April 3, 2025 • 30 mins
Head Coach Geno Auriemma with Wade Trophy Winner Paige Bueckers, and fellow seniors Aubrey Griffin & Kaitlyn Chen meet the media ahead of the Huskies Final Four meeting with UCLA
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Jen Hatfield with the next Kaitlin for you, you know,
just what do you think the biggest areas are that
you've grown as a player during your season with Yukon
And how do you feel like Princeton prepared you for
all that you've gone through this season and for this moment.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
I feel like Princeton has prepared me really well as
a leader. I feel like that's where I got comfortable
using my voice, and I feel like that's sort of
translated over here and then being here at Yukonage just
a matter of getting comfortable playing within our system and
finding the best places for me to succeed.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
We won't go to our left coach Tredy from SB
Nation this for you page right now. You're on a
tear like you're going wild right now in your mind.
Do you already feel like you're a pro going against
college kids?
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Uh?
Speaker 5 (00:49):
No, not at all. Just being present here. I'm still
in college and being my fifth year. Obviously, I want
to use my experience as an advantage and use that
to help myself and to help the team. But definitely
not just staying in president here in college.
Speaker 6 (01:09):
We're going to stay too, all right, Kareem if you
can raise your hand. I see you will put you
on a list.
Speaker 7 (01:15):
Hey pitched Kareem Copland, Washington Post.
Speaker 8 (01:18):
How did you you know?
Speaker 7 (01:19):
Obviously the championship is the goal, but how did you
kind of want to approach this one more run in
this tournament? And you know, like you've just said, you know,
you've kind of really turned it up these last three.
So personally, how did you want to approach this tournament?
Speaker 5 (01:36):
Just approaching it as one game at a time, one
practice at a time, one weight room session at a time,
and not looking too forward into the future, and going
forty minutes by forty minutes and playing it by possession.
I think focusing on the possession that you're in will
help you not worry about mishots or mistakes in the past,
(01:56):
or worry about being anxious for the future. But the
possession that you're in is the most important possession of
the season, and if you approach every possession like that,
you'll have a sense of urgency to get everything right
and just enjoying it, embracing it. Obviously, it's it's my
last year, it's all of our last years here, so
just to be able to enjoy being here together and
(02:17):
enjoy the little things like hanging out, sonaing together, cold
tubbing together, eating together, like all the little things that
you sometimes take for granted. Don't take them for granted
and just enjoy them as much as you can.
Speaker 6 (02:33):
We'll stay to our right.
Speaker 9 (02:34):
Please, je Doug Farrenberg, the Associated Press for all three
of you. What challenges does you silly present for you guys?
Speaker 5 (02:42):
Sorry?
Speaker 6 (02:43):
Yes, please?
Speaker 5 (02:46):
Obviously, Lauren Betts decide what she does offensively defensively protecting
the paint and being a force on offense, really carving
out space for herself, but also what she does to
get her teammates open looks with all the attention that
she draws, and it's not just her. There's shooters sprayed
around the outside, so you can't focus on too much
(03:07):
on one thing.
Speaker 6 (03:09):
So they're really versatile.
Speaker 5 (03:10):
And what they do offensively defensively got good size, good length,
so they got great pieces.
Speaker 10 (03:18):
I agree they have great pieces, especially Lauren Betts and
the inside. And I think if we do a good
job of just well, we we gotta like play both
and play their inside and outside. They have some great
shooters too, so I think they're very riskative.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Yeah, everything, the two of them already said.
Speaker 6 (03:42):
We're going to the center of.
Speaker 11 (03:44):
The room high Paige Kirk Sandoval from maybe C seven
when you stepped into this program, it's a legendary women's program.
Can you speak to a the pressure then, and did
it ever diminish, how did it become or has it
ever become just normal?
Speaker 5 (04:03):
Well, I think before you even get here, you kind
of know the pressures that exist by committing to Yukon,
So by making that decision to want to come here
and try to live up to that and be a
part of a legendary program. It's a decision you have
to make before you even step on a campus. And
then once you walk inside the practice facility, you see
all the history, all the names, all the banners.
Speaker 6 (04:26):
It's just motivation.
Speaker 5 (04:27):
And obviously there's expectations here and anything less than a
national championship is really a disappointment. And as players, that's
what you play for and what you want to live
up to, and the expectations and the pressure. It's a privilege,
and so we all look at it, look at it
as such, and we're just extremely grateful to play here
(04:48):
under the best coaching staff in the world, in the
best program in the world. And we just wear the
jersey with pride and want to live up to everything
that the alums have done and that the coaching staff
is done.
Speaker 6 (04:59):
Take our next question, Cassandra, then we'll come to mil.
Speaker 12 (05:04):
Cassandra Neglie with Yahoo Sports page. When you were talking
about not taking anything for granted, the saunas, the food,
everything like that, how different is that from your first
Final four? Do you feel like you did take those
final moments with some of those teammates for granted.
Speaker 5 (05:19):
I wouldn't say that, it's just that you don't even
recognize how important they are to life and how you're
not ever guaranteed to get back there again, and having
experience being at the Final four, how hard it is
to get there and how hard it is to maintain
(05:39):
consistency throughout a long, entire season. So not that you
take those things for granted, but you don't have the
experience on how hard it is to get there, and
so just learning throughout the whole journey of the of
the seasons, the ups and downs, the ebbs and flows,
just taking none of that for granted because it's all
a part of that season's journey. So I would just
(06:00):
say I'm more appreciation of it.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
Mil Mel Greenberg for Caitlin. When most people are transferring
out the door right now, it's contentious. The IVYS is
the other way they tell you you're done.
Speaker 13 (06:19):
Good luck.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
So it's going to be a more friendly departure given
who your coach is. And also we found it interesting
the other night that you did the same role that
she did in ninety five. It's sort of a lifesaver
and a key spot. But in leaving did she kind
of granted he's an older guy. Now give you the
Book of Yukon or whatever you know, whatever you can
(06:42):
share on that When you were making your decision, she.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Was definitely a very helpful resource as someone who played
here and knows the coaches very well. But I just
know that she is my best or she had my
best interests in mind, and I shoose someone who I
trust tremendously and someone who helped me make this decision.
