April 2, 2025 • 23 mins
Coach Auriemma, Paige Bueckers, Sarah Strong & Kaitlyn Chen on the podium after the Huskies win the Spokane 4 regional Monday over USC
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
We welcome the Yukon representatives to the stage. Coach Ori,
Emma Page, Becker's Sarah Strong and Kitlyn Chen, And we'll
go ahead and ask coach to make a brief opening statement,
and then we'll turn over to questions for Yukon student athletes.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Sorry, well, obviously, these these games are really, really, really hard.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
There was.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Just so much going on in the game that both
teams I think, had to had to struggle through. And
as we said, there's there's a way that you win
these games, and generally speaking, they are you know, in
(01:02):
the backs of one or two particular players that are
going to put the team on their backs and get
us to the next level, to get us to the
final four. And obviously Sarah and and and Paige both
did that tonight in their own way, and you couldn't
(01:24):
ask any more of them. You know, they both played
forty minutes and they both played their hearts out. But
like anything else, you know, somebody else has to step up.
And I thought Caitlin was fantastic tonight, probably more than anything.
You know, I'm really proud of of her because she
left you know, college, took a chance. You know, I
(01:48):
want to go to the final four. I want to
try to play for a national championship, and I'm glad
that we're able to provide the opportunity for her. So
these three guys deserve all the credit that you want
to give them, and obviously we would be going home
without the three of them.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Questions for Ukon student athletes in.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
You seem to have just the in a ability to
know exactly when your team needs you kind of take
over for a little bit. I'm curious if you felt
that in the beginning of the fourth quarter when you
kind of went on a little mini run, and then
sort of where that instinct developed.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
I think just playing a lot of basketball, getting a
lot of reps at it, having a great team that
has so much confidence in you, a coaching staff that
has so much confidence in you and just builds you
up so you feel confident in these moments. But none
of it would happen without the team and everything that
goes into a performance. So just trying to read what
(02:56):
the game is calling for with the what we need
at that moment at that time, whether it's passing, rebounding, scoring,
just trying to do whatever it takes a win.
Speaker 5 (03:13):
Antiam or USA today sports page. How would do you
compare this team to the other Final four teams that
you've been a part of, and what do you think
you've learned from those previous trips that can help you
all this time around.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
I would say this team is a little bit younger,
just in terms of our most experienced guys are at
times sophomores on the court, So we're pretty young in
that way. But we got a whole lot of heart
and a whole lot of toughness about us, and we
played together as a team. We're super well connected. I
feel like every team that I've played on we've been
super well connected. But just the way we've been through
(03:49):
so much adversity as individuals, as a team, and how
much it's brought us together, how much it's made us stronger.
And what was the second part of your question?
Speaker 6 (03:58):
What lessons.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
You know? Just taking it one possession at a time.
The possession you're in is the most important possession of
the season, not getting too caught up in what if that,
what if this? Just staying president, staying in a moment,
not worrying about the pressures or the stakes, cause everybody's
dealing with it. Everybody's there to win a national title,
and nobody's there on accident. Everybody there is elite and
(04:25):
great and therefore reason So just sticking to being in
a moment, staying present, and capitalizing off of everything.
Speaker 7 (04:37):
Kaitlyn oh Liam Bradford with the Argonaut at the University
of Idaho. Caitlin, you kind of stepped into a bigger
role defensively in these two games. UH played a big
role as an on ball defender. How do you feel
the team's defense, Uh, The pressure, specifically on the perimeter,
played into your wins against both Oklahoma and tonight.
Speaker 6 (04:59):
I feel that's something we always put an emphasis on.
We're always talking about on ball pressure, and the more
on ball pressure we have, the better our defense is.
And I feel like our coaches prepare us very well
for both of these games, and we were locked in
defensively for most of the game.
Speaker 8 (05:23):
Hi, Caitlin Allisonsmith for Forbes dot Com. As a transfer
coming into this program, I was wondering if you could
talk about what this experience means for you to be
going to the Final four and to have this moment.
