ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL TIPOFF MEDIA DAY

October 24, 2023

Amanda Butler

Ruby Whitehorn

Amari Robinson

Clemson Tigers

Women's Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Here we go. We are now excited to continue with Clemson women's basketball team, led by head coach Amanda Butler. She has her fifth-year player in Amari Robinson and the sophomore phenom in Ruby Whitehorn. Two players definitely made their mark on the season.

Just Clemson as a whole continues to go this way. I know that you are a program-changer. Going over a couple things that you did last year, had a nine-win improvement from the year before, and also a four-win improvement in conference play. When you are going to the drawing board each year, now that we have another year ahead of us, what is the most important thing that you guys want to implement in order to say, It's not just a nine-win season that we've had going forward, we want to continue to build on that? What's the most important thing for you this year?

AMANDA BUTLER: You know, I don't know that it's an element of basketball really. I think there's a lot of different elements of basketball that we know have to be better from year and year. Obviously coaches get together and try to figure all that out.

I think your super power as a team, as you're trying to compete well, is leveraging who you are, individually and collectively. That's something we spend a lot of time on, is knowing ourselves, who are we, what's for us, what's not for us. Let's not give any energy to the things that are not for us. Like I said, that's as an individual basis as a competitor or collectively.

The discovery process of what are the things that need to be ours, that we need to give energy to, give attention to every single day, discovering that and continuing to build into that, that's going to be the leap for us.

That's how you, I think with legitimate confidence, raise your expectations. Really knowing who you are and not giving energy to the things that you're not, then compete through those things.

Q. To build also on two players that are with us right now. I know you have a roster full of amazing additions, but also players. Speaking about these two, being on the second team All-ACC and the freshman team as well, McDonald's All-American player coming in, to change a program, what are your expectations of them and how can we see a different style from them in this season?

AMANDA BUTLER: Yeah, one of the things, they share a lot of things in common along those talent lines and expectation lines. I think one of the things both of them have realized is the impact of their voices, the impact of this is how I compete and this is how it impacts other people and raises the level.

The talent is undeniable. The potential, the ability. Those things are kind of the easy stuff. It's understanding the ripple effect of who I am, how I compete, how I show up every single day, and how that raises the level day in and day out.

Both of them have expanded who they are as players in terms of being able to shoot the ball. I think both of them understand the impact they make as rebounders and defenders. Then with the ball in their hands, they're as tough as anybody to guard.

They continue to look for ways to be great teammates, to lead well, to push each other, to find inspiration in the others that are on this team, but just try to be a little bit better every single day. Can we get better at being our best.

Q. You have an amazing human being, great players on your roster, but the most respected player, Amari Robinson, throughout the league. Amari, just how you feel about what you were able to do last season building continuously, showing up every day, which is the motto going into this season, how are you showing up this season to be a little bit different?

AMARI ROBINSON: This season I'm actually showing up late (smiling), but I'm still there.

But I think just knowing that I can trust my teammates, that we're so veteran and we're so experienced. There's not a lot of, like, picking up. There's not a lot of, like, c'mon, let's do this. It's player-led this year. That's really exciting because that's not something we've had in the past.

We've definitely had older players, but not as many that have been all around and been in the positions, especially leadership roles.

I think just walking in and knowing that our team is wanting to win and wanting to be here, wanting to play together to win, is the biggest thing for me.

Q. I do recall coach saying you're one of the most consistent players on her roster.

AMANDA BUTLER: Ever. Ever.

Q. That takes it to another level there, Amari. Knowing that, to do that every day, to be an example, especially to players that are coming in with this caliber, what does that mean to you?

AMARI ROBINSON: It means everything to me, honestly. I'd do anything for my teammates, by my teammates. Whatever I need to do, I'm going to do it for them, whether it's cheering as loud as I can when I'm getting subbed out or needing to put the ball in the hoop.

It's not a burden, not a weight at all. I'm willing to do it over and over again every time.

Q. Ruby, in the first season we saw some of the most athletic plays that we can think of coming from you in your first year. It's the ACC, right? Eight teams have gone on to the NCAA tournament. It's the talent level that you're seeing. What was the biggest challenge for you? How would you say that you have changed or developed as a player?

RUBY WHITEHORN: I think that the biggest challenge for me is like what you said, the athleticism and the level of competition in the ACC.

I used to be, like, one of the most biggest and athletic guards. I'm like used to being the biggest at home. I got to the ACC and people were 6'2", big, giant guards. I definitely think, like, the aspect of being able to learn how to score around people and stop trying to go through them.

The charge thing was a big thing for me to have to get used to. It was hard for me to grasp why people just fell when I hit them (smiling). I'm better at understanding that now. I think just learning how to be smarter on this level was my biggest challenge.

Q. Coach, we talked to your amazing players that you have coming in from this season that have made an impact. A couple of the new faces that we'll see. Not particularly new, but a player that took off with Danielle Rauch; took off the 2021/2022 season to be a grad assistant. Now available for you guys this year. What can we expect from her? Her role, what is that?

