ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 5, 2026

Shawn Poppie

Mia Moore

Hannah Kohn

Gas South Arena

Clemson Tigers

Postgame Press Conference

Clemson 63, Virginia 50

SHAWN POPPIE: Super, super proud of this group. I thought that was a gritty, hard-fought, tough win. In my opinion, that's an NCAA Tournament game with two NCAA Tournament teams.

But again, it was a little bit of everybody. It's kind of how we've been built all year, really. To wipe the dust off after whatever happened to us out on the West Coast to finish the year, was able to look in the mirror and bounce back with a big-time performance.

Hats off to Virginia. I think they're a really good basketball team.

Probably the last piece is all the Clemson family that followed us down there. What an atmosphere they created right behind our bench. It was really, really fun to celebrate with them following a big win.

Q. (No microphone.)

SHAWN POPPIE: Yeah, I thought at their place, we really stretched out, and there was a lot of focus on Kymora, which you have to. But because we were so stretched out, it was hard to pack in. And they sent some double-teams. They really, really handled us up in Charlottesville. I think they had 36 points, 20-something rebounds.

That's on me. It was a terrible game plan as you look back on it. But the best thing about this is you get a chance to watch that and have a chance to play them again.

I thought today we were much, much better, staying compact in our pack line. We chased Kymora over, but it kept our bigs interior to help for each other. And then we sent some doubles here and there, it wasn't consistent, just to try to keep them off balance. But I thought our bigs worked early to keep them off the blocks, as well.

Then ultimately just fought and competed. We knew that was going to be a big piece. We've been the same team all year, so we've seen bigs. And candidly when we've executed, our kids will fight their tail off and we'll be put in a position to be successful.

Q. Mia, two in the first half, 17 in the second half. Did anything change for you as the game was going on or just shots were starting to fall?

MIA MOORE: I knew how much my team needed me. Got two fouls early, and I just knew I had to be there for my team at the end.

Q. How important, Coach, was it to start the third and fourth quarter on those runs?

SHAWN POPPIE: We talked a lot about that at half. I feel like sometimes we relax a little bit in the moments. We had competed so hard in the first half. It was up two, I think, and felt like if we could push this thing out six, seven, eight there to start the half, now when they go on a run, it's still two or three but you're leading.

Then in the fourth, it's hey, we've got 10 minutes. We kind of took this as our season is on the line. We felt like a win today would get us in the NCAA Tournament no matter what happens the rest of the way out. That's how they focused and fought and competed. But ultimately that's just basketball. How you start and how you finish quarters.

I thought we did a heck of a job in both the third and the fourth.

Q. Coach, does it help that you played Duke about two weeks ago, that with a short turnaround, you have familiarity for scouting reports for tomorrow?

SHAWN POPPIE: Yeah, just in general, all these are fun for the first time, besides Georgia Tech for us. I've only been back in this league two years, and when you're facing somebody for the first time in late February, early March, it's hard.

But then obviously you get into tournament time, there's a little bit for us as we head into the Virginia game, but we had played them pretty early in the ACC conference season.

But Duke, absolutely. We just played them at home on senior night. I think the personnel clips will go a lot shorter this afternoon for our kids. We'll have to obviously lean on some things we did well and adjust some things that we didn't do well. But I think there's got to be some confidence as we obviously know what that looks like and feels like headed into tomorrow.

Q. Coach, I think Kara Lawson said we know anyone can beat us, as far as all the good teams in the tournament. What does Clemson need to do that could potentially help you guys get the win tomorrow?

SHAWN POPPIE: Yeah, they're really, really good in transition. I thought at our place we did a really good job slowing them down and making it a half-court game.

Defensively they're obviously long. We've got our hands full again tomorrow with their length, and they're one of the best defensive teams in the country. We know it's going to be a grind it out game. But part of that is we've got to grind it out on our end and we can't give them easy ones in transition. From there it's going to be execution on both sides.

Games like that when the possessions hopefully start to get smaller, it shrinks the amount of errors you can have on execution. Play confident, play together, but I think first and foremost, we're going to have to keep them out of transition.

Q. The importance of Raven Thompson with 11 rebounds, a lot of people don't like to talk about that, but getting down and dirty against these bigger trees, as you like to say, and came up big.

SHAWN POPPIE: Yeah, she was huge. I've had her for four years. I've challenged her with as much as I have in me to challenge her, and love on her, as well. She had not played well the first 30 minutes. And that horn went off and I brought her to the side and she had tears in her eyes, I had tears in my eyes because I know how much she wants it for herself, but ultimately for her sisters.

You've got to wipe it off, keep on playing. You are a huge, huge part -- I think we were up four at that point and you haven't played well.

For her to come up big and some of them just toughness plays -- because obviously offensively she didn't have her best game and she's a mismatch for us -- but she just continued to compete. To be plus 9 in 34 minutes while you go 0 for 7 says how darned good you are and how much she's valued inside of our program. So super, super proud of her. We got a big, big hug following that handshake line today.

Q. Hannah, considering what you did against Duke last time out, how much confidence do you have going into tomorrow's matchup?

HANNAH KOHN: Yeah, obviously it's exciting to play them again. We just played them, so definitely a lot of confidence. I think our group has a lot of confidence, as well, going into the game tomorrow.