Speaker 6 (05:37):
It's been an incredible experience so far. Honestly, I never
thought I would make it to a final four. But
here I am. But that's all the all the credit
goes to my coaches and my teammates because we wouldn't
be here without them, all right.
Speaker 9 (06:08):
It's another another one for Kaitlin. Kaitlin Mary response with
the La Daily News. I wonder when you were a
little flinchage prep kind of dominating on the very small
school circuit, were you perhaps a Yukon fan and or
and and could you have conceived of this?
Speaker 6 (06:23):
Then?
Speaker 4 (06:26):
Yes?
Speaker 6 (06:27):
And no? You want to clify, well, yes, I was
a Yukon fan. I remember watching them play at U
c l a uh sometime in my high school years.
But and what was the second question?
Speaker 9 (06:49):
You could have you pictured being part of this program
headed to the final four?
Speaker 1 (06:54):
No, sure, that's sweet.
Speaker 10 (07:15):
Chantle Jennings with the athletic Caitlin and Sarah. I'm curious
for the two of you. This is a program where
you go to the final four. A lot of people
don't get to do that. Coach became the winningest coach
in college basketball this year. Not a lot of people
get to be on a team where that happens. But
it's Yukon, so it's also sort of par for the course,
here's how you sort of process this coming from high
school and the IVY League, like going into these historic moments,
(07:39):
but also treating them quite normally.
Speaker 6 (07:44):
Honestly, I feel like I've relied on my teammates a
lot throughout this whole process. A lot of them have
experienced this and deep runs in the NCAA tournament and
just sort of looking towards them for guidance. And they're
always so composed throughout the whole tournament, So just sort
of fit in and stay on part with them.
Speaker 9 (08:02):
I'll say the same relying on my teammates.
Speaker 4 (08:03):
I mean, they've been here before and they know what
to expect, so just following them.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
More questions. All right, we'll dismiss the student athletes and
come back for questions for coach.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
You.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Locker rooms open for thirteen more minutes.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Thank you. Questions for coach Oriana.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Yeah, Eden, Lassie hoops HQ Hi over here. When I
talked to you in the opening round, you said the
best that Sarah had ever played was in the third
quarter of the biggest championship game. Has that changed after tonight?
And what did you see out of her then? Impressed you?
Speaker 1 (08:59):
Uh m hm.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (09:06):
I I.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Yeah, I thought that stretching the Big East Tournament was
pretty special. And it's ironic that, you know, everything she
did tonight was was pretty special. However, there's mhm, there's
(09:31):
there's there's usually I don't include Page in this too,
but not much surprises me. Not much that Sarah does
makes me go wow, I didn't know she could do that.
Maybe I'm just so high on her that there's stuff
(09:55):
that I saw her do in high school that I
just closed my eyes and thought, wow, Well, if you
transfer this to college, I don't think anybody is going
to be able to handle that, because nobody has anybody
that has the skill set this she has. So we
made a concerted effort to get her to ball and
get her to ball early tonight for that reason. We
(10:18):
know it was going to be tough on Page early
on in the game. But Sarah impacts the game in
so many ways that sure, you just had so much
confidence in her, so much belief in her.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
I don't I can't explain it.
Speaker 10 (10:41):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 5 (10:46):
Nancy ammeryo, say today sports do you I'll ask you
the same question that I asked Paige. How do you
think this team is different from the other Page teams
that you've taken to the final four, and what do
you think those runs are those experiences have taught her
and your other players who are returning or or that
can help them this time around.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
If you if you look at our roster, you know
Paige has has missed an entire season and missed an
opportunity to go to the Final four. Asies missed an
entire season and then some and missed an opportunity to go.
(11:33):
You know, Caroline du charm who's on our team, has
missed opportunities. Aubrey with her injuries, has missed opportunities. I
really believe that, as Page said, having gone through all
those things and our team having to overcome all those
(11:58):
issues as in the viduals they had to overcome them.
