MOUNTAIN WEST WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 10, 2024

Kayla Ard

Cheyenne Stubbs

Macy Smith

Thomas & Mack Center

Utah State Aggies

Postgame Press Conference

Boise State 85, Utah State 49

THE MODERATOR: For Utah State, we have student-athletes, Cheyenne Stubbs, Macy Smith and Coach Kayla Ard.

Coach, we'll start with you and get some thoughts on tonight's game.

KAYLA ARD: Well, tonight's game and our entire season didn't go the way we wanted it to go, anticipated that it would go.

We have some great young ladies here, and I appreciate everything they gave me. I thought they tried to play really hard for me tonight, and things just didn't go our way.

I'm grateful for that. I wish we had a different outcome tonight and the whole season.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes.

Q. Cheyenne, 21 points tonight. Just what was working for you particularly in the second and third quarter when you kind of took over?

CHEYENNE STUBBS: I think I had a lot of confidence coming into this game because to be honest with you, I felt like I got slighted on the Mountain West Awards.

So I came in here with a chip on my shoulder, and my teammates and Coach Kay also have a lot of confidence in me. I was feeling it, and that's all I had in the back of my mind. When I'm feeling it, I just see red and keep going, so that's what I did.

Q. You're a junior now. You're going into your senior season this next year. What are you looking forward to?

CHEYENNE STUBBS: Offseason. Getting better, stronger. That's it.

Q. Macy, what impressed you most about this team's refusal to quit even when the score was racking up?

MACY SMITH: I think that's something that Coach Kay has instilled in us from the beginning is just to not quit. It's always about the fight, and it's about staying together.

So I think it was just instilled in us in the very beginning when we went through stuff. It wasn't surprising to me just because we have doing it for so long, so yeah, I would say it's just -- it's normal for us to stay together regardless of what the scoreboard looks like.

Q. This is to Cheyenne. Cheyenne, you had 36 minutes of playing time. How did you do that? What went through your head as you were playing for this long period of time?

CHEYENNE STUBBS: I mean, I've been playing for a long period of time the whole season pretty much. I don't know how many minutes I had, but it's nothing new to me. I grew up playing like that.

I can play a whole game, and I'm capable of that. Coach Kay knew I was capable of that, and I knew I was capable of that. It's really nothing new. I've been here before. I've been doing this a long time, and I know I can play that long. That's pretty much all it is.

THE MODERATOR: We'll let the student-athletes go at this time. Thank you, ladies.

Questions for the coach.

Q. What did you like most about the way your team was able to protect the ball and only give up nine turnovers tonight?

KAYLA ARD: That's been our focus for us all year. We struggled with it really bad early on, and that was one of our keys to win was taking care of the basketball.

I was really proud of them for doing that. Boise is really long, very, very physical. They have us outsized, so to try to take the ball -- to try to protect the ball is difficult against them. They're a really good team, so I was really proud of our team for that for accomplishing that goal. We wanted to stay under 12.

Q. As a coach just with Cheyenne the season she's had and the game tonight she has had tonight, as a junior, how bright is her future from your perspective?

KAYLA ARD: She's a great player. Both of these guys are great players. They have a great future in front of them, and I'm really excited to watch their growth and follow them.

She said she's excited about the offseason. I think both of them will get a lot better over the summer, keep going.

Q. You guys were out-rebounded 67-33. What were you telling your guys in the huddles?

KAYLA ARD: Box out, rebound. We didn't accomplish that game goal, obviously, but it was a big focus for us. Those guys, again, have us really out-sized and they're a lot bigger than us. Our kids battled as good as they could.

Q. How do you plan to rebuild for next season?

KAYLA ARD: I'm not going to rebuilding. I just coached my last game at Utah State. I just spoke with Diana, and they're going in a different direction, and I respect her decision, and I hope they get a really good coach in.

I'm guessing that's going to be the last question. All right. Thank you.