NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - MARYLAND VS IOWA STATE

March 21, 2024

Brenda Frese

Jakia Brown-Turner

Shyanne Sellers

Maples Pavilion

Maryland Terrapins

Media Conference

Q. As you guys started to do your scout, what stood out about Iowa State as you were doing your research and starting to prepare?

SHYANNE SELLERS: I think they do a good job of pumping the ball in Audi Crooks and they're surrounded by shooters. I think it's really important for us to contest the 3, make Audi Crooks more difficult. Not let her get so much good position on us, and just be aggressive.

JAKIA BROWN-TURNER: Definitely agree. They're a great team. They definitely get the ball into their post player, and I think it will be important for us to stop them from shooting 3s and just make them attack and just getting high hands on Audi Crooks.

Q. Both of you have a ton of experience in this tournament. Does that play any role? Does that help any? I don't know if you -- I guess what role does that play, the fact that you guys have been in several of these already?

JAKIA BROWN-TURNER: Definitely just playing in the NCAA Tournament for three years now, it's just been really fun. So I know what comes with it. But I think playing in these like elite games, I think it helps with experience now for like these bigger moments.

Q. You've had a long trip, cross-country trip, coast to coast, how has it been so far getting acclimated three time zones away?

SHYANNE SELLERS: It's definitely new. I love coming to the West Coast because we gain three hours of sleep. That's how I think of it. It's been good for us. A lot of recovery. A lot of water, trying to hydrate.

JAKIA BROWN-TURNER: The flight was, it was probably one of the best flights I've been on in my life honestly. It was a smooth flight over here. We made sure we stayed awake a good amount of time so we wouldn't be too tired. It's been a fun trip so far. Great weather here. It's been cool.

Q. Just your thoughts on how anything can happen in March, and I know that's kind of what everyone says, once you get to the tournament, anything can happen. But Stanford is kind of trying to get past the second round because they lost here last year on their home floor. Can you kind of imagine how that sting may have lasted with a program for a full year?

SHYANNE SELLERS: Yeah, I'm sure they're probably motivated. Right now we're just trying to stay focused on Iowa State. We take it one game at a time because if you look too far ahead, that's how you get upset.

Q. The competition in your league this year has been quite incredible with record breaking attendance and with several schools great crowds and atmosphere in the tournament. What are your thoughts on that and how has it affected your season and women's basketball in general?

JAKIA BROWN-TURNER: I think our conference, we have about seven teams in the tournament this year and that just shows that our conference has prepared us to be in this moment, and it's helped us all year long just with our wins and losses, we've learned a lot.

Q. What did you guys learn, what do you take from that Big Ten Tournament, the big win over Ohio State, and then the loss to Nebraska?

SHYANNE SELLERS: The Ohio State win, you see we can compete with anybody in the country. Highly ranked team. They have great players on their team. And they're a really good defensive team. So that shows you our offense is there. And the same with our defense.

And the Nebraska loss, talk about a tough conference. But I think we use it as motivation going into the tournament. I think we can do a better job than we did in that game. Also we were playing on day three or four legs. So you have kind of a break in between here now to just get recovered and be prepared for the next game.

Q. Talk about taking on Iowa State. What do they look like on film? Do they have anything similar to who you guys played in the Big Ten?

JAKIA BROWN-TURNER: In my opinion I think they're pretty similar to the Nebraska team we just played. They have good post play and good 3-point shooters, and I think we're going to try to do similar -- not do similar things, but try to take away their 3 and shut down their post play.

Q. Can you walk us through each other's skill set?

JAKIA BROWN-TURNER: Where do I start? Shy, big guard, facilitator, playmaker, can score the ball at all three levels, can post. It's like I'm giving a scouting report. But she can do it all. Great leader for us, point guard. Great player.

SHYANNE SELLERS: Jakia, great shooter. Great post presence for us. Can defend at all five positions. Pass the ball. Can attack. I think she's a hungry athlete. Can compete with anyone, and she's a great piece for us.

Q. Shy, I know your dad's always got messages. What was the message before you guys left? What was the last thing he said before heading out this way?

SHYANNE SELLERS: He was bugging me to figure out what day we were playing so he could book his flight. That was really it. I haven't talked to him, he's on his flight right now. He's getting here. That's all I know.

Q. Between the tough Big Ten schedule and the very challenging non-conference schedule you've played a lot of great teams this year, how has it helped you now that it's tournament time?

SHYANNE SELLERS: I think we're just really prepared. Non-conference, we played a lot of great teams, UConn, South Carolina, you name it, we played them.