And then as a team, how do we get there
with only five or six players? How do we get
there when everybody's got to play forty minutes?
Speaker 1 (12:08):
How do we get there?
Speaker 2 (12:09):
You know, in spite of everything, it has toughened us
up a little bit, and it has made us a
little stronger individually and collectively believe in each other a
little bit more. Maybe I think the confidence that we
have in Page and Sarah specifically makes everybody on our team.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
Feel really, really really.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Assured that I just have to I just have to
do my part and it'll be good enough. But every
journey is different, Every team that goes to the final
four of you kind is different. Every kid's you know,
opportunity is different. They get to write their own unique story.
(13:02):
I at some point, you know, I'm just along for
the ride, because it's really really on their shoulders that
all this happens.
Speaker 11 (13:17):
G know, just a little clarity, I know you guys
haven't cut down the nets for final four or to
go to the Final four for a while.
Speaker 8 (13:22):
Is it since two thousand and eight? Is that correct?
Does that sound right?
Speaker 7 (13:26):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (13:26):
I don't even know when it was that we've done it.
I don't remember doing it, to be honest with you.
We asked the players one time. I think that's how
it happened. We asked the players all the time. You know,
they bring out a louder you guys want to cut
down that's and they always said no, So we never
(13:46):
asked them anymore.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
We just didn't.
Speaker 10 (13:49):
Just saving it for Tampa.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
Yeah, I mean we've cut down a bunch of those and.
Speaker 11 (13:56):
Then seventeen of the or sixteen of the last seventeen
U NCAA tournaments. You've made it to the final four.
Just what do you have to say about that impressive run?
Speaker 6 (14:07):
Yeah, yeah, I it's it's.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Sometimes I've used this before. I said, there's Disneyland, there's
a Disney World, and then there's Yukon World. These are
fantasy numbers that make no sense. It's not you. You
You couldn't. You couldn't predict this and you couldn't script
(14:36):
this at all.
Speaker 6 (14:38):
It's Uh.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
We weren't in the final four a couple of years ago,
for the first time since two thousand and eight, we
weren't in the final four. And I went to the
men's final four, our men's final four, and they want
to ask a championship. And I thought, man, this is
what I've been missing all those years. It was so
much fun. It was unbelievable, no stress, just watching other
(15:10):
coaches lose their mind.
Speaker 6 (15:12):
Right.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
I got to hear what fans say up in the stands,
even about the number one team in the country, and
I thought, man, people are brutal, and I realized I
missed it. I missed the opportunity to compete for a
national championship, and when you go all the time, you
have to work really hard to make sure you don't
get numb to it that this.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Is what we do.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
It's so hard to do. Even today. We got up
nineteen at one time and people probably thought we're going
to win by thirty five. It's not supposed to be
like that. It's supposed to be hard. This is really
really hard. And I give a lot of credit to
USC for what they were able to do given what
they had to endure. You know, with Juju, it's not easy.
(15:59):
I've been there, and I thought some of their kids
stepped up and were terrific. Unfortunately, some of that stuff
catches up to you because at this point in the
in the year, somebody like Juju would have been needed
to carry them over to hump like we have page.
So I have a lot of respect for their coaching
(16:21):
staff and their team, and they could have easily just
rolled over when we got up nineteen. Instead they foll
back and I think cut it to six. That says
a lot about them. And you know, and we had
the show some great.
Speaker 12 (16:42):
Kevin Pelton ESPN dot com. How important was it you
get to get easy going in the fourth quarter after
she was struggling with her shot and the opening three.
I think on the opening position in the fourth quarter,
was that kind of designed in the huddle to try
to accomplish that.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Yeah, I was gonna be like this, I'm gonna give
her one more chance and then that's it.