Speaker 5 (07:08):
For sure.
Speaker 6 (07:10):
Going to go to our left in the gray BU
could raise your hand in the YEP Dead Center.
Speaker 8 (07:16):
I'm Mike Anthony from Herston, Connecticut for Paige Page. I
know that this sport is an easy on one's body,
and you are five years at Yukon, what have you
learned about taking care of your body? Wondering if you
could just speak to how any body transformation you've seen
in five years. I know you take more seriously strength
and contraditioning and nutrition and just a lot goes into
(07:38):
that I understand.
Speaker 5 (07:39):
Yeah, I would say the importance of eating, getting all
three meals, of course, but also stuff in between, sleeping
how important that is for the body, and rest and
recovery and making sure you're replenishing yourself with a good,
nice rest. Pilates has been a game changer for me
in terms of getting all of my body parts to
(08:00):
work together as one. Everything surrounded by the core, so
making sure my core is engaged, and even just activation.
I was a person who just loved to tie their
shoes and get on the core and play, but activating
my muscles before participation. So I mean a lot of
things going to taking care of your body, and obviously
strength and conditioning is one is the main ingredient, but
(08:20):
there's a lot of other things that are important.
Speaker 6 (08:23):
Going to stay middle to the back. If you could
raise your hand in the green so the student athletes can.
Speaker 14 (08:27):
See you.
Speaker 15 (08:30):
Domin Marie Hartford, current Pegia Gino alluded to this the
other day. Obviously, Lauren Betts has talked about it, the
scrutiny and the pressure that comes with what you do
and where you do it. How did you learn to
kind of deal with that? I imagine there were times when
it was even more than you thought it was going
to be. How did you learn to handle all of
(08:52):
that that goes around being a basketball player at Yukon?
Speaker 5 (08:56):
Yeah, I means still a learning process, learning to care
less about the opinions of others and trying to please everyone.
For every five hundred people that love you, there's gonna
be five that hate you. So it's just focusing on
the people that are important. And obviously there's a saying
(09:16):
like you don't take criticism from people you can take
advice from, So just making sure you're listening to the
right voices. Deleting social media is a great word of
advice as well, so just not paying attention to it,
not letting anything outside of this locker room, the program
that we have infiltrate what we have, so.
Speaker 6 (09:37):
Well, stay So I left in the blue. If you
can raise your hands so we can get the microphone.
Speaker 16 (09:40):
Tea Chelsea shrod S and y Aubrey and Caitlin dis
questions for you. Paige has talked about a sense of
urgency that she's playing with right now, and I think
we've been seeing that over the past few games. I
wonder what that urgency looks like for the two of
you and kind of how that shows up in your
approach to the games.
Speaker 6 (10:00):
We can start with Orber.
Speaker 10 (10:02):
I think her sense of urgency rubs off on everyone.
Just how hard working she is and you can tell
she's really determined and the traits that she brings to
the games. It rubs off on everyone. Her leadership is
something that we all look up to her for and
she's done a great job of just being that leader
(10:23):
this year and it's overall been great.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Yeah, And I feel like when we see her sort
of take it into like that next level, like turn
the switch during games, it's pretty infectious, like it's something
you want to be a part of, and you see
her giving her all into like you want to give
her all as well.
Speaker 6 (10:44):
We are at time for our student athletes. At this time,
student athletes will move over to the mixed zone. The
locker room for Yukon is now open and we will
be joined on the daist by a coach.
Speaker 17 (10:54):
Thank you, thank you, welcome coach.
Speaker 6 (11:25):
All right, coach, we are going to begin on our
right hand side. Joe will go to you. I see you, Doug,
and I see you as.
Speaker 14 (11:31):
Well, Joe Gino Joey Johnston from the Tampa Bayed Sports Commission.
Your friend Jose Fernandez is about to become the president.
Speaker 13 (11:43):
Of the WBCA.
Speaker 14 (11:44):
Could you speak about your relationship with him, what you
think he can bring to this role, and what you
think the WBCA's priorities are for the coming year.
Speaker 18 (11:57):
Well, yeah, I've known Jose for thirty years now almost,
and I think he's a tremendous coach obviously as everybody knows,
but he cares deeply about the game itself. He's been
involved in various committees. Uh, you know, so he puts
(12:22):
the time and and and the effort that it takes.
I was in that role and so I know it's
it's a thankless role because you're trying to bring a
lot of different agendas to the table and try to
make them all go in the same direction.
Speaker 13 (12:44):
Not always easy.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
Uh.
Speaker 18 (12:48):
Hopefully he can get the right people in the room too.
Be be okay, with thinking outside the norm.
Speaker 13 (13:03):
Asking the right people for advice. You know, there's.
Speaker 18 (13:11):
A lot of administrators, there's a lot of coaches, there's
a lot of ads that they've been to multiple, multiple
final fours with the men and the women. And I
think a lot of times we say, well, just because
the guys do it, that doesn't mean we should do it.
Speaker 13 (13:27):
That's absolutely true.
Speaker 18 (13:29):
We do something that they don't do, which is, you know,
we have quarters. They're the only people that bounce the
basketball to play halfs. We advanced the ball so the
game lasts longer, so you have longer, more opportunities to
win the game. You know, we did away with the
one on one and all that. We've come up with
(13:49):
some great ideas that have helped our game. But I
also think we're sometimes afraid to look at what they
do that enhances their tournament and see whether or not
that fits what we want to do and not be
married to tradition. I guess what I'm saying, and bring
the game, as I've been a big proponent is and
(14:09):
I'm going to talk to jose about this, bring the
game to more people. By going to two regionals, we've
taken the game away from the people, and I think
we need to bring it back to where more people
can be in the stands. And lastly, we need to
change the schedule. We need to finish way earlier than
(14:31):
we finish now, so that we don't come here Tuesday night,
three thousand miles and then practice Wednesday and Thursday and
play the biggest game of the year on Friday night
at nine thirty, you know. And we were the last
team to play on Monday, and the team we played
was home Sunday afternoon. So and that that just goes
(14:56):
for whoever played in that game. I just happened to
be that person today. So we need to change the
schedule so that we have more time. And maybe we
need to finish on a different weekend than the menu finish.