And in conference, Ohio State, Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska. All tournament teams, really tough group. So I think we're prepared for anything. We haven't faced anything we haven't seen.

Q. March is often a time where unheralded players take a jump and start to shine, anyone on your team who is primed to step up and play a bigger role as you enter the tournament?

JAKIA BROWN-TURNER: I feel our whole team is going to play a bigger role in March. I think everyone is prepared in their own way. We have a lot of great players at all levels. So I feel like we're all going to come ready to play.

Q. As you're doing your scout, what stood out to you about Crooks, and without giving away the game plan, how do you slow her down?

BRENDA FRESE: Truly just a tremendous player, low post presence. I can't believe she's just a freshman. Someone we know extremely well. We recruited her out of high school. But it gives them a phenomenal inside/outside presence, when you talk about her scoring ability and her rebounding ability and then you have all the 3-point threats that you're always going to have from Iowa State players. So truly a tremendous inside/outside presence that we're going to have to defend really well.

Q. Have you had a chance to talk to Bill or do you not talk until afterwards?

BRENDA FRESE: Probably not until -- we text initially when we both found out that we were going to be playing each other. We had that conversation. But I'm sure for both of us, between the scouting that's involved as well as getting out here, we've both been extremely busy.

But I'm grateful. This is an incredible experience and opportunity to be going against your mentor, someone who has been really impactful in my life. I wouldn't be here today had it not been for Bill asking me to come to Iowa State and be a part of that rebuild at the time.

So pretty special to have this match-up.

Q. What are your impressions of Iowa State's young team, even outside of Crooks, too?

BRENDA FRESE: I can't believe they're freshmen. When you look at their play in the Big 12 Tournament, clearly all season, but just to see them all the way up to the championship game and the teams that they had to beat, they are not playing like freshmen, and that's a credit to Bill and their staff and how those players have been developed. They play with tremendous confidence. They each know their role, and they clearly, on paper, that's just a classification because they're really, really talented.

Q. I asked Tara VanDerveer this question as well, talking about all of the changes that are going on in women's basketball with the portal and NIL. What are some of the things with all these changes going on and in light of many coaches retiring, Katie Meyer today, some of the things that keep you excited about the game and coaching?

BRENDA FRESE: It has made it difficult, like you've said. It's a lot when you're going to the NCAA Tournament and now you're also having to work the portal. But I think the thing that makes every coach excited is the players.

We wouldn't be in it, I don't think, if it wasn't for the players that you get to coach every single day and mentor within your program. I think we all got in it for those relationships and to be able to, within those bonds, be able to mentor, make them better people and prepared for real life when they graduate. There's just been more elements that you have, more factors that you're having to work that's just different and unique to all of us.

Q. How do you plan on preparing for a game like this? What makes it different preparing from preparing for a game in the regular season, without giving too much away, of course.

BRENDA FRESE: I hope your body of work really prepares you for the NCAA Tournament. All the teams that you face, your non-conference as well as your conference slate. I think the thing that makes it unique is very similar to your conference tournament, that if you win, you advance. You lose, you go home. And in this tournament, it's the completion of your season.

So I think that's the thing is it's the most pressure and the impact that it has, whether you continue to move on or your season is complete.

Q. What's the key to getting Bri back after a couple of slow games at the end of that tournament?

BRENDA FRESE: I think for Bri it's watching film and getting back to practices where she's been able to stack a lot of great practices. I think she's in a great place. We've got to keep her on the floor. That's important because she brings so much to the table.

But her confidence level is great and truly has a big impact for us.

Q. What do you remember about playing in this building when you were a player in college?

BRENDA FRESE: Wow, you're really going back. Nothing's changed in the sense of Tara VanDerveer and Stanford teams and just how much success that they've had. Tara is again someone in our game that I have so much respect for what she's done for our game and done it consistently at a really high level throughout her entire career.

So really difficult place to play being on their home court. We would love to have that opportunity to play them, but for us it's the game in front of us, which is Iowa State. But it's fond memories, never got a win here, but fond memories of just their excellence and their standard here.

Q. Last year, Allie obviously didn't play due to injury, but what is her X factor in this match-up versus Iowa State?

BRENDA FRESE: We need Allie on the floor. She's a big physical for us that we can have down low to be able to go against a great center with Audi. So again she gives us a great low post presence. She's had a lot of success against similar bigs like back when we played Illinois. So she's a great inside presence for us that we need to be able to have on the floor.

Q. What will you be looking for in the first quarter tomorrow, if it happens in the first quarter you'll feel good about your team?

BRENDA FRESE: For all of our players to stay out of foul trouble. I'll be excited. That means both teams are able to play and you get to keep your best players on the floor.