2026 PHILLIPS 66 BIG 12 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

March 6, 2026

Mark Kellogg

Gia Cooke

Sydney Shaw

T-Mobile Center

West Virginia Mountaineers

Postgame Press Conference

West Virginia 67, Arizona State 54

THE MODERATOR: Coach, if you could, get us started with a couple of comments on the game, please.

MARK KELLOGG: Sure. First, I'm proud of the group. I think sometimes the first one is the hardest one to get, especially when you're playing an opponent that's playing as well as Arizona State has. They have a couple of games under their belt, they're comfortable. We wanted to settle in very quickly if we could.

I thought we got better as the game went. We looked more comfortable as the game went on, but we defended well enough the entire night and we had the two big runs. When they came at us -- I think we finished on an 11-0 run, maybe, something that. So that was a great response by our team.

Kudos to Arizona State. I think they're playing unbelievably well right now. That is tough physical team that probably should be in the NCAA Tournament. We have plenty of teams in this league that are deserving of that, and I think the way they've played here lately probably showcases their ability. So hopeful for them.

Happy for our group that you continue to play. That's really it. Doesn't really matter if you play great. You're just trying to find ways to win this time of year and play the next day. And fortunately for us, we'll play again tomorrow.

Q. Sydney, Coach mentioned it, a couple of huge three-pointers there to get that kind of final gap. What were you guys seeing and what were you able to do to make that final run?

SYDNEY SHAW: I think before the game, he made an emphasis on just being ourselves. And in those moments when it got close and we really needed shots, we really settled in and just played our game.

Q. Mark, just a big-picture question for you: What has Jordan Harrison meant to your group and what you're trying to build at West Virginia?

MARK KELLOGG: A ton. A lot. Jordan and I have been together through her whole career, so I've watched her since they was 16, probably. And just to watch her grow and mature and she's, I guess, the voice that's not a very loud voice and little squeaky voice if you have ever heard Jordan talk.

But she certainly has the respect of her teammates. She's a very hard worker. She can set the tone on that end, and she's developed into being a really good offensive player. But she sets the stage for these guys on the offensive end. she's got great vision, hopefully makes their life a little bit easier so they can be the scorers they are.

Q. Your rivalry with Molly Miller has gone before your Big 12 days. You were at Stephen F. Austin and she at GCU. What has that Kellogg/Miller match-up been like over the years?

MARK KELLOGG: A lot of this, probably somewhat similar to this game, to be honest. The irony of us being in the Big 12 together from the WACC days. We've had some really good battles. When I left I know she still had some really good battles with Stephen F. Austin when I was gone.

She's done a great job. Our pasts mirror a little bit from the Division II level to the mid-major level and then power level. So, yeah, she's won a lot of games, she's a phenomenal coach. She's built a great culture in no time.

Q. Bench had a big contribution. How did that and ease the load off the starters throughout the game?

SYDNEY SHAW: When everybody is playing well, you don't have to worry about a sub or anything like that. You can get a break. There's no letdown or drop off in the energy and we were able to cheer for them the same way they cheer for us. When everybody is playing well, it gives people time for a breather and keeps us steady in the game.

Q. Mark, another balanced offense attack. It seems like the focus is always about the defense and the turnovers and the points off turnovers, but I just want to point out this being one of the top offenses in the country coming into this game, averaging 86 points a game, 14 in scoring margin, the 26th offense in the nation. You're 20th in field goal percentage. Maybe this is just for all of you. The balance of this team, the offensive firepower of this team, can you just speak to what makes this team so potent on the offensive end?

MARK KELLOGG: We have gotten much better, you guys would agree, as the year's gone on. We've gotten more comfortable in roles. When we can score from the inside out I think is when we're at our best. Early in the year we didn't shoot the three particularly well. We weren't making a lot of them. But now I think Gia has settled in. Sydney led our league -- Shaw did in three-point shooting.

Jordan didn't shoot it great early, but she's getting going. Riley can shoot it. I think we're better to complement the post play. Obviously we can get a lot of points off turnovers, we know that. But I think we're better than that. I don't think that's just what we are offensively.

To get 67 for us in this game was pretty good against a defensive team as good as they are. But I thought our bench was great. I thought they settled us in. When we're at our best, we're balanced with four or five almost really in double forgets. It didn't take that tonight, but that's certainly our strength at times.

GIA COOKE: Yeah, it starts with defense, of course. Our press, you know, controls everything for us, so, you know, getting stops and us pushing in transition is really our game. We got a lot of quick guards. We got a great paint presence. So I think we have it from all positions, really.

So I think it's a great balance, like he said. And, yeah, we make shots. When we make shots, it looks good and when we get to the rim, get fouled, it looks good again. We just got to keep attacking and playing how we are, so, yeah.

Q. Gia, Sydney, I feel like there was a lot of slips on the court today. I would love to hear your experiences playing on the new court.

GIA COOKE: Okay, us playing defense, how we are, it was a lot of slipping and sliding and things like that, but I think we still stayed aggressive. We just got to keep playing besides the court. So I think we did good and the court is what it is. We love the court, it's super cool, but, you know.

Q. Did you find it different from hardwood at all?

GIA COOKE: Yeah, for sure. It felt different with the ball kind of. We tested it out before and we knew kind of what to expect. We were ready, it's okay.

THE MODERATOR: Any other questions? Thank you.