NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: REGIONAL 2 SEMIFINAL - LSU VS UTAH

March 24, 2023

Lynne Roberts

Alissa Pili

Gianna Kneepkens

Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Utah Utes

Sweet 16 Postgame Media Conference

LSU 66, Utah 63

LYNNE ROBERTS: Thank you guys for being here. I lost my voice at some point.

Congrats to LSU. What a great game. I thought both teams left it all out there on the floor. That's why it stings so bad when you put it all out there and somebody has got to win. They made the last play. We had a defensive stop, and just didn't secure the board. Morris came up with it, and then we got that foul, and we were playing catch-up from there. But.

Congrats to them. They have a heck of a team, and they play really, really hard.

I'm incredibly proud of my team, the season that we had. I just told them, there's no other locker room in the world I'd rather be in, the way they compete, the way they fight. But also maybe most the way they conduct themselves.

This is just an incredible group that represents the University of Utah so well, and it's an honor to be their coach. I also told them time will give some perspective. Only one team finishes in this tournament without a tearful locker room, and unfortunately that was us today.

What an amazing season we had, and I couldn't be more proud of these guys and their fight and their buy-in and the way they represent our university.

Q. Alissa, it seemed like you guys made a big run there at the end and were able to get the lead back. Did you feel like it was just a few little plays there at the end that maybe just got away from you a little bit?

ALISSA PILI: I don't really think it comes down to those plays at the end. I think it's just the buildup throughout the whole game. There's a lot of things we could have done better in the first, second, and third quarter. Yeah, I just think throughout the whole game is when it matters.

Q. There's no seniors on this team. How do you take the pain of this moment and build and try to make another run at this next year?

GIANNA KNEEPKENS: Yeah, it's hard to think about it right now, but that is something we can look forward to. Just like being with each other throughout the summer and getting better. Yeah, right now it's hard to think about, but it's definitely exciting for the future, and we'll get some new girls, as well.

Q. Coach, seems like y'all did a very good job on Angel Reese most of the night. She got in foul trouble, I'm sure in part attributed to how you played her, but then LaDazhia Williams had her season high tonight. What did you expect from her or see from her that allowed her to be so effective in this game?

LYNNE ROBERTS: I mean, it was really physical. I think you kind of have to pick your poison with that. I thought we let her get into a little bit of a rhythm there in the third. We weren't going to go one-on-one with Angel down on the block, so we were kind of digging in and shrinking it a little bit, and I thought she got into a little bit of a rhythm there.

But as I said before, they're not a one-trick pony, as they say. They're a good team. Angel gets a lot of the attention, rightfully so, but they've got a lot of other good players.

Q. This was the first time Alissa has fouled out in a while. Did you feel like this game was called tighter than some of the others you've played this year?

LYNNE ROBERTS: I thought it was physical for 40 minutes, and it was just kind of -- sometimes it was called and sometimes it wasn't. But that's just part of the game. We've got to adjust. Yeah.

Q. We saw you put your arm around Jenna there on the bench. Can you share what you told her?

LYNNE ROBERTS: Yeah. Jenna is such -- I thought she played her tail off today. She left it all out there. I just told her I was proud of her. A game never comes down to the last shot. I mean, that's what we remember, that's what we talk about, but there's so much that goes in before that. I just told her I loved her and I was proud of her, and we're still in it. Like we still can get the ball back down three; stay in it.

But I love that kid. She's a fighter. It's hard. Those are pressure moments, and it's a growing experience for her. She's just a sophomore.

But I don't think that'll happen again if she gets that opportunity again, knowing her, the competitor she is. If you said Jenna Johnson on the line in this game to win it, would you take it, heck yeah. And I'd take it tomorrow.

Q. This is a team without a lot of seniors --

LYNNE ROBERTS: No seniors.

Q. You could have everybody back. When can you start to think about, hey, we're building for next year instead of dwelling on the right now?

LYNNE ROBERTS: I think it's going to take a little bit of time. We wanted this one bad. We wanted to win this regional, one at a time. I think it'll even take me some time.

But we've got such a great group, and they're bought in and they're tight. And it's not a group of individuals, it's the sum of the parts. That is exciting, and we'll add some -- we've got some great freshmen signed, and we'll be better. I can guarantee you that. We'll be better next year.

Q. Can you just sort of put into perspective Gianna's sophomore year, everything she's done and just how much more she has to do with two more seasons?

LYNNE ROBERTS: Yeah, that sophomore group of Gianna and Jenna and Kennady, Ines Vieira, Kelsey Rees, it's like when parents say they want time to slow down, they don't want them to grow up too fast, that's kind of how I feel about that group. I'd love for them to be sophomores forever.

But Gianna I think -- Alissa got a lot of attention this year, rightfully so, and Gianna's shooting percentage was up from last year, her points were up, her field goal percentage, three-point percentage, free throw attempts, her rebounds, everything was improved. And she's just a sophomore and one of the most driven, competitive players I've ever coached or been around.

She's just scratching the surface, and she's going to be the one that when we fly back, we're going to have to tell her to give yourself a break, don't get in the gym and shoot tomorrow. She's just that type of kid.