Speaker 7 (16:59):
Help with her.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
I think you got to believe in your players, you know,
you have to kind of feel like at some point
all we need is want of them to go and
then something good can happen. And as I was drawing
it up, you know, it dawned on me maybe maybe
you should put Page in that spot, and I thought, nah,
let's give it a shot, you know, let's see what
this could be the one, you know, and that's a
(17:26):
big shot by her. That was, you know, after having
missed all of the other ones. That was a big
shot by her. And then another one and so took
a hunch and ran with it. It was big, really big.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
We have time for two more questions.
Speaker 10 (17:46):
Chantle Jennings with the Athletic Gino. Paige was asked the
other day where she thinks she stands among your favorite
Yukon players, and she said, somewhere between one and a thousand.
I'm just curious though, over the last five years, you
guys have spent a lot of time together. Obviously, not
where does she stand in that ranking for you, but
how does she or how has she changed you at
(18:08):
this point in your career.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
I think she's thinking very highly of herself. If it's
one in a thousand, I would say maybe somewhere between
five and a thousand, because we we we've had a
relationship since she got to Connecticut that is based on
(18:34):
I trust her to always do what I always I
trust page to do the right thing, ever since her
freshman year. I trust her to always do the right thing.
After she's tried all the shit she wants to do,
then she'll finally do the right thing. But I trust
(18:57):
that she believes in herself so much much. She just
is the most incredibly positive human being I've ever been around.
She always takes the absolute highest view of what can happen,
and no matter what anybody points out to her, no
matter like when she was sitting up here, I pointed
(19:19):
to her four turnovers, I said what was that? And
she immediately went to the next column and she said, look,
I got it back. Though I got four steals like
That's her mentality is always this is what I did
to help us when I'm not worried about what the
other stuff was. And I've admired that in her forever,
that she believes in herself, whether you believe in her
(19:42):
or not. And I happen to believe in her, you know,
one hundred thousand percent. And I feel for her too,
because I don't think I've ever coached someone in this
generation where they have to deal with the this type
of scrutiny and pressure that comes from the world that
(20:04):
they live in. She's the first one. The other guys
were able to kind of navigate it, you know, it
was there was pressure, but not like there is today.
So for her to get all the attention she gets,
have all the demands on her life, all the expectations
in her life, and still be able to deliver I
(20:31):
she had. She I thought she was a unique individual
when I saw her in high school, and she's she's
very unique. So she's now between one in a thousand.
When I say unique, I think she's closer to one
or two or three most unique players I've ever I've
ever coached. And I'm really going to miss her I
(20:54):
can't say that.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
One last question for coach.
Speaker 7 (21:02):
Coach Liam Bradford with the Argonaut at the University of Idaho.
It's clear you have a great relationship with Page. This
was a great scoring weekend for her, consisting of multiple
significant scoring runs. You've touched on the depth of this team,
but despite this being a considerably deep roster, how valuable
is it going into the final four that you have
(21:23):
a player that can really take over and take the
game out of the other team's hands.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
You're not going to win without it, you you well,
first of all, you wouldn't get there without it. Without
that h thing where one player you know this case,
you know Page and Sarah. Without those two players playing
to the level that they're playing at, you wouldn't. You
wouldn't get to the final four. You know the question
(21:53):
about fifteen or however many final fours out of the
last sixteen? Is that what you said? Out of the
last sixteen, sixteen out of seventeen. Our team and our
program got us to the regionals thirty sometimes. But I
probably could sit here if we had enough time and
(22:13):
name you the one or two. Well, some years we
had three or four players that stand up during this
weekend and get you to the national championship game. So
if we don't have if you don't have those players,
you're not going anywhere. And then once you get there,
if those guys don't play great, you're not going to win.
You'll be done after the first game. So as good
(22:34):
as your team is, as deep as your team is
you think it is, as much you know as you
think you have, there's at least two right here that
if they don't play great next Friday night, we're not
going to win. So if you said those two aren't
going to play, there's no reason to get on the plane.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
And because if you.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
Don't have guys like that, you don't have a shot.
