2026 PHILLIPS 66 BIG 12 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

March 6, 2026

Mark Campbell

Olivia Miles

Marta Suarez

T-Mobile Center

TCU Horned Frogs

Postgame Press Conference

TCU 63, BYU 46

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by TCU Head Coach Mark Campbell, student athletes Olivia Miles and Marta Suarez.

Coach, if you could start us with a couple of comments about the game, please.

MARK CAMPBELL: Well, man, that was just a fun environment, and I want to congratulate BYU. They've had a great run during the tournament, and that's what makes these conference tournaments so fun is anybody has the ability to earn their way into March Madness.

I thought we got off to a fantastic start in the first quarter that gave us the separation we needed.

I thought we were elite defensively. It's really hard to slow down Delaney Gibb and Olivia Hamlin, and I thought our team did a tremendous job on those two guards.

Silva and Basham were just great rim protectors. They ended up with eight blocks tonight. Just overall an incredible defensive effort.

Then, you know, it's the first game for our group, and you got to kind of work out the kinks and the nerves and the excitement of playing in a new arena and playing on the glass court. And it's just win-or-go home environment, so you kind of got to get that first one under your belt.

Really proud of this group. That was a really, really good win, and we're excited to stick around and get to play again tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. We talked to Taylor earlier in the week. She said she had her conference back. She didn't score a point in the Big 12 tournament last year. How important was it for you to had her have a break-out moment in the first quarter?

MARK CAMPBELL: She got us off to a fantastic court.

Shot the ball really well in that first quarter. I thought we did a great job driving and kicking and creating.

But Tay work on her craft. Our team believes in her. For two years, shows up at 7:00 a.m. and gets her reps in. She's been doing this all year for her, but to do it in March, to do it on this stage, that's important to have that breakthrough.

Today that was a big one. That's what we do. We try to spread you out and shoot that thing, and today was her night shooting it. I think that's one of the things that makes us so hard to guard. We have people that can make the shots, and our team does a good job finding them.

Q. Olivia, they held you scoreless in that first half, but you were able to find your teammates. What was kind of your mindset to be able to help your team in that opening half?

OLIVIA MILES: They made my life easy. When Taylor is coming out and she's drilling threes and they're double-teaming me off the pick and roll, there's no point in me trying to force it. I'm more than happy to pass the ball to my teammates. It's one of the joys that I find from the game.

I felt like I could have had a lot more assists today, but we knocked down the ones that mattered. Like I said, I find so much joy in just distributing. Like, that's my first instinct as a player, so...

Q. Marta, they were throwing a lot of double teams at you as well in the first half, but you kind of came alive in the second. What was the difference in your mind the second half, especially in that fourth quarter?

MARTA SUAREZ: I think it was just kind of like the team. We went into halftime with a run on their side, and we knew -- we've seen all the upsets that are happening. We know it's March. We know it's win or go home. The scores of the season don't really matter.

We just kind of had a talk at halftime like, hey, let's lock in, let's do what we know how to do, and finish this strong. That's kind of where my head was at.

Q. With that first quarter, how important is that to be able to just jump out that early, especially with this being your first game of the tournament, knowing what Marta said, that anything can happen, upsets happen?

MARK CAMPBELL: Oh, for sure. Just put so much pressure on teams when we play like that and attack. It kind of overwhelms you. We've kind of had the last six, seven games one of those quarters where we -- geez, that's awesome. It's crazy how that happens without thinking about it. All the time. That was unplanned.

Our group has that ability -- I call it an avalanche -- to really get cooking. And so our growth is to make sure we stay in attack mode and continue to put pressure on teams that way. But today that was huge. Again, it calms the nerves when you shoot the ball like that and you see the ball go through the net. Again, I think that gave us the breathing room that we needed kind of over the course of the game.

But I would love if we can do that for two or three quarters (smiling). It's coming. It's coming.

Q. Question for Olivia and Marta. I guess what makes Dono and Tay -- what makes them so special as defenders, and how much of a luxury is it to have both of those guys available?

OLIVIA MILES: First of all, congrats to her on all-defensive team. I'm glad she got the recognition she deserves. I thought Tay could be there too, and Basham. Those two literally alternate on the best player every game. Donavan does just super, super important work for our team in terms of stopping the ball, and she makes our lives easier because all we have to do is match up with the wings.

I mean, all season they've been just consistent. Then to even knock down shots on the other end as well, just even adds more value to their game. Just very important pieces to our team. So glad they're on my team and not anyone else's. But, no, they make our lives so much easier every night.

MARTA SUAREZ: She's a silent soldier. She shows up every day. She's a leader. She's a veteran. She's still a junior, which is very impressive. She makes great decisions on both sides of the floor. She has great talk in the huddles. She is a huge part of our team.

OLIVIA MILES: And Tay.

MARTA SUAREZ: And Tay.

Q. Two more questions for y'all. They were one of the few players back from last year's team. What were some of the early conversation with Tay and Dono about Mark and the culture here at TCU?

MARTA SUAREZ: That's a good question. To be honest, I think even from Mark and from the coaches, we were very clear that this was a new season. With ten new players, we're building from zero. We're getting to know each other. Even the players from last year, they're stepping into new roles and gaining more confidence and more minutes, et cetera.

You know, it was just -- the conversations weren't about what to carry, but more or less, like, expectations of how to show up and how they did what they did. I think the pressure -- I don't know if it's pressure is the right word, but they did it last year, and they did it with a different team, and they did it under the same coaching staff. Just knowing that we can do it too, that's what we carry.

Other than that, we knew it was a new team. It's a new season. That's how it works nowadays. Ten new players, and we're right here right now.

MARK CAMPBELL: I'll add to that. Tay and Dono's leadership is through their actions and their consistency, and they just show up every day. I think that's their leadership style.

Leadership can come in so many different ways, but Dono and Tay are kind of the quiet leaders that show up with their consistency. And they've done that every day they've been here, and they did that when a whole new group of players came. So I think that's how they have truly impacted our group.