, especially Brittney and Diamond because they came to Georgia and they, you know, were like us, and they helped us build this. Reload this, I should say. Reload this.

Q. How proud are you of your team?

COACH ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: I'm very proud. I mean, I'm very proud. Like all the things I've said, I'm very proud of them. Anybody could have won this game for sure. Hopefully next year we'll come back and we can host. That would be awesome.

Q. How did the scout on Gabbie Marshall's shooting ability play out today?

COACH ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: I don't know, what did she have? Gabbie Marshall, my pretty-eyed girl. Good. I think good. I think the scouting report on Caitlin was great. She had 16 points. So she finished with a lot because she had some free throws. She had 16 points. Scouting report. And she averages 27 points a game, that's a lot. I think we did a great job on her. And I think their role players really stepped up.

THE MODERATOR: All right, Coach, thanks for joining us.