But we do have those two, and they've proven that
they will play like that in the biggest games. So yeah,
I'm pretty confident in that, and so were the other players.
Thank you, coach, Thanks everybody.
We welcome the Yukon representatives to the stage. Coach Ori,
Emma Page, Becker's Sarah Strong and Kitlyn Chen, And we'll
go ahead and ask coach to make a brief opening statement,
and then we'll turn over to questions for Yukon student athletes.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Sorry, well, obviously, these these games are really, really, really hard.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
There was.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Just so much going on in the game that both
teams I think, had to had to struggle through. And
as we said, there's there's a way that you win
these games, and generally speaking, they are you know, in
(01:02):
the backs of one or two particular players that are
going to put the team on their backs and get
us to the next level, to get us to the
final four. And obviously Sarah and and and Paige both
did that tonight in their own way, and you couldn't
(01:24):
ask any more of them. You know, they both played
forty minutes and they both played their hearts out. But
like anything else, you know, somebody else has to step up.
And I thought Caitlin was fantastic tonight, probably more than anything.
You know, I'm really proud of of her because she
left you know, college, took a chance. You know, I
(01:48):
want to go to the final four. I want to
try to play for a national championship, and I'm glad
that we're able to provide the opportunity for her. So
these three guys deserve all the credit that you want
to give them, and obviously we would be going home
without the three of them.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Questions for Ukon student athletes in.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
You seem to have just the in a ability to
know exactly when your team needs you kind of take
over for a little bit. I'm curious if you felt
that in the beginning of the fourth quarter when you
kind of went on a little mini run, and then
sort of where that instinct developed.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
I think just playing a lot of basketball, getting a
lot of reps at it, having a great team that
has so much confidence in you, a coaching staff that
has so much confidence in you and just builds you
up so you feel confident in these moments. But none
of it would happen without the team and everything that
goes into a performance. So just trying to read what
(02:56):
the game is calling for with the what we need
at that moment at that time, whether it's passing, rebounding, scoring,
just trying to do whatever it takes a win.
Speaker 5 (03:13):
Antiam or USA today sports page. How would do you
compare this team to the other Final four teams that
you've been a part of, and what do you think
you've learned from those previous trips that can help you
all this time around.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
I would say this team is a little bit younger,
just in terms of our most experienced guys are at
times sophomores on the court, So we're pretty young in
that way. But we got a whole lot of heart
and a whole lot of toughness about us, and we
played together as a team. We're super well connected. I
feel like every team that I've played on we've been
super well connected. But just the way we've been through
(03:49):
so much adversity as individuals, as a team, and how
much it's brought us together, how much it's made us stronger.
And what was the second part of your question?
Speaker 6 (03:58):
What lessons.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
You know? Just taking it one possession at a time.
The possession you're in is the most important possession of
the season, not getting too caught up in what if that,
what if this? Just staying president, staying in a moment,
not worrying about the pressures or the stakes, cause everybody's
dealing with it. Everybody's there to win a national title,
and nobody's there on accident. Everybody there is elite and
(04:25):
great and therefore reason So just sticking to being in
a moment, staying present, and capitalizing off of everything.
Speaker 7 (04:37):
Kaitlyn oh Liam Bradford with the Argonaut at the University
of Idaho. Caitlin, you kind of stepped into a bigger
role defensively in these two games. UH played a big
role as an on ball defender. How do you feel
the team's defense, Uh, The pressure, specifically on the perimeter,
played into your wins against both Oklahoma and tonight.
Speaker 6 (04:59):
I feel that's something we always put an emphasis on.
We're always talking about on ball pressure, and the more
on ball pressure we have, the better our defense is.
And I feel like our coaches prepare us very well
for both of these games, and we were locked in
defensively for most of the game.
Speaker 8 (05:23):
Hi, Caitlin Allisonsmith for Forbes dot Com. As a transfer
coming into this program, I was wondering if you could
talk about what this experience means for you to be
going to the Final four and to have this moment.
