SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TIPOFF MEDIA DAYS

October 14, 2026

Kelsi Musick

Arkansas Razorbacks

Women's Media Day Press Conference

KELSI MUSICK: Just a couple opening words.

First I'm just excited to be in the SEC for a second season. What we're most excited about is the newness of our team. 12 out of our 14 players are new. I have three new staff members. We're excited about implementing both a fast-paced offense and defense. We're extremely excited about this upcoming season and continuing to rebuild our program.

Happy to take any questions you guys might have.

Q. You have five freshmen and six seniors on the roster for this season. For you, how important was that balance of freshmen in addition to the experience that you brought in through the portal?

KELSI MUSICK: Obviously just trying to balance that, there's probably a fine line. We're excited about our freshmen and the youth that they bring, but also the experience that our seniors bring. We're excited about meshing that all together.

I think they're doing a really good job just the continuity, the growth that we've seen, the way that they're gelling together.

Q. We've heard you say recently that you want your team to bring its own version of 40 minutes of hell. What does that practically look like?

KELSI MUSICK: Obviously we've tried to run a high-octane offense. Riding the dribble-drive, getting up and down the court, score as quickly as possible. Last year we were a little more passive on defense. We want to make sure we're turning up the heat on defense and guarding the length of the court as well.

I think it's important to play hard and aggressive on both sides of the basketball if we want to be successful in the 40 minutes going both ways.

Really just turning up that heat on both sides of the basketball and being aggressive on both sides of the basketball.

Q. Did you have a "welcome to the SEC" moment at all last year or did you have a number of them? How much more comfortable are you this year having been through the whole process?

KELSI MUSICK: There's probably a lot of them to be brutally honest. At the same time there's a lot of unknown when you enter a league, especially a league such as the SEC, which is one of the greatest leagues in the nation.

When you join something like that that's a powerhouse that has multiple teams that make the Final Four, multiple teams that win national championships, it is a learning curve. So there are a lot of learning.

I think in this second year a little bit more settled knowing what to expect, knowing the expectations that we must have for our team, the growth that needs to take place, especially in such a rebuild for each year, to grow and get better.

There were definitely a lot of moments. We're excited about year two and where we're going.

Q. Obviously every coach is competitive, wants to win games. Beyond this year, what would meaningful progress look like to you in year two?

KELSI MUSICK: In year two, I think ending year one the fact that no matter what, my team played hard all the time. I think building on that.

We have such a new team. I think our foundation, our culture, those pieces are extremely important. I think that this team really does represent that. They can really run the offense and the dribble-drive to a higher rate. I think that's extreme think important, too. They're buying into the system, into the coaches and what we want.

So I think there will be a lot of growth this season.

Q. When you talk about having 12, 14 new players, how do you go about in the off-season trying to get the team prepared on the court but building a chemistry off the court?

KELSI MUSICK: We do a lot of team-building activities. We do a lot of family time, a lot of team-building activities are necessary in order for us to gel as quickly as possible. We talk a lot about connectivity as well. I think laying that culture, laying the expectations and the foundation early in the summer, carrying that out into pre-season. Right now really sticking to that foundation and making sure that they represent that day in and day out.

They definitely have. The connectivity is what we've really been working on in probably the last six to eight weeks.

Q. How important is Emily as one of those returning players who stood out for you last year in setting a tone with this new group?

KELSI MUSICK: Definitely. She's been with me since her freshman year. She played for me at ORU and followed me to Arkansas. To have her once she truly knows me and my system, she knows my culture, she is definitely a huge representation of what we want to do on and off the court.

But on the court she's really a floor general and a leader because she can help her teammates understand the offense especially quicker, kind of be another voice on the sidelines, and in practice on a daily basis, helping them learn. It's been a huge blessing to have her and help our team grow quickly.

Q. Whitley Rogers, obviously a highly touted freshman from the state of Arkansas. What have you seen throughout the off-season from her? How much growth have you seen?

KELSI MUSICK: I think in the last couple of weeks she's really grown because I think she's starting to really become more confident within. She's always had confidence, but I think confidence within our system, our expectations of her on both sides of the basketball.

She's a phenomenal player and a phenomenal person. We're excited to be able to keep her in the state of Arkansas, to represent the U of A. We're really excited about that.

