NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - VIRGINIA VS GEORGIA

March 20, 2026

Katie Abrahamson-Henderson

Mia Woolfolk

Dani Carnegie

Carver-Hawkeye Arena

Georgia Bulldogs

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: Thank you for joining today. We have Dani Carnegie and Mia Woolfolk from the Georgia women's basketball team.

Q. I'm curious what the focus has been leading up to this tournament, coming off a one-and-done in the SEC Tournament?

MIA WOOLFOLK: Our main focus has been just like staying true to who we are. Obviously we know who we're playing now, so we know what we have to do, like game-plan-wise. But at the end of the day we have to do what we do best like sharing the ball, finishing our shots and playing defense.

Q. What do you know about Virginia and what do you see in their style of play?

DANI CARNEGIE: I'd say Virginia is a great program. It's a great team. We see that they're headed by Kymora Johnson. We just know that they play very fast-paced. They crash the boards really well. And they just do what they have to do in their zone and stuff to stop is the other teams from scoring.

Q. What has it been like for you guys where a majority of the production is coming from a young group here, and just learning together, making it happen together, bonding as a team together?

MIA WOOLFOLK: I feel like it's a testament to our hard work at the end of the day. Like, yes, our age comes to effect in some things, but at the end of the day we're just basketball players. So I feel age doesn't have to do with a lot of stuff when it comes to our team.

Q. Just taking on a different role this year of being the primary option to score and to facilitate the offense, what has that been like for you just as far as evolution as a player at the collegiate level, how you've handled that responsibility and the growth you feel you've experienced this year as a player?

DANI CARNEGIE: I feel like it was a big step for myself as a person, the improvement, mentally and physically. And I just felt like my team has helped me through this. The good and the bad days, they've been on my side through everything.

I just feel like I've been practicing and putting the work in behind closed doors to show off what I have to do for my team.

Q. Tomorrow's going to be a sell-out crowd. This place has always supported this tournament well. What's it going to be like playing in this atmosphere tomorrow, and what do you kind of expect?

MIA WOOLFOLK: I don't think any different. We play in the SEC. We played South Carolina. We've had packed games before. LSU, our stadium was packed out.

So I think we've been bred for this. Like I don't think it's going to be that big of a deal.

Q. Mia, growing up in a household where your dad went to the Sweet 16, what conversations have you had with him about this experience, the fact that you are now playing in March Madness, and just any conversations you've had with him, anything you've learned from him in his experiences?

MIA WOOLFOLK: Well, our conversations aren't about that. He's more worried about me fouling and staying in the game (laughter). So he's more been harping on me about that more than just being in the tournament and stuff.

Q. You've had some impressive wins this season, like the one over Vanderbilt. What does this team look like at its peak?

DANI CARNEGIE: At our peak, we're unstoppable. I just feel like when everybody's onboard and everybody is clicking at the same time, it's hard to guard us. And we just know what we have in the back of our minds and what we do at our best. We just have to continue to show it for, like, five more games, one game at a time.

Q. Mia, in particular you have really marched your way into the postseason. What's been going right for you? Has anything changed, developed, evolved for you over the season?

MIA WOOLFOLK: Definitely my mindset. I feel like, especially earlier and into my freshman year, I got frustrated a lot, a lot. But now I have this mentality of nobody can stop me in the post. You really can't stop me. If anything, I'm doing stuff on my own, which is always fixable. So I feel that's really what's been motivating me.

Q. What are exercises, what are things that Coach or an assistant coach is working with you on to keep your mind right that way?

MIA WOOLFOLK: So let's say, for example, with Abe and let's say my fouling, she made me come up with this saying to myself once I get my first foul -- Mia, you need to relax. Because every basketball player thinks the foul should never be called on them. I'm just like, bro, come on.

So I've got to say something to myself, to be just like, okay, Mia, let's relax, and stuff like that.

And obviously I have my other coaches who are helping me, like, with the basketball side of things as well.

THE MODERATOR: We have coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson joining us.

Q. Just had a conversation with two of your players about what the focus has been in practice over the last couple of weeks. Could you just elaborate on anything that you feel like your team has grown in during this stretch where you haven't been playing games but you've been preparing for this tournament?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: What did they say?

Q. Getting back to yourselves, sharing the ball, playing defense, those kinds of things.

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: So they said offense first and then defense? No, I'm just kidding.

No, just being a coach that has coached in the NCAA Tournament, all these are going to be -- tournaments and all of these games are going to be about the little things. So the little things are going to matter in everything you do.

