uh and one play better than us today uh
thank you for the fans that came out to
have over 2,000 yet again today it's uh
you know they keep coming keep
supporting um hopefully we gave them
something for them to keep coming back
proud of our kids effort I thought we
competed um just again one possession
short and that's on me as the head coach
I got to find a way to get him over the
hump so um that locker room sad uh but
we're going to keep working we got no
other choice
coaches man cl's third straight game log
in double figures is what is she
beginning to find a rhythm offensively
yeah well she's coming into the year we
knew she'd be a mismatch right like
we're playing untr like non-traditional
basketball we got her as really a guard
playing the four um but we we spaced it
out a lot and and uh I think to be
honest over the last couple weeks she's
just kind of coming into her own of
figuring out when to how to um but also
I think tacking attacking things with a
totally different mindset um there's
no push back or fight it's it's look in
the mirror and if she's wrong hey I'll
make it better next time and I'll keep
working hard and I think that when she's
played that way she's played with a
clear mind which has allowed her to see
some success so it's been much needed uh
at that position and to add some
consistency to that position will really
help us as we we come down the home
stretch what what do you think your team
did to kind of make UNC struggle
offensively I thought we competed I mean
there's been times where as of late
we've gotten so spread out and I thought
we played in in our gaps quite a bit we
started off in some Zone um I thought
took them out of rhythm a little bit
they didn't didn't shoot the three great
they got some decent looks but the right
people that we went in the game hoping
they got shots uh took some right and
then uh we then switched into some man
and played a lot more man than we've
really Practice coming in um but we were
connected and I thought we played in
gaps and played for each other other and
and with each other which then all of a
sudden forced them to take contested
shots uh and mostly out of the paint
which we have not been doing as of late
so um with that said I wish we could
take a handful of offensive rebounds
back right they're in the second half I
think they had two or three times down
the floor where they got not only two
but three opportunities um and that's
just really hard to get over um so but
proud of their effort that that was as
connected as we've been on that side of
the ball in a while I have to ask if you
ever seen that happen before in a game
where an opposing player goes the wrong
direction I have not in that situation
right uh I've seen it sometimes out of a
halftime per se um but in that situation
when she took off I'm like wait a second
this is wrong we were all kind of thrown
off you know um including the referees I
think there for a second um but no I
have never seen that uh I really wish
able have taken advantage of it for sure
you talked about just the crowd in t
today especially with being Super Bowl
Sunday just what was it like like to
have another
strong today well I've been I I should
have started with this our marketing
team thank you so much um what they've
done for us showed importance to our
program to our young women in that
locker room over the last really year
right but um this week especially right
this is a tough day you think about
Super Bowl Sunday but also don't forget
we just had 9,000 in here last night
with the men's team playing Duke and so
uh you know I get like Clemson is a
little different people are traveling to
and from to get here right and so um you
think that this would be one that you
wouldn't have a ton of people at and um
for for them to do their job and to
spread the word again our our young
people have been phenomenal on campus um
but really marketing did an absolute
phenomenal job and have been but but
specifically for today to help us with
that and um and again we we did not come
out on top but I truly hope that that
they're seeing and feeling of where this
program is headed coach it obviously
wasn't the result that you wanted but at
the end of the day this was a number one
12 team and you guys had a pretty
incredible performance what are you
taking from today into yet another
challenging team that you're facing on
Thursday yeah well we've really just
tried to focus this one at a time you
know and and um as as much as it's hurt
um to not come out on
top this team has fought and competed
with the best of them dang near all year
there's been a couple couple games where
we you know did not play great and and
got beat pretty bad um but for majority
of the Year these top teams we've been
hanging in and we put a little bit
closer to 40 minutes together today um
that's kind of what we keep talking
about it's going to take all 40 because
that's how we are built right we're
we're not as big we're not as fast we're
not as strong but we have to be focused
and we got to be connected while we play
with a lot of energy and effort and um
that's what's so hard because did we get
much better than we've been absolutely
but we were still one plays short right
and and I guarantee me included um if we
went back in there and say if you could
get one play back right we all would say
absolutely and it' be a different
feeling you know but um it is what it is
we lost right and we could hang our head
um or we can look in the mirror and say
we are just as good as anybody in the
country we have to keep working that's
life we don't always get exactly what
you want um but you better stay the
course and keep working if you ever want
to get to what you believe you deserve
what were your message for on you today
playing a whole team yeah you know it's
interesting a couple years ago I think
that was a huge huge emotional thing um
in times where uh transfers weren't as
many as you see in today's world um and
so I I feel like I mean Loyals played
against her former team obviously Anya
today it's a little bit more normal in
today's world you know it's um I'm sure
she's got some close friends over there
um to be honest we kind of flipped it
and just allowed her knowledge to share
some of just you've been around them for
so long and so um you know I thought she
had little nuances of just what each kid
may try to do they she likes to break a
play here compared to run what the
normal set supposed to be um and so she
gave us some of that knowledge which I
felt was helpful um but I also think it
took her attention off being an
emotional game you know where you put so
much pressure on
yourself well was a leader for this team
what are you telling your girls in that
locker room right now how do you conquer
Thursday
yeah I think first I just want to thank
my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ just for
another opportunity um to compete with
my teammates um to play for Coach Poppy
I'm just so grateful to be here thankful
for the fan base um just the support
that they've shown over you know just
the course of the season has been
amazing and it's been like a total flip
and a switch from last year so just I'm
thankful for that um but you know I just
stay in the course continue to keep our
heads up um we have nothing to put our
heads down about um but like coach poy
said um we just didn't get it done
tonight um but we got another
opportunity on Thursday so that's just
the good thing about basketball um we
let this one slip through our fingers
but we got another opportunity so just
keep we just got to keep moving
forward thank you guys thanks so much
Super Bowl Sunday and y'all are still
here however many