SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

March 6, 2024

Katie Abrahamson-Henderson

Javyn Nicholson

Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Georgia Bulldogs

Postgame Press Conference

Kentucky 64, Georgia 50

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the press conference for Georgia.

We'll begin with questions for Javyn Nicholson.

Q. I wanted to talk about the third quarter. Seemed like the game plan was to get you the ball. Your thoughts on that?

JAVYN NICHOLSON: I knew we were down by quite a few, so I was trying to just get going early, get some easy points and just cut the lead.

Q. Despite the record, the season, is there a positive you can take away from it?

JAVYN NICHOLSON: Yeah, there's a lot of positives. Personal ones or for the team?

Q. Either.

JAVYN NICHOLSON: I mean, personally, I feel like this has been one of the best seasons I've ever had at the University of Georgia. Unfortunately the season record and the team's overall success hasn't been what we wanted.

I feel like I've performed the way I've wanted to and I just played in a way that best represents me and who I am, just building my brand.

Q. Ending your season with 23 points, going out like that...

JAVYN NICHOLSON: Yeah, I was just trying to win. I wasn't really caught up. When I looked up and had 20 points, I was just trying to win the game at that point, yeah.

Q. From a player perspective, one of the themes has been that you guys keep on fighting no matter what the situation is. Can you talk about how that was instilled within the locker room.

JAVYN NICHOLSON: I mean, it's more than instilled in the locker room. It's instilled every day in practice, in life. Things aren't going to be easy. Obviously we had a very tough season overall.

We just wanted to keep fighting because, especially for the young ones, sophomores and freshmen, they need to know that nothing is going to be easy, especially in this league. Continue the mindset of fighting every day will eventually bring success.

THE MODERATOR: Javyn, you can be dismissed. We'll take questions for Coach Abe.

Q. What do you think went wrong for the three-point shooting?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: I think the round thing didn't go in the round thing (laughter).

I don't know. New atmosphere. Nerves. I mean, I think obviously for Savannah, she's a freshman. I'm not sure why De'Mauri's and Asia's didn't go in. They all shoot a lot.

I see that we were 0-11.

Q. On that note, did you see anything specifically from Kentucky's defensive game plan to help limit that or just the way it fell?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: I thought we were open on a lot of 'em. Their game plan was to not let Javyn get touches. That's their game plan.

Their game plan was also, when we put De'Mauri or Savannah in, they went man. When we took them out, they went zone. De'Mauri and Savannah, I was trying to get them some open looks. I think they were shooting it way too quick. They needed to stay calm, get their feet set and hold their follow-through.

Q. On Javyn, given this is most likely her last game with the team, just what legacy she left.

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: It's so funny you asked me that question. When we were walking down the hall, I said, I know this has been a hard season for you, but last year it wouldn't have been the same season because you Diamond that was putting up a lot of numbers, Brittney that was putting up a lot of numbers. This year you had to take a lot on your back. That's what it's going to be like when you play professionally, especially overseas.

I played overseas. She's going to have to be the one that does everything.

I think this season showed her she's going to have to carry that load and stay focused and not get too high or too low. She can score in many different positions.

Javyn is a great player. She's going to continue to play for a lot of years because she doesn't have any injuries. She's going to play for a lot of years because she's a nice, big, tall body that can score.

Q. Was there a game plan to get her the ball more in the third quarter?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: It was the game plan the whole game to get her the ball. They just kept switching it up, man and zone, depending on which guards I put in. So that's why at the end I kept putting De'Mauri and Savannah in so they would go man, and that's how we got her the ball a little bit better.

Q. Is there something that excites you for next year?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: I just told the team in the locker room, like, a season doesn't define you. We have a bunch of five-year seniors in our locker room, and they've played a lot of basketball. I mean, as an ex-player, I can't even remember the games we won or lost. I can't even remember the seasons, right?

It's going to be the memories, getting a degree from the University of Georgia, a great institution academically and a great athletic department academically, and they're going to put that on their résumé, and they're going to have women's basketball behind them.

Employers aren't going to say, You lost that game in the NCAA tournament. They're not. They're going to see Georgia academics, Georgia women's basketball. A lot of people are going to want to hire them.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach.

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: Thank you.