AMANDA BUTLER: Yeah, I mean, one of the most unique stories is out there. She was a grad assistant at Clemson. She was coaching on our staff and learning how to be a coach. She's a great competitor. Also saw a need. We were recruiting point guards. We were looking to try to fill that spot with a lot of depth and experience. All the things that you want in point guards.

Most of all, I think just realizing that she had more ball to play. The part that we all love, she had more ball to play and she chose Clemson. She didn't choose to jump back in the portal, return to her alma mater, which she has tremendous affection for.

She knew there was a special opportunity at Clemson and she wanted to build on that, add to that. She's a worker. She's a great leader. Like these two guys, tremendous competitor. We were all surprised and thrilled at the same time that she kind of came to the point where she was like, Hey, so I know you need a point guard. What about me?

It was a decision she didn't come to lightly. It wasn't a decision that was only hers. We had to talk to the team, Hey, this is weird, this doesn't happen, this is not typical. How do we feel about this?

Ultimately, you have people that really appreciate the intangibles and the tangibles that Danielle brings. She makes us better. It's kind of weird, but it's a no-brainer. She makes us better. She's a competitor. She's a leader. She'll push me. She'll respond to me pushing her.

A unique story and one that we hope to keep building on.

Q. It's so awesome a lot of times, especially you hear it's nice when you can have a player that's an extension of the coach. Well, she was a coach. She understands. What is that going to be like for you two?

AMARI ROBINSON: Definitely was a shocker for sure. Danielle wants to play? Does she even have eligibility left (smiling)?

I think like coach said, it's a great addition. Danielle knows the game inside and out. She's able to bring that different perspective from being on the court and being on the sidelines as well, just picking up on things we may not see from being a player, having those lenses on all the time.

She's great energy. She's always looking to get better, trying to find ways to get back to being a player and being on that level again, so...

Q. Coach, nine new players, is that correct, on this team?

AMANDA BUTLER: I don't know. Is that what your op-ed says? Must be legit (laughter).

Q. Obviously the chemistry is one thing that you need. You did talk about the void that needed to be filled in the point guard position. One of them being the transfer from Pitt, in Dayshanette Harris. Being able to watch her in this league, being a true floor general, what do you foresee her being for not just your squad but even for the league in this new look?

AMANDA BUTLER: She is really versatile. She fits in that point guard role, but then she wears a lot of different hats. She's a tremendous individual defender, she's a play-maker, she's a facilitator. Yes, she can also be a point guard.

I think having the knowledge, the experience in the league, and the thing that Day loves fricking basketball, y'all. She loves to play, compete, she wants to work out, she wants to get after it. Her motor never shuts off. I think those are qualities that I can't bring that out in somebody in a drill. That's something that she has.

When you add to that, again, being that fifth-year player, completed her degree at Pitt, then wanting to use that extra year in a really impactful way, do something that really fits her journey and her goals for herself.

We were thrilled to have her join us 'cause we haven't guarded her well. We've not done very well against Day for four years. There was that motivation, as well. Let's get her on our team.

You use this to describe Amari, and we were talking about Ruby, as well, just a great person. She's got a great heart. She's coachable. Her spirit, her energy, her goofy laugh are all things that have made us better that I think you don't see all the intangibles and the measurables. Those matter.

If those intangibles and the spirit and energy and heart aren't there, then sometimes the tangibles get wasted a little bit. They're not with her. She's very special.

Q. Let's talk about the schedule a little bit.

AMANDA BUTLER: Let's do it.

Q. Circling a couple of those contests that will give you a nice challenge before ACC play, anything on this schedule and how you wanted to put it together that would do just that?

AMANDA BUTLER: We just wanted it to be challenging. Every year we try to put together a schedule that is NCAA tournament at-large bid worthy if we do what we're supposed to do in that schedule.

We have our rivalry games with ACC-SEC Challenge this year. We always go out and challenge ourselves with a Thanksgiving tournament where you're playing great teams on a neutral court that in a way mimics the ACC tournament.

It's hard to just say this game, this game, that game. We're going to try to be great tomorrow at practice. That's our number one goal. We're going to keep trying to do that until it's time to play an actual opponent where there's going to be a live score recorded and all those things.

It's going to be one of the toughest schedules in the country. We're excited about that, and the way that that will prepare us for what we know the ACC will give us.

Q. How did you come up with the mantra of show up?

AMANDA BUTLER: That is my secrets (smiling).

No, you know, I get to enjoy things like reading and podcasts a little bit deeper level during the summer. I always just look for things that stick and make sense to me.

I'm studying them all the time in season or out of season. Like, who are we? I think when we got all the pieces together, then it became apparent to us that we should have high expectations.

Well, what could hijack the expectations? That's if we don't bring our best every day. I think we all want to think about the end. I want to show out, I want to be in the tournament, be a tournament champion, all the different things that teams think about and dream about.

You got to show up every day if you want to be in a position to show out when it's time. That's all the different things that you close your eyes and imagine when you say show up. That's what inspired me, but I was first inspired by them, knowing that if we do that, if we can have that level of consistency, we value the consistency even over the intensity sometimes, we just show up for each other every day, then we're putting ourselves in the best position to show out.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks for showing up today.

AMANDA BUTLER: Go Tigers.