I have think her confidence, her growth, her really starting to mesh with her teammates, them really starting to able to read and react with each other. I'm excited about her performance this season.

Q. Obviously you were asked about the "welcome to the SEC" moments. What were some of those biggest lessons that you learned that you just knew going into this year maybe you were more familiar with the league?

KELSI MUSICK: I think just getting more familiar with obviously the way each and every team plays. Before you join a league, you watch it on TV or you watch it on film or different situations. When you're actually on the sideline and you're in it, it's very different.

Like you said, everyone is very competitive. Everyone has the best talent, the greatest coaches. Putting that all together, it's an honor to be a part of this league, but it's a challenge. It's a challenge we're ready to face.

Q. A lot of coaches have to tell their teams to ignore the outside noise. Is that something you do with your team?

KELSI MUSICK: Yeah, you have to really hone in. I try to tell them, the baseball movie, clear the mechanism. You have to really hone in, hear each other's voices, know what to listen to.

I think helping them to remember there's a lot of outside noises in the world outside of sports that they have to face and they have to deal with. So really helping them flip the script and really helping them really hone in on the positivity and listening to positive reinforcement and not let the negative get in.

Q. Obviously you brought Jianna here, another player from Arkansas. What made you want to bring her into the program and what have you seen from her so far?

KELSI MUSICK: Jianna is gritty. I love her determination. The fact she can really shoot the three ball and lead our team. We definitely needed a point guard to be able to step in and help us this season. I feel like that's a role she's ready and willing to take on.

She's done a phenomenal job of being a leader on and off the court. Especially every day in practice, Jianna is going to step forward and lead with her actions, as well. That is something we definitely needed. She's fulfilled that role.

Q. Heard a lot of coaches talk about hobbies they have off of the court. What are some of yours?

KELSI MUSICK: I don't have too many hobbies.

Obviously my kids are still young, so watching Maddox and Titus play basketball any chance I get. Probably for the last six weeks, I've been watch in a gym watching 3-v-3 basketball every Sunday whenever I've had the opportunity.

Anything my kids are involved in is a hobby of mine. They both love basketball. They're pretty good at it. They want to play all the time. Usually in a gym with them or on a court with them is my biggest hobby. Any chance I get to see my family, that's always important to me.

Quite frankly, if I can get a nap every once in a while, I'll take that, too.

Q. I believe it was a month ago you talked about how you're implementing a new defensive scheme. Where do you feel like you guys are in implementing that new defense? How have you seen the team adapt to it?

KELSI MUSICK: I think they're really starting to adapt well. I think in the initial stages, it's hard, because it's hard to be trying to be aggressive on both sides of the basketball all the time. I'm sure in their mind they're like we never get a moment off. That's what it's about. You don't get plays off, moments off. Really trying to instill that in them and help them understand that.

I think in this last week and a half I've seen some growth. We're about to get into some scrimmages. I think that will tell us where we're at, what we need to work on. I'm excited to play someone other than ourselves.

Q. A lot of teams right now are starting this week's exhibitions. What are your plans there?

KELSI MUSICK: We have a couple of scrimmages coming up the next couple of weekends. We have an exhibition October 29th. We're excited to get start understand and play someone else, watch that film, really be able to dissect that, so we can see where we're at, and the things, like I said, we need to improve upon.

Q. With that exhibition with your alma mater, how excited are you to play that game? How fun is that going to be? Any awkwardness being there?

KELSI MUSICK: I think I'm so old, it won't be awkward (smiling).

I think it's just going to be a fun opportunity to be able to play my alma mater, have them be able to come to Arkansas and play against us in a place that I have the opportunity and I'm blessed to be the head coach.

I think it's going to be a great opportunity, an exciting time.

Q. It's been said your portal strategy is going to be more intentional this year. Can you define that strategy?

KELSI MUSICK: I think the biggest strategy, when I say 'intentional' was trying to recruit players to the best of our ability that really, truly fit our system. We wanted them to fit our system and our culture.

Obviously our staff was intact. When I first got there a year ago, I didn't have my full stuff fully intact when we hit the portal.

Being able to have our staff and really be able to be intentional, watch as much film as possible, recruit players that fit our culture and system. That's what I meant by being intentional.