UVA Coach Tina Thompson Quotes

Opening Statement:

“To say this was a tough game for us this afternoon was an understatement. I mean, I’ve been a part of the game for a long time and played in a whole lot of games. I don’t think that I’ve ever been a part of a game where a team shoots more free throws than actual field goals attempted. In a game like that, it’s just gonna be very difficult for a team to find a rhythm as much as we try to adjust defensively. I am proud of the fact that my kids continued to fight. We just had a really tough battle in a sense that as physical as we are, and as much as we go inside, to have a 20 Free throw deficit, it’s just I’ve just never seen it. I’m really disappointed.”

On players trying to navigate foul trouble

“Cameron is a physical player. So in a game where she’s not necessarily allowed to be herself, then we have to be smart and strategic about it and not put her in a position where she’s gonna get fouls, and we don’t have her for the rest of the game. The same thing with Amandine. It’s really hard to find a rhythm or even a group to go in there that wasn’t in foul trouble. I mean, at halftime, I think we had six or seven of our kids that had at least two fouls. Just a tough circumstance to be in. Like I said, I’ve never seen it. I’ve never seen a team shoot more free throws and they did feel goals and a 44 in a game is just pretty unbelievable.

On being encouraged by fighting for a halftime lead

Well, we’re gonna stay encouraged. Each time out, we want to get better and improve and be more of a cohesive group. That’s our plan. We have to work on our execution as well as our schemes defensively. Not to make excuses, but the reality is, I actually saw a stat I think it was on Wahoops that when we went our game against Fullerton, it was the first time that we had won in like 600 and 35 or 36 days, so it kind of puts in perspective for the kids that didn’t play a season ago how long they’ve been away from basketball. So games like this are pretty frustrating. When you feel like you kind of have a rhythm and you’re getting going but the whistle is just constant. No excuses. We have to make adjustments and go with the flow of the game. It just seemed very one-sided tonight.

Junior forward Camryn Taylor

On the frustration of all of the free throws

Yeah, it was a lot of frustration out there because of the whistle blowing every single time and it’s just trying to battle and play with the pressure they were getting on defense and things like that. They kind of got in our heads a little bit but you know, after a while we knew okay, this is how the game is gonna go. Every game has some personality. So we knew that like whatever, forget it. That’s over with. When we can we can’t control the incontrollable so we need to keep going.  It does get frustrating, especially when they come out in the second half like they did.

On the frustration of losing this game after winning on Tuesday

It is frustrating when we do work hard. We’re scouting, we’re looking for watching film, things like that. And I think that as a team, we just got to keep our heads up, keep doing what we can, working hard every day pushing each other hold each other accountable. Everybody makes mistakes and you have to be comfortable with making those mistakes as a team as a group individually, so just not getting as frustrated so fast. When things don’t go our way because we’re expected to do this are expected to do that. Kind of have to leave those expectations at the door and keep going hard every single day.

 

Virginia Player Quotes

 Guard Kaydan Lawson 

On her contributions coming off of the bench:

“Coming off the bench I definitely saw that offensively we needed to have more composure and slow down and see what USC was presenting defensively. Defensively, for us, I know just being in the gaps, helping our teammates, especially down in the post and knowing the schemes of our defense, that’s what we needed to do. That’s what I tried to contribute coming off of the bench.”

Forward London Clarkson

On how she looks to lead the team going forward:

“For me that means coming into practice tomorrow with a good attitude and good energy. I think we can learn a lot from this game. Watching film, going over our plays, being ready, and being better for tomorrow. Like she [Head coach Tina Thompson] said, she’s giving us this time to really think about it. Tomorrow we’ve got to be ready. We’ve got to be better. I have got to be leading by example.”