BIG EAST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

March 6, 2026

Billi Chambers

Savannah White

Mohegan Sun Arena

Xavier Musketeers

Postgame Media Conference

St. John's - 53, Xavier - 48

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with an opening statement from Coach and then take questions.

BILLI CHAMBERS: Obviously not the result we wanted. Really proud of our fight. Really proud of our young women for just sticking to it, sticking to each other, trying to pour into each other down the stretch when shots weren't falling our way. Really proud of the effort they have had all season. We played a lot of teams close. You can see the growth in our program. So very proud of our team today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Towards the end of the game there was a foul called. You were walking down to the other end. It looked like you were talking to yourself. What were you thinking when it looked like the game was sort of getting out of hand or almost over with?

SAVANNAH WHITE: To grab the rebound. I know that my team is better when I'm aggressive and when I'm rebounding well. I know that my team needed that at the end of the game, so I was trying to tell myself to be aggressive and grab it.

Q. Tough way for the season to end, but any thoughts on the fight that you guys had this year and playing with your sisters the past nine, ten months or so?

SAVANNAH WHITE: I think we put up a lot of fight all season. It was hard, like, meshing together, especially with a whole bunch of transfers, but I think that we showed that we cared for each other, we pushed through adversity, and, yeah, it sucks, but I'm really proud of us. We grew a lot.

Q. In terms of the fight of your players, you talked about it, everyone really kind of competed all year long and you competed tough in games. Even today down to the last couple of seconds, you had the ball late. What do you think it is that this particular team really kind of embraced and embodied that allowed them to kind of hang tough against really, really talented teams in a deep Big East?

BILLI CHAMBERS: Sure. I think it's just the heart of this group. We met some early adversity with, you know, Mya Moore going down in the summer, one of the first day of workouts, a player that we expected to come in and be able to battle against Sa'Mya Wyatt and really take up some of the size on the inside and help us with that rebounding struggle.

Then you get right into early pre-season and you lose Kodee Williams-Sefo. And they watched both of those injuries happen and it was really hard for them. The way they loved each other, the way they take care of each other, the way they held each other through those moments and were right there the moment that they got through surgery told our coaching staff that we did have really special team that was going to fight for each other no matter what.

I think Savannah is right. In so many games, right, we were close, you know, in so many close possessions, I mean, we played St. John's at home in a 2-point ball game. There's a ton of moments I can look back and say that there's so much growth in this group, there's so much fight in this group and, like she said, I'm very proud of us.

Q. Can you talk about just the joy of playing basketball and just how women's basketball has just captured the whole entire country with the excitement and the passion that you ladies play with?

SAVANNAH WHITE: Yeah, I grew up in a basketball family, so I'm used to it. But it's always been something that brings me joy. I feel like people underestimate the struggle that comes with being a student-athlete and going to class and having a full schedule all the time.

But I feel like when we get into practice or get into workouts and you get to be around your teammates, get to be around coaches that you love, a program that treats you well, like, it's a joy that I haven't experience in anything else in my 22 years of life.

Q. You've played at a couple of schools. What was it about Xavier that kind of -- and this coaching staff that really kind of resonated for you and allowed you to have the kind of success you had?

SAVANNAH WHITE: I would say the versatility in the coaching staff. I feel like at the programs I've been at before it's kind of like one coach I got clinged onto, but when I got recruited by Xavier, every coach showed me something different that I enjoyed in them. Also, just like the coaches that were put in front of me. The way that Coach Chambers sold the program to me, it just showed me a really special culture and it gave me something to believe in.

Q. Coach, can you speak to the pride that you have with the players that gave all and played as hard as they can, talk a little bit about the pride that you have as a coach.

BILLI CHAMBERS: Absolutely. There's a lot of pride there. Again, you want to see more wins, but we understand our process and we understand that this journey was a challenging one to continue to lift Xavier women's basketball back to the success that we've had historically. I think these young women understood that through the recruiting process. They wanted to put on the jersey, they wanted the work, they wanted the challenge, they wanted the grind, and they did not shy away from it at any second. So again, there's so much to be proud of with this group. They're feeling it really a ton right now, and they should because they put their heart and souls into it, but I couldn't be more proud of them.