Maybe we need to finish a week earlier. We do
it for the conference tournaments, right, So there's a lot
of things I want to talk to him about. He
(15:18):
might be the one guy that will ask me. So
that's not a bad thing.
Speaker 6 (15:24):
We're going to do a little bit of a zigzag.
We'll go Doug, then we'll go domb and then we'll
work our way back.
Speaker 9 (15:29):
Hey, Gina, Doug Farnberg AP Corey was saying before, I
guess thirteen years ago she came to watch you guys
practice in the n SEE a tournament. I think you
said sweet sixteen round and then came back to the
staff a year later. Just keep talking about her relationship
with her and just the fact you're willing to open
up the biggest time of the year to let a
coach who was new so to speak at a school
coming and learn from you guys. And now you're playing
(15:51):
her on the stage.
Speaker 13 (15:52):
Yeah. If I to know, and I wouldn't let her in. Yeah.
Speaker 18 (15:59):
I I just remember when I was a young coach,
especially in high school. When I was a young coach
in high school, I always admired the coaches that were
open and willing to share ideas, their ideas. I've never
(16:21):
been one to want to hide anything or oh my god,
their competitors. And one of the funniest things that ever
happened was three kids, you know, from Tennessee showed up
for practice for like two or three days and they thought,
you know, they called the head. Obviously they didn't just
walk in, but everybody thought at that time, you know,
oh my god, this is like you know, the Cold War.
(16:43):
You know, the Russians are coming right, and it was
so much fun for us for them. Basketball is basketball,
you know, and it's our job to share it if
we have anything that's worth it, and if they think
we have something that's worth it, and you can't worry about,
you know, anything else.
Speaker 13 (17:00):
And our relationship, you know.
Speaker 18 (17:03):
And through USA Basketball, Courty and I got to know
each other a little bit and we both share, you know,
passion for Wines and you know so her you know, her,
her energy and all that that she has that she
brings is just infectious, I think, And and I'm glad
(17:23):
when coaches have success, and that's what we're here for.
Speaker 6 (17:29):
Going to our that's all left Domamory Hart for current.
Speaker 15 (17:33):
You know, you've coached a couple of Hall of famers
that Yukon and that number could double, yeah, in the
next couple of days.
Speaker 13 (17:40):
I wonder if you can.
Speaker 15 (17:40):
Give us your thoughts on on the possibility of a
couple of more of your players going into the Hall
of Fame.
Speaker 18 (17:48):
You know, it's it's so unbelievable that when you think
of a seventeen year old that you're sitting there talking
to and you're projecting them as freshman sophomores in college
and juniors in college and where do I think they
can be and how much impact could they have on
(18:10):
our program and all those great things, And when they're there,
you realize there's something special about them and fast forward
and then to look up and realize that their wilder
(18:33):
dreams have come true. I mean, what kid doesn't shoot
a basket when they're ten and think about winning a
national championship, winning you know, gold medal, and then somebody goes,
you know, you're the best player in the country.
Speaker 13 (18:48):
But I don't.
Speaker 18 (18:48):
I don't know that any one of those kids ever
came to Yukon saying, you know, I came here to
make the Hall of Fame, to be inducted into the
Hall of Fame. I don't think anybody said that. Maybe
Diana did, because you know, but for me to see,
you know, what's happened out there with Rebecca and Swim
(19:10):
and now Maya and Sue obviously being in the mix,
that that pretty much is bigger than when you look
back then all the national championships.
Speaker 13 (19:26):
Hamers who.
Speaker 18 (19:30):
They're hall of famers for me, they're Hall of famers
for their family, they're Hall of famers for everybody. They're
even Hall of famers for the Yukon haters. That's one
thing they can all agree on. You know, they're they're
Olympian Hall of Fame famers, they're w NBA Hall of famers,
they're college Hall of famers, they're Hall of famers as people,
(19:51):
most of them.
Speaker 6 (19:53):
I'm going to our right, Ben, if you could raise
your Handsel coach can see.
Speaker 19 (19:55):
You're been picking with the athletic. You know, Don was
in here earlier and she met that she wants or
she hopes that college basketball would have its own TV
deal to determine its worth. I guess where do you
stand on? Who said that down about the meteorites deal?
Speaker 18 (20:12):
Oh, the women's basketball should have their own Yeah, yeah,
I thought they were. I thought they were doing stuff
like that. I thought they were trying to spin it off.
I don't know where that got, and it probably didn't
get as far as maybe it could have. But we
talk about that all the time, and we also, Uh,
(20:32):
it's funny because we talk about it in in in
our league. You know, we talk about it as as
you can. You know, how do we how do we
get more value for our brand? Is it worth more
than if you put it into collectively a bunch of
other stuff. So it's worth it, It's worth exploring.
Speaker 13 (20:52):
I think.
Speaker 18 (20:55):
When you put it out there, you're gonna have to
be ready for it. Maybe smaller than you think, and
it may be three times larger than you think. So
it's best to find out right instead of just keep wondering. So, yeah,
I would think that would be fantastic in the States.
Speaker 20 (21:14):
To the center of the room, coach, Hey, you know,
Matt Baker with the athletic another kind of big picture question,
but revenue sharing probably going to be finalized and signed
off on here in the next couple of days or weeks.
What sort of impact do you expect that to have
on your game and the types of programs that are
able to compete From women's final.
Speaker 18 (21:30):
Fours, well, it all ruin parody, that's number one.
Speaker 13 (21:38):
I mean, I'm for revenue sharing. There will be.
