University of Connecticut Athletics
UConn-ECU Postgame Quotes
2/6/2019 10:16:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Head Coach Geno Auriemma
On getting players to recover from slumps:
"If you put yourself out there and start playing basketball, things have a way of working out. I always say that if we're shooting free throws poorly, we might go a week and not shoot any free throws at all during practice because all you're doing is practicing missing, and you're already in a bad frame of mind. And then all of a sudden, [the free throws] start going in. You have to be a basketball player, not a basketball shooter. A lot of our guys tonight played basketball instead of just standing around waiting for a shot, Lou especially."
On resting players:
"I want to be fair, I want Lou and Crystal and Napheesa to get the minutes they need to stay sharp, and at the same time, I want to see if we can get anything out of anyone else because down the road, that might be a big factor. I don't think they need a breather because they're tired. I think what they need is to be able to sit down on the bench and look at the game and see some things that they can't see from being out there. That is the biggest benefit of not being out on the court nonstop."
On Crystal's improvement:
"She's starting to understand how valuable it is to get shots for her teammates in addition to whatever shots she can get."
On emphasizing passing:
"If you make that extra pass to that guy in the corner and that guy makes an open three, you're going to feel great that you made that extra pass, and the guy that made it is going to feel great that you passed to him. Or you could feel great because you got a bucket when we're up 80. You'd be surprised how many kids would rather get a bucket when we're up 80."
Senior Forward Napheesa Collier
On going 10-for-10 from the field:
"I didn't even know I was 10 for 10 until after the game but I thought we all played very well tonight."
On her team's play:
"We have been trying to focus on maybe passing up a good shot to get someone else a great shot. I have been trying to be a great teammate and get the ball to my teammates so they can knock it down."
Senior Guard Katie Lou Samuelson
On her play tonight:
"I think the biggest thing for me is getting myself involved in other ways. That's the best way for me to get out of a shooting slump is to just get more involved."
On the play of the bench:
"They did awesome tonight. They played great in the first half and there was no let down at all when they came in so I thought that was very positive. This is also a great way for them to gain confidence and build on that."