It's not going to be the big things, because everybody's good who is playing in this tournament. So it's going to be the little things -- just boxing out, loose balls, setting good screens, sharing the ball, like they said, doing just the little extra things. I think those are going to be super important.

If there's a jump ball, ripping it out of somebody's hands so it's not a jump ball and they get the possession. So we've been really concentrating on the little things.

Q. I think it was an interview that Dani did last week, but she talked about the fact that you guys are young, but early bought into the identity of this team.

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: Yep.

Q. And that sort of carried you through the rest of the year. How would you describe, as the head coach, the identity of this team when you're at your best?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: Together. I feel like -- and you just mentioned Dani and you had Mia, too -- I think when your best players or best player is the most unselfish player you have on your team and really wants the team to win and not themselves to win, I think the culture is in. And I think that's what we have right now.

I think we returned four players from last year that really set the tone of the culture. And that was Mia, too. That was Mia in that culture. So I think it started with those four.

And then bringing somebody like Dani in that Trinity new, playing AAU with, I mean, I think that having some connections with all of these young women was really big for the culture.

Q. You're back here. And what was your thought when you saw you were coming back to Iowa City? And what is this like being back here again a couple of --

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: Again and again and again. I mean, obviously I think it's a great environment. I think the Iowa fans, being an Iowan, we just love basketball, period, you know what I mean? So I think that's another reason why this will always be a place that the NCAA hosts.

I hope this is the last time we have to come back here. I think it's more story lines than anything, and seeds and all those good things.

I mean, obviously my family's super duper happy that I'm back here. But we're not worried about the next game; we're only worried about this game and playing a really good Virginia team.

Q. Speaking of Virginia, you were in the building last night. We saw your players. Especially in the fourth quarter, everybody was pretty dialed in to how that game finished. What did you take away from that game in general? And then specifically about Virginia that you guys will be focused on for tomorrow?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: I took away the little things. The little things in that game really, really mattered and just paying attention to detail. Both teams -- every team in the NCAA Tournament is good. I don't care what seed you are, everybody's good. Teams have won their conference championships. They are good.

They're 31-2. There's so many good teams in the NCAA Tournament. It's not going to be any easy victory. Everybody's fighting for one more day, one more chance. So we're just going to take one step, and that's this first game.

And then Virginia specifically, you know, the way they play is a little different. They'll play man and they'll play their match-up zone. So we've got to be prepared for both.

And they're pretty long. They rebound really, really well.

So all the little things that we've been worrying about the last week are coming into play right now. So now, oh, the coaches are right, you know? So we've been just concentrating on all those things.

Q. (Lost audio) you've been here at Iowa. What has changed or stayed the same about this program?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: What's changed? The facilities. I mean the locker room changed. It used to be our -- that used to be our weight room. The gym hasn't changed. Maybe the scoreboards and there's a lot more buildings outside and more medical stuff outside. I think that's pretty much -- I think they just added a lot of new buildings, new things to this facility.

Q. What about the culture of this team, of the Iowa program?

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: I haven't paid attention to Iowa at all right now. I'm so sorry. I'm only going to think about the first step.

Q. I wanted to ask you about Trinity Turner, one of the four returners. Curious your thoughts on if her role had shifted at all this year, if adding some other players like Dani has allowed her to be more of a facilitator. Just your thoughts on how she's evolved now as a sophomore.

KATIE ABRAHAMSON-HENDERSON: Trinity is like my child. I mean, I've known her since she was in seventh grade. Watched her play basketball, obviously against my daughter. She's from Florida. So I've been watching her, been a part of her family forever.

I love that kid. She's just a calm, cool kid that's great to have at the point guard spot. Speaking of her and Dani, she was so excited about Dani, because they knew each other. They played AAU together.

But her role has -- I think it's opened up her role better because now she doesn't -- last year her and Mia really had to score a lot of points for us. And obviously that's why they made Freshman SEC Team. So her role has changed a little bit more.

It's opened up, actually, for her to score more because people are guarding her, I mean guarding Dani and Rylie a little different, and Mia a little different. So now we have four really, really good scorers on the floor.

It's making it hard -- she's got to do a lot more reading. She's got to see how they're guarding Dani and how they're guarding Mia, and then depending, when we rotate and put subs in, she's got to do a little more like X and O in her head, kind of control the tempo a little bit more for us. Whereas last year it was on her to score a lot more. Obviously that's her role. She's a point guard. She wants to be really good at that. I think she's just growing. She's only a sophomore. Knock on wood, hopefully we can keep her for two more years.