Speaker 18 (21:46):
Less parody in the game of basketball. If you look
at right now, there's less parody happening every year in
men's basketball. People talk about the football twelve schools, it's
the same four in the final four, seems like every year.
And as the money now drives it, there's gonna be
(22:07):
less people that have that kind of money. There's gonna
be less of them. They're gonna want to give it
to women's basketball. So if the number of teams that
could win the national championship when it was US in
Tennessee and everybody wanted anybody to win other than Yukon
and Tennessee, and then it kind of stretched to kind
(22:28):
of stretch. The kind of stretch. Now you look at
the landscape today and it still a lot of the
same teams, but there's a lot more vying for that
spot in the final four. Well, now that's all gonna
go away. Now it'll become like college football where in
every conference and it's the conference to get bigger, think
(22:51):
about it, it's eighteen teams in it in the Big
Ten for now. Okay, I would venture to say eight
of those teams will never get to championship game in
any sport that I'm talking about, basketball, football, men's basketball.
Speaker 13 (23:05):
Maybe.
Speaker 18 (23:06):
So when you do, when you do those kind of
things and it's money driven, it's going to be who's
going to become the Dodgers and the Yankees and how
many of those are you going to have? And how
many other programs in women's basketball are going to be
Milwaukee and Kansas City because that's where we're headed. And
(23:27):
don't believe this twenty point five million salary cap. See
the thing in the NBA if you go over to
salary cap, there's a huge tax.
Speaker 13 (23:36):
There's a salary.
Speaker 18 (23:37):
Cap in revenue sharing in sports in college, you think
anybody in their right mind is going to stick to
twenty point five. That might be what's on the books,
but that ain't going to be the final number. And
there's nobody out there looking around to collect taxes on that.
Speaker 6 (23:55):
Coach, You're going to go to our right, Can.
Speaker 13 (23:58):
We play at UCLA? They're really good? Start to throw
that in.
Speaker 21 (24:05):
Hey, coach t Baker with the next when you Caitlyn
Chen obviously had a great ELITEA and when you think
about what she's brought all season, what has been the
different the biggest difference she's brought to the team and
what gap has she filled in the roster?
Speaker 18 (24:18):
Maturity, experience, you know, things that we obviously lost when
when Nica graduated. She's a different player than Nika, different personality,
approaches things differently, different skill set, but in.
Speaker 13 (24:41):
What we needed for this particular.
Speaker 18 (24:43):
Team, I think she's been the perfect edition. Obviously, Sarah
Strong was the biggest addition. I think Caitlyn Chen was
the perfect addition for what this team needed at the
position that we needed it. And so you saw the
(25:05):
other night in that game. Why was worth bringing her in?
And I have had a blast coaching her.
Speaker 6 (25:14):
I mean, go to the second row on our left.
Speaker 18 (25:18):
Contrary to I, really students, they do have a sense
of humor.
Speaker 22 (25:23):
Hi, I'm Stephanie from eSPI Nation. There have been a
few players not from yukon this tournament run who have
expressed they've come from traumatic or toxic environments to other schools.
You have a wealth of coaching experience and you obviously
have players for decades that adore you. What do coaches like?
What do coaches need to do better?
Speaker 18 (25:46):
And oh man, even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you.
I mean I could share when I can't share that much.
I just think this incredible pressure to win and the
pressure to your question about revenue sharing, the pressure to
(26:06):
win is only going to get greater. You mean, I'm
paying you guys, and this is what I got to watch.
Somebody's getting fired, So the pressure's immense. It's only going
to get more pressure packed. So how do you react
under pressure. Well, if you've been there and done that,
(26:27):
you're secure. You just stay the course and say this
is what we do. And if you don't like it, tough.
If you're young and you're trying to make a name
for yourself and you're like close or not quite there,
well I can buy a team. It's better than recruiting one.
I gotta wait forever for them to get better. I
just go and buy a team. Well, now the kids
(26:48):
all know they came to your school to get paid.
And when everybody's getting paid and they find out who's
getting paid what. And the animosity now between coaches and players.
You know it used to be, you know, players didn't
like the fact that coaches had all the power. Well,
now coaches hate the fact that players have all the power.
(27:10):
Players on the team hate each other because of what
one is getting the other one's not getting. And all
of a sudden, nobody's coming there to win a national championship.
They're coming there to build their brand, to make their money.
And oh, by the way, if we get to the
final four, wouldn't it be cool? Does that happen in
every program? Hell No, I'll bet you ninety percent of
the programs in America that's not the case. But the
(27:32):
ones you're talking about, that's exactly the case.
Speaker 6 (27:36):
Take a final question from the back, shehent tell if
you gree you hand hate you know chanton Jennings with
the Athletic and Spokane.
Speaker 23 (27:42):
You said that page has a little bit of Diana
in her. I was hoping you could expand on that.
What about her honor off the court reminds you the
most of d.
Speaker 18 (27:53):
Obviously there's a lot of similarities and there's so many
differences as well. They in the best sense of the word.
Number one, they are both exceptional con artists. They can
spin things so that it goes their way about ninety
(28:16):
nine point nine percent of the time. So they live
in that world, which I admire that because winners do that,
they have to be right, they have to be the top,
they have to be unchallenged. So they've got that going
(28:37):
for them. They're both extremely outgoing. They both enjoy other
people's company. They're accommodating to other people. They're respectful, they're
great team players. They're both generous to their teammates, both
on the court off the court. They have a flair
(28:59):
for the moment. They can summon up something that's needed
at the time when it's exactly needed. They take responsibility
for what happens. They're not afraid of the criticism that
might come if they fail. And I don't think anybody
(29:25):
loves being in the gym more than those two. And
if you ask them, where's their happy place? And they
could be any place in the world at any time,
they would tell you in a gym by myself doing
what I love to do. And that's the best way
I can describe both.
Speaker 13 (29:44):
Of them in how do how do they compare? Now?
Speaker 18 (29:48):
How are they? How are they different? That would be
a whole different press conference.
Speaker 6 (29:54):
Want to thank you for your time today, coach.
Speaker 13 (29:56):
Thank you.