Speaker 6 (05:37):
It's been an incredible experience so far. Honestly, I never
thought I would make it to a final four. But
here I am. But that's all the all the credit
goes to my coaches and my teammates because we wouldn't
be here without them, all right.
Speaker 9 (06:08):
It's another another one for Kaitlin. Kaitlin Mary response with
the La Daily News. I wonder when you were a
little flinchage prep kind of dominating on the very small
school circuit, were you perhaps a Yukon fan and or
and and could you have conceived of this?
Speaker 6 (06:23):
Then?
Speaker 4 (06:26):
Yes?
Speaker 6 (06:27):
And no? You want to clify, well, yes, I was
a Yukon fan. I remember watching them play at U
c l a uh sometime in my high school years.
But and what was the second question?
Speaker 9 (06:49):
You could have you pictured being part of this program
headed to the final four?
Speaker 1 (06:54):
No, sure, that's sweet.
Speaker 10 (07:15):
Chantle Jennings with the athletic Caitlin and Sarah. I'm curious
for the two of you. This is a program where
you go to the final four. A lot of people
don't get to do that. Coach became the winningest coach
in college basketball this year. Not a lot of people
get to be on a team where that happens. But
it's Yukon, so it's also sort of par for the course,
here's how you sort of process this coming from high
school and the IVY League, like going into these historic moments,
(07:39):
but also treating them quite normally.
Speaker 6 (07:44):
Honestly, I feel like I've relied on my teammates a
lot throughout this whole process. A lot of them have
experienced this and deep runs in the NCAA tournament and
just sort of looking towards them for guidance. And they're
always so composed throughout the whole tournament, So just sort
of fit in and stay on part with them.
Speaker 9 (08:02):
I'll say the same relying on my teammates.
Speaker 4 (08:03):
I mean, they've been here before and they know what
to expect, so just following them.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
More questions. All right, we'll dismiss the student athletes and
come back for questions for coach.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
You.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Locker rooms open for thirteen more minutes.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Thank you. Questions for coach Oriana.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Yeah, Eden, Lassie hoops HQ Hi over here. When I
talked to you in the opening round, you said the
best that Sarah had ever played was in the third
quarter of the biggest championship game. Has that changed after tonight?
And what did you see out of her then? Impressed you?
Speaker 1 (08:59):
Uh m hm.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (09:06):
I I.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Yeah, I thought that stretching the Big East Tournament was
pretty special. And it's ironic that, you know, everything she
did tonight was was pretty special. However, there's mhm, there's
(09:31):
there's there's usually I don't include Page in this too,
but not much surprises me. Not much that Sarah does
makes me go wow, I didn't know she could do that.
Maybe I'm just so high on her that there's stuff
(09:55):
that I saw her do in high school that I
just closed my eyes and thought, wow, Well, if you
transfer this to college, I don't think anybody is going
to be able to handle that, because nobody has anybody
that has the skill set this she has. So we
made a concerted effort to get her to ball and
get her to ball early tonight for that reason. We
(10:18):
know it was going to be tough on Page early
on in the game. But Sarah impacts the game in
so many ways that sure, you just had so much
confidence in her, so much belief in her.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
I don't I can't explain it.
Speaker 10 (10:41):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 5 (10:46):
Nancy ammeryo, say today sports do you I'll ask you
the same question that I asked Paige. How do you
think this team is different from the other Page teams
that you've taken to the final four, and what do
you think those runs are those experiences have taught her
and your other players who are returning or or that
can help them this time around.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
If you if you look at our roster, you know
Paige has has missed an entire season and missed an
opportunity to go to the Final four. Asies missed an
entire season and then some and missed an opportunity to go.
(11:33):
You know, Caroline du charm who's on our team, has
missed opportunities. Aubrey with her injuries, has missed opportunities. I
really believe that, as Page said, having gone through all
those things and our team having to overcome all those
(11:58):
issues as in the viduals they had to overcome them.
