Post Game Press Conference vs Miami

Virginia Head Coach Tina Thompson

Opening Statement:

“Really tough first quarter. It seems to be the story of the game as hard as we worked, as well as we played in the second, third, and fourth. That hole we dug for us in the first quarter was just insurmountable. It just wasn’t something we could dig our way out of and anytime you start the game down 17 the effort that you have to give in order to get back in the game is just too much and we just ran out of time.”

On Mir McLean’s impact on the team:

“It’s been instantaneous. She found out her first game that she was eligible to play at shoot around and in her first game, she was impactful. Her energy and her effort is something that we need, we need a lot more of that. I think that she compliments her teammates very well. She’ll definitely look a lot different when she has a little bit more time. But the fact that with not knowing very many plays or even being completely familiar with her teammates she finds a way to make positive things happen.”

Guard Taylor Valladay

On how she and the team looked to get into rhythm after the first quarter:

“One of the things that I communicated with my team was that it wasn’t okay. I think once they got the rhythm and got the message that I sent him about turning it around and fixing what needed to be fixed, I think that we had a different mentality going into the second quarter and also the third. So just the communication with my teammates inspires what we needed to do to be better in the second half.”