Speaker 6 (29:58):
A reminder for those in the room that the locker
room for Yukon is still open until two ten pm.
Jen Hatfield with the next Kaitlin for you, you know,
just what do you think the biggest areas are that
you've grown as a player during your season with Yukon
And how do you feel like Princeton prepared you for
all that you've gone through this season and for this moment.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
I feel like Princeton has prepared me really well as
a leader. I feel like that's where I got comfortable
using my voice, and I feel like that's sort of
translated over here and then being here at Yukonage just
a matter of getting comfortable playing within our system and
finding the best places for me to succeed.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
We won't go to our left coach Tredy from SB
Nation this for you page right now. You're on a
tear like you're going wild right now in your mind.
Do you already feel like you're a pro going against
college kids?
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Uh?
Speaker 5 (00:49):
No, not at all. Just being present here. I'm still
in college and being my fifth year. Obviously, I want
to use my experience as an advantage and use that
to help myself and to help the team. But definitely
not just staying in president here in college.
Speaker 6 (01:09):
We're going to stay too, all right, Kareem if you
can raise your hand. I see you will put you
on a list.
Speaker 7 (01:15):
Hey pitched Kareem Copland, Washington Post.
Speaker 8 (01:18):
How did you you know?
Speaker 7 (01:19):
Obviously the championship is the goal, but how did you
kind of want to approach this one more run in
this tournament? And you know, like you've just said, you know,
you've kind of really turned it up these last three.
So personally, how did you want to approach this tournament?
Speaker 5 (01:36):
Just approaching it as one game at a time, one
practice at a time, one weight room session at a time,
and not looking too forward into the future, and going
forty minutes by forty minutes and playing it by possession.
I think focusing on the possession that you're in will
help you not worry about mishots or mistakes in the past,
(01:56):
or worry about being anxious for the future. But the
possession that you're in is the most important possession of
the season, and if you approach every possession like that,
you'll have a sense of urgency to get everything right
and just enjoying it, embracing it. Obviously, it's it's my
last year, it's all of our last years here, so
just to be able to enjoy being here together and
(02:17):
enjoy the little things like hanging out, sonaing together, cold
tubbing together, eating together, like all the little things that
you sometimes take for granted. Don't take them for granted
and just enjoy them as much as you can.
Speaker 6 (02:33):
We'll stay to our right.
Speaker 9 (02:34):
Please, je Doug Farrenberg, the Associated Press for all three
of you. What challenges does you silly present for you guys?
Speaker 5 (02:42):
Sorry?
Speaker 6 (02:43):
Yes, please?
Speaker 5 (02:46):
Obviously, Lauren Betts decide what she does offensively defensively protecting
the paint and being a force on offense, really carving
out space for herself, but also what she does to
get her teammates open looks with all the attention that
she draws, and it's not just her. There's shooters sprayed
around the outside, so you can't focus on too much
(03:07):
on one thing.
Speaker 6 (03:09):
So they're really versatile.
Speaker 5 (03:10):
And what they do offensively defensively got good size, good length,
so they got great pieces.
Speaker 10 (03:18):
I agree they have great pieces, especially Lauren Betts and
the inside. And I think if we do a good
job of just well, we we gotta like play both
and play their inside and outside. They have some great
shooters too, so I think they're very riskative.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Yeah, everything, the two of them already said.
Speaker 6 (03:42):
We're going to the center of.
Speaker 11 (03:44):
The room high Paige Kirk Sandoval from maybe C seven
when you stepped into this program, it's a legendary women's program.
Can you speak to a the pressure then, and did
it ever diminish, how did it become or has it
ever become just normal?
Speaker 5 (04:03):
Well, I think before you even get here, you kind
of know the pressures that exist by committing to Yukon,
So by making that decision to want to come here
and try to live up to that and be a
part of a legendary program. It's a decision you have
to make before you even step on a campus. And
then once you walk inside the practice facility, you see
all the history, all the names, all the banners.
Speaker 6 (04:26):
It's just motivation.
Speaker 5 (04:27):
And obviously there's expectations here and anything less than a
national championship is really a disappointment. And as players, that's
what you play for and what you want to live
up to, and the expectations and the pressure. It's a privilege,
and so we all look at it, look at it
as such, and we're just extremely grateful to play here
(04:48):
under the best coaching staff in the world, in the
best program in the world. And we just wear the
jersey with pride and want to live up to everything
that the alums have done and that the coaching staff
is done.
Speaker 6 (04:59):
Take our next question, Cassandra, then we'll come to mil.
Speaker 12 (05:04):
Cassandra Neglie with Yahoo Sports page. When you were talking
about not taking anything for granted, the saunas, the food,
everything like that, how different is that from your first
Final four? Do you feel like you did take those
final moments with some of those teammates for granted.
Speaker 5 (05:19):
I wouldn't say that, it's just that you don't even
recognize how important they are to life and how you're
not ever guaranteed to get back there again, and having
experience being at the Final four, how hard it is
to get there and how hard it is to maintain
(05:39):
consistency throughout a long, entire season. So not that you
take those things for granted, but you don't have the
experience on how hard it is to get there, and
so just learning throughout the whole journey of the of
the seasons, the ups and downs, the ebbs and flows,
just taking none of that for granted because it's all
a part of that season's journey. So I would just
(06:00):
say I'm more appreciation of it.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
Mil Mel Greenberg for Caitlin. When most people are transferring
out the door right now, it's contentious. The IVYS is
the other way they tell you you're done.
Speaker 13 (06:19):
Good luck.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
So it's going to be a more friendly departure given
who your coach is. And also we found it interesting
the other night that you did the same role that
she did in ninety five. It's sort of a lifesaver
and a key spot. But in leaving did she kind
of granted he's an older guy. Now give you the
Book of Yukon or whatever you know, whatever you can
(06:42):
share on that When you were making your decision, she.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Was definitely a very helpful resource as someone who played
here and knows the coaches very well. But I just
know that she is my best or she had my
best interests in mind, and I shoose someone who I
trust tremendously and someone who helped me make this decision.
