Selection Monday Quotes
Head Coach Brenda Frese
Opening statement:
"We are just thrilled. I thought that our body of work spoke for itself. To be able to secure a No. 2 seed, accomplish everything we did this season, and play at home in front of our tremendous fans is great. Now we are ready to put in hard work and go out and play."
On the Iona Gaels:
"Unfortunately, I don't know much about them except that this they've had a great season and this is their first tournament appearance. I do know that my staff and I will be working really hard tonight to secure as much information and as much film as we can to give our team the best preparation possible."
On the team's confidence heading into tournament play:
"Our team is really confident right now, especially after winning the regular season and the Big Ten tournament. They are practicing really hard and just trying to be the most prepared team going into the tournament. Our experiences have helped us and now we are looking forward to get started."
On playing first two rounds at home:
"It's really incredible and it's special to be able to play your first two games in front of your fans. We have worked really hard to secure that home court advantage. We feed of the energy of our crowd. So it's nice that our crowd doesn't have to travel, they can come right here in their backyard."
On momentum heading into tournament play:
"You never take this for granted. In terms of getting into the tournament, being a high seed, having a consistency factor, it's really hard to do. It's always a tremendous blessing for us to be in the NCAA tournament."
On thoughts about her team:
" I love the consistency factor about our team. When you talk about what we lost last year and then what we were able to return to; I think our veterans really led the way. Going back to back years wining the Big Ten conference speaks volumes about how this team works."
On the mindset of veterans on team:
"Their mindset is all about putting the work in to win. When you understand that there is a process and you take one day, one game, one practice at a time, good things are going to happen."
On keys to playing their best:
"It's always about us and playing the Maryland way. Understanding how we rebound the ball, run in transition, and how to handle possessions and valuing the basketball during every minute of the NCAA tournament."
Redshirt Senior Brene Moseley
On Iona:
"It's good to see our hard work pay off. We are just grateful to be in the tournament at all. We have been waiting for this day to see who we are going up against. So, Iona is on our schedule and we are ready to go at it."
On thoughts about being a No. 2 seed:
"We don't really pay attention to that. That's just a number that we can't really do much about. As a program we are just thankful and we don't take anything for granted. We know who is in front of us and we have to focus to get that win."
Senior Chloe Pavlech
On playing in the Lexington Region:
" I think that the bracket is a strong bracket and we are in a really strong region overall. It's going to be tough but we just have to focus and see how that goes."
Junioe Shatori Walker-Kimbrough
On the team’s mindset heading into tournament play:
“We are just ready to play, we have been excited since the Big Ten Tournament. Not only myself, but the team, is excited to play and to just start working on the little things and ourselves. This is the moment we have been waiting for.”
On the advantage in playing two games at home:
“It is a great honor, it is just a result of our hard work. We have worked really hard not only on ourselves, but as a team to get to this moment.”
On coming off two Final Fours and if they are capable of doing it again:
“Right now the sky is the limit, we are just taking it one step at a time. So as of right now, Iona is the first step.”
Junior Brionna Jones
On the thoughts of what it means to be a No. 2 seed in the tournament:
“All the teams that enter the tournament are good teams. We are just looking forward to going out and playing Maryland basketball which is what we do best. Hopefully all our hard work pays off from the season.”
On the feeling of starting the tournament with a home court advantage:
“It feels good to play in front of the home crowd, knowing that we have their support and we will have their back. It is going to mean a lot especially in this tournament. So yeah starting off here will set us up for a great run.”
On the chemistry of the team and the role it will play:
“I think our chemistry is really great and everything is clicking. Coach Frese has said we have been playing our best basketball, which is great going into March.”
Sophomore Kristen Confroy
On what the team and Confroy are working on in this tournament run:
“For me, personally, what I know I should continue to work on is shooting threes, locking in on that will build some great confidence in the tournament. As a team we are working on just finding Brionna Jones and playing through her. She is an incredible athlete and using her to our advantage will generate great confidence in everyone else.”
On the senior class' last run and the motivation behind that:
“Definitely, this senior class is a special part of our program, and to send them out on a high note is all we want to do. Throughout the whole season we have been playing form them, and this tournament will be no different.”
Senior Tierney Pfirman
On the mindset of the team coming off two Final Fours and to enter the tournament again:
“We know what it takes to get there, and we know what we have to do in practice to focus on the little mistakes to get back to playing Maryland basketball.”
On the seeding announcement and having Brenda Frese’s family present:
“You know it is a really special moment to have her whole family here to create this family atmosphere. Then to see this special moment come and to be with the ones you love is great.”