Speaker 5 (07:08):
For sure.
Speaker 6 (07:10):
Going to go to our left in the gray BU
could raise your hand in the YEP Dead Center.
Speaker 8 (07:16):
I'm Mike Anthony from Herston, Connecticut for Paige Page. I
know that this sport is an easy on one's body,
and you are five years at Yukon, what have you
learned about taking care of your body? Wondering if you
could just speak to how any body transformation you've seen
in five years. I know you take more seriously strength
and contraditioning and nutrition and just a lot goes into
(07:38):
that I understand.
Speaker 5 (07:39):
Yeah, I would say the importance of eating, getting all
three meals, of course, but also stuff in between, sleeping
how important that is for the body, and rest and
recovery and making sure you're replenishing yourself with a good,
nice rest. Pilates has been a game changer for me
in terms of getting all of my body parts to
(08:00):
work together as one. Everything surrounded by the core, so
making sure my core is engaged, and even just activation.
I was a person who just loved to tie their
shoes and get on the core and play, but activating
my muscles before participation. So I mean a lot of
things going to taking care of your body, and obviously
strength and conditioning is one is the main ingredient, but
(08:20):
there's a lot of other things that are important.
Speaker 6 (08:23):
Going to stay middle to the back. If you could
raise your hand in the green so the student athletes can.
Speaker 14 (08:27):
See you.
Speaker 15 (08:30):
Domin Marie Hartford, current Pegia Gino alluded to this the
other day. Obviously, Lauren Betts has talked about it, the
scrutiny and the pressure that comes with what you do
and where you do it. How did you learn to
kind of deal with that? I imagine there were times when
it was even more than you thought it was going
to be. How did you learn to handle all of
(08:52):
that that goes around being a basketball player at Yukon?
Speaker 5 (08:56):
Yeah, I means still a learning process, learning to care
less about the opinions of others and trying to please everyone.
For every five hundred people that love you, there's gonna
be five that hate you. So it's just focusing on
the people that are important. And obviously there's a saying
(09:16):
like you don't take criticism from people you can take
advice from, So just making sure you're listening to the
right voices. Deleting social media is a great word of
advice as well, so just not paying attention to it,
not letting anything outside of this locker room, the program
that we have infiltrate what we have, so.
Speaker 6 (09:37):
Well, stay So I left in the blue. If you
can raise your hands so we can get the microphone.
Speaker 16 (09:40):
Tea Chelsea shrod S and y Aubrey and Caitlin dis
questions for you. Paige has talked about a sense of
urgency that she's playing with right now, and I think
we've been seeing that over the past few games. I
wonder what that urgency looks like for the two of
you and kind of how that shows up in your
approach to the games.
Speaker 6 (10:00):
We can start with Orber.
Speaker 10 (10:02):
I think her sense of urgency rubs off on everyone.
Just how hard working she is and you can tell
she's really determined and the traits that she brings to
the games. It rubs off on everyone. Her leadership is
something that we all look up to her for and
she's done a great job of just being that leader
(10:23):
this year and it's overall been great.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Yeah, And I feel like when we see her sort
of take it into like that next level, like turn
the switch during games, it's pretty infectious, like it's something
you want to be a part of, and you see
her giving her all into like you want to give
her all as well.
Speaker 6 (10:44):
We are at time for our student athletes. At this time,
student athletes will move over to the mixed zone. The
locker room for Yukon is now open and we will
be joined on the daist by a coach.
Speaker 17 (10:54):
Thank you, thank you, welcome coach.
Speaker 6 (11:25):
All right, coach, we are going to begin on our
right hand side. Joe will go to you. I see you, Doug,
and I see you as.
Speaker 14 (11:31):
Well, Joe Gino Joey Johnston from the Tampa Bayed Sports Commission.
Your friend Jose Fernandez is about to become the president.
Speaker 13 (11:43):
Of the WBCA.
Speaker 14 (11:44):
Could you speak about your relationship with him, what you
think he can bring to this role, and what you
think the WBCA's priorities are for the coming year.
Speaker 18 (11:57):
Well, yeah, I've known Jose for thirty years now almost,
and I think he's a tremendous coach obviously as everybody knows,
but he cares deeply about the game itself. He's been
involved in various committees. Uh, you know, so he puts
(12:22):
the time and and and the effort that it takes.
I was in that role and so I know it's
it's a thankless role because you're trying to bring a
lot of different agendas to the table and try to
make them all go in the same direction.
Speaker 13 (12:44):
Not always easy.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
Uh.
Speaker 18 (12:48):
Hopefully he can get the right people in the room too.
Be be okay, with thinking outside the norm.
Speaker 13 (13:03):
Asking the right people for advice. You know, there's.
Speaker 18 (13:11):
A lot of administrators, there's a lot of coaches, there's
a lot of ads that they've been to multiple, multiple
final fours with the men and the women. And I
think a lot of times we say, well, just because
the guys do it, that doesn't mean we should do it.
Speaker 13 (13:27):
That's absolutely true.
Speaker 18 (13:29):
We do something that they don't do, which is, you know,
we have quarters. They're the only people that bounce the
basketball to play halfs. We advanced the ball so the
game lasts longer, so you have longer, more opportunities to
win the game. You know, we did away with the
one on one and all that. We've come up with
(13:49):
some great ideas that have helped our game. But I
also think we're sometimes afraid to look at what they
do that enhances their tournament and see whether or not
that fits what we want to do and not be
married to tradition. I guess what I'm saying, and bring
the game, as I've been a big proponent is and
(14:09):
I'm going to talk to jose about this, bring the
game to more people. By going to two regionals, we've
taken the game away from the people, and I think
we need to bring it back to where more people
can be in the stands. And lastly, we need to
change the schedule. We need to finish way earlier than
(14:31):
we finish now, so that we don't come here Tuesday night,
three thousand miles and then practice Wednesday and Thursday and
play the biggest game of the year on Friday night
at nine thirty, you know. And we were the last
team to play on Monday, and the team we played
was home Sunday afternoon. So and that that just goes
(14:56):
for whoever played in that game. I just happened to
be that person today. So we need to change the
schedule so that we have more time. And maybe we
need to finish on a different weekend than the menu finish.
Maybe we need to finish a week earlier. We do
it for the conference tournaments, right, So there's a lot
of things I want to talk to him about. He
(15:18):
might be the one guy that will ask me. So
that's not a bad thing.
Speaker 6 (15:24):
We're going to do a little bit of a zigzag.
We'll go Doug, then we'll go domb and then we'll
work our way back.
Speaker 9 (15:29):
Hey, Gina, Doug Farnberg AP Corey was saying before, I
guess thirteen years ago she came to watch you guys
practice in the n SEE a tournament. I think you
said sweet sixteen round and then came back to the
staff a year later. Just keep talking about her relationship
with her and just the fact you're willing to open
up the biggest time of the year to let a
coach who was new so to speak at a school
coming and learn from you guys. And now you're playing
(15:51):
her on the stage.
Speaker 13 (15:52):
Yeah. If I to know, and I wouldn't let her in. Yeah.
Speaker 18 (15:59):
I I just remember when I was a young coach,
especially in high school. When I was a young coach
in high school, I always admired the coaches that were
open and willing to share ideas, their ideas. I've never
(16:21):
been one to want to hide anything or oh my god,
their competitors. And one of the funniest things that ever
happened was three kids, you know, from Tennessee showed up
for practice for like two or three days and they thought,
you know, they called the head. Obviously they didn't just
walk in, but everybody thought at that time, you know,
oh my god, this is like you know, the Cold War.
(16:43):
You know, the Russians are coming right, and it was
so much fun for us for them. Basketball is basketball,
you know, and it's our job to share it if
we have anything that's worth it, and if they think
we have something that's worth it, and you can't worry about,
you know, anything else.
Speaker 13 (17:00):
And our relationship, you know.
Speaker 18 (17:03):
And through USA Basketball, Courty and I got to know
each other a little bit and we both share, you know,
passion for Wines and you know so her you know, her,
her energy and all that that she has that she
brings is just infectious, I think, And and I'm glad
(17:23):
when coaches have success, and that's what we're here for.
Speaker 6 (17:29):
Going to our that's all left Domamory Hart for current.
Speaker 15 (17:33):
You know, you've coached a couple of Hall of famers
that Yukon and that number could double, yeah, in the
next couple of days.
Speaker 13 (17:40):
I wonder if you can.
Speaker 15 (17:40):
Give us your thoughts on on the possibility of a
couple of more of your players going into the Hall
of Fame.
Speaker 18 (17:48):
You know, it's it's so unbelievable that when you think
of a seventeen year old that you're sitting there talking
to and you're projecting them as freshman sophomores in college
and juniors in college and where do I think they
can be and how much impact could they have on
(18:10):
our program and all those great things, And when they're there,
you realize there's something special about them and fast forward
and then to look up and realize that their wilder
(18:33):
dreams have come true. I mean, what kid doesn't shoot
a basket when they're ten and think about winning a
national championship, winning you know, gold medal, and then somebody goes,
you know, you're the best player in the country.
Speaker 13 (18:48):
But I don't.
Speaker 18 (18:48):
I don't know that any one of those kids ever
came to Yukon saying, you know, I came here to
make the Hall of Fame, to be inducted into the
Hall of Fame. I don't think anybody said that. Maybe
Diana did, because you know, but for me to see,
you know, what's happened out there with Rebecca and Swim
(19:10):
and now Maya and Sue obviously being in the mix,
that that pretty much is bigger than when you look
back then all the national championships.
Speaker 13 (19:26):
Hamers who.
Speaker 18 (19:30):
They're hall of famers for me, they're Hall of famers
for their family, they're Hall of famers for everybody. They're
even Hall of famers for the Yukon haters. That's one
thing they can all agree on. You know, they're they're
Olympian Hall of Fame famers, they're w NBA Hall of famers,
they're college Hall of famers, they're Hall of famers as people,
(19:51):
most of them.
Speaker 6 (19:53):
I'm going to our right, Ben, if you could raise
your Handsel coach can see.
Speaker 19 (19:55):
You're been picking with the athletic. You know, Don was
in here earlier and she met that she wants or
she hopes that college basketball would have its own TV
deal to determine its worth. I guess where do you
stand on? Who said that down about the meteorites deal?
Speaker 18 (20:12):
Oh, the women's basketball should have their own Yeah, yeah,
I thought they were. I thought they were doing stuff
like that. I thought they were trying to spin it off.
I don't know where that got, and it probably didn't
get as far as maybe it could have. But we
talk about that all the time, and we also, Uh,
(20:32):
it's funny because we talk about it in in in
our league. You know, we talk about it as as
you can. You know, how do we how do we
get more value for our brand? Is it worth more
than if you put it into collectively a bunch of
other stuff. So it's worth it, It's worth exploring.
Speaker 13 (20:52):
I think.
Speaker 18 (20:55):
When you put it out there, you're gonna have to
be ready for it. Maybe smaller than you think, and
it may be three times larger than you think. So
it's best to find out right instead of just keep wondering. So, yeah,
I would think that would be fantastic in the States.
Speaker 20 (21:14):
To the center of the room, coach, Hey, you know,
Matt Baker with the athletic another kind of big picture question,
but revenue sharing probably going to be finalized and signed
off on here in the next couple of days or weeks.
What sort of impact do you expect that to have
on your game and the types of programs that are
able to compete From women's final.
Speaker 18 (21:30):
Fours, well, it all ruin parody, that's number one.
Speaker 13 (21:38):
I mean, I'm for revenue sharing. There will be.
Speaker 18 (21:46):
Less parody in the game of basketball. If you look
at right now, there's less parody happening every year in
men's basketball. People talk about the football twelve schools, it's
the same four in the final four, seems like every year.
And as the money now drives it, there's gonna be
(22:07):
less people that have that kind of money. There's gonna
be less of them. They're gonna want to give it
to women's basketball. So if the number of teams that
could win the national championship when it was US in
Tennessee and everybody wanted anybody to win other than Yukon
and Tennessee, and then it kind of stretched to kind
(22:28):
of stretch. The kind of stretch. Now you look at
the landscape today and it still a lot of the
same teams, but there's a lot more vying for that
spot in the final four. Well, now that's all gonna
go away. Now it'll become like college football where in
every conference and it's the conference to get bigger, think
(22:51):
about it, it's eighteen teams in it in the Big
Ten for now. Okay, I would venture to say eight
of those teams will never get to championship game in
any sport that I'm talking about, basketball, football, men's basketball.
Speaker 13 (23:05):
Maybe.
Speaker 18 (23:06):
So when you do, when you do those kind of
things and it's money driven, it's going to be who's
going to become the Dodgers and the Yankees and how
many of those are you going to have? And how
many other programs in women's basketball are going to be
Milwaukee and Kansas City because that's where we're headed. And
(23:27):
don't believe this twenty point five million salary cap. See
the thing in the NBA if you go over to
salary cap, there's a huge tax.
Speaker 13 (23:36):
There's a salary.
Speaker 18 (23:37):
Cap in revenue sharing in sports in college, you think
anybody in their right mind is going to stick to
twenty point five. That might be what's on the books,
but that ain't going to be the final number. And
there's nobody out there looking around to collect taxes on that.
Speaker 6 (23:55):
Coach, You're going to go to our right, Can.
Speaker 13 (23:58):
We play at UCLA? They're really good? Start to throw
that in.
Speaker 21 (24:05):
Hey, coach t Baker with the next when you Caitlyn
Chen obviously had a great ELITEA and when you think
about what she's brought all season, what has been the
different the biggest difference she's brought to the team and
what gap has she filled in the roster?
Speaker 18 (24:18):
Maturity, experience, you know, things that we obviously lost when
when Nica graduated. She's a different player than Nika, different personality,
approaches things differently, different skill set, but in.
Speaker 13 (24:41):
What we needed for this particular.
Speaker 18 (24:43):
Team, I think she's been the perfect edition. Obviously, Sarah
Strong was the biggest addition. I think Caitlyn Chen was
the perfect addition for what this team needed at the
position that we needed it. And so you saw the
(25:05):
other night in that game. Why was worth bringing her in?
And I have had a blast coaching her.
Speaker 6 (25:14):
I mean, go to the second row on our left.
Speaker 18 (25:18):
Contrary to I, really students, they do have a sense
of humor.
Speaker 22 (25:23):
Hi, I'm Stephanie from eSPI Nation. There have been a
few players not from yukon this tournament run who have
expressed they've come from traumatic or toxic environments to other schools.
You have a wealth of coaching experience and you obviously
have players for decades that adore you. What do coaches like?
What do coaches need to do better?
Speaker 18 (25:46):
And oh man, even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you.
I mean I could share when I can't share that much.
I just think this incredible pressure to win and the
pressure to your question about revenue sharing, the pressure to
(26:06):
win is only going to get greater. You mean, I'm
paying you guys, and this is what I got to watch.
Somebody's getting fired, So the pressure's immense. It's only going
to get more pressure packed. So how do you react
under pressure. Well, if you've been there and done that,
(26:27):
you're secure. You just stay the course and say this
is what we do. And if you don't like it, tough.
If you're young and you're trying to make a name
for yourself and you're like close or not quite there,
well I can buy a team. It's better than recruiting one.
I gotta wait forever for them to get better. I
just go and buy a team. Well, now the kids
(26:48):
all know they came to your school to get paid.
And when everybody's getting paid and they find out who's
getting paid what. And the animosity now between coaches and players.
You know it used to be, you know, players didn't
like the fact that coaches had all the power. Well,
now coaches hate the fact that players have all the power.
(27:10):
Players on the team hate each other because of what
one is getting the other one's not getting. And all
of a sudden, nobody's coming there to win a national championship.
They're coming there to build their brand, to make their money.
And oh, by the way, if we get to the
final four, wouldn't it be cool? Does that happen in
every program? Hell No, I'll bet you ninety percent of
the programs in America that's not the case. But the
(27:32):
ones you're talking about, that's exactly the case.
Speaker 6 (27:36):
Take a final question from the back, shehent tell if
you gree you hand hate you know chanton Jennings with
the Athletic and Spokane.
Speaker 23 (27:42):
You said that page has a little bit of Diana
in her. I was hoping you could expand on that.
What about her honor off the court reminds you the
most of d.
Speaker 18 (27:53):
Obviously there's a lot of similarities and there's so many
differences as well. They in the best sense of the word.
Number one, they are both exceptional con artists. They can
spin things so that it goes their way about ninety
(28:16):
nine point nine percent of the time. So they live
in that world, which I admire that because winners do that,
they have to be right, they have to be the top,
they have to be unchallenged. So they've got that going
(28:37):
for them. They're both extremely outgoing. They both enjoy other
people's company. They're accommodating to other people. They're respectful, they're
great team players. They're both generous to their teammates, both
on the court off the court. They have a flair
(28:59):
for the moment. They can summon up something that's needed
at the time when it's exactly needed. They take responsibility
for what happens. They're not afraid of the criticism that
might come if they fail. And I don't think anybody
(29:25):
loves being in the gym more than those two. And
if you ask them, where's their happy place? And they
could be any place in the world at any time,
they would tell you in a gym by myself doing
what I love to do. And that's the best way
I can describe both.
Speaker 13 (29:44):
Of them in how do how do they compare? Now?
Speaker 18 (29:48):
How are they? How are they different? That would be
a whole different press conference.
Speaker 6 (29:54):
Want to thank you for your time today, coach.
Speaker 13 (29:56):
Thank you.
Speaker 6 (29:58):
A reminder for those in the room that the locker
room for Yukon is still open until two ten pm.
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Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
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