And then as a team, how do we get there
with only five or six players? How do we get
there when everybody's got to play forty minutes?
Speaker 1 (12:08):
How do we get there?
Speaker 2 (12:09):
You know, in spite of everything, it has toughened us
up a little bit, and it has made us a
little stronger individually and collectively believe in each other a
little bit more. Maybe I think the confidence that we
have in Page and Sarah specifically makes everybody on our team.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
Feel really, really really.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Assured that I just have to I just have to
do my part and it'll be good enough. But every
journey is different, Every team that goes to the final
four of you kind is different. Every kid's you know,
opportunity is different. They get to write their own unique story.
(13:02):
I at some point, you know, I'm just along for
the ride, because it's really really on their shoulders that
all this happens.
Speaker 11 (13:17):
G know, just a little clarity, I know you guys
haven't cut down the nets for final four or to
go to the Final four for a while.
Speaker 8 (13:22):
Is it since two thousand and eight? Is that correct?
Does that sound right?
Speaker 7 (13:26):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (13:26):
I don't even know when it was that we've done it.
I don't remember doing it, to be honest with you.
We asked the players one time. I think that's how
it happened. We asked the players all the time. You know,
they bring out a louder you guys want to cut
down that's and they always said no, So we never
(13:46):
asked them anymore.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
We just didn't.
Speaker 10 (13:49):
Just saving it for Tampa.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
Yeah, I mean we've cut down a bunch of those and.
Speaker 11 (13:56):
Then seventeen of the or sixteen of the last seventeen
U NCAA tournaments. You've made it to the final four.
Just what do you have to say about that impressive run?
Speaker 6 (14:07):
Yeah, yeah, I it's it's.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Sometimes I've used this before. I said, there's Disneyland, there's
a Disney World, and then there's Yukon World. These are
fantasy numbers that make no sense. It's not you. You
You couldn't. You couldn't predict this and you couldn't script
(14:36):
this at all.
Speaker 6 (14:38):
It's Uh.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
We weren't in the final four a couple of years ago,
for the first time since two thousand and eight, we
weren't in the final four. And I went to the
men's final four, our men's final four, and they want
to ask a championship. And I thought, man, this is
what I've been missing all those years. It was so
much fun. It was unbelievable, no stress, just watching other
(15:10):
coaches lose their mind.
Speaker 6 (15:12):
Right.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
I got to hear what fans say up in the stands,
even about the number one team in the country, and
I thought, man, people are brutal, and I realized I
missed it. I missed the opportunity to compete for a
national championship, and when you go all the time, you
have to work really hard to make sure you don't
get numb to it that this.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Is what we do.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
It's so hard to do. Even today. We got up
nineteen at one time and people probably thought we're going
to win by thirty five. It's not supposed to be
like that. It's supposed to be hard. This is really
really hard. And I give a lot of credit to
USC for what they were able to do given what
they had to endure. You know, with Juju, it's not easy.
(15:59):
I've been there, and I thought some of their kids
stepped up and were terrific. Unfortunately, some of that stuff
catches up to you because at this point in the
in the year, somebody like Juju would have been needed
to carry them over to hump like we have page.
So I have a lot of respect for their coaching
(16:21):
staff and their team, and they could have easily just
rolled over when we got up nineteen. Instead they foll
back and I think cut it to six. That says
a lot about them. And you know, and we had
the show some great.
Speaker 12 (16:42):
Kevin Pelton ESPN dot com. How important was it you
get to get easy going in the fourth quarter after
she was struggling with her shot and the opening three.
I think on the opening position in the fourth quarter,
was that kind of designed in the huddle to try
to accomplish that.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Yeah, I was gonna be like this, I'm gonna give
her one more chance and then that's it.
Speaker 7 (16:59):
Help with her.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
I think you got to believe in your players, you know,
you have to kind of feel like at some point
all we need is want of them to go and
then something good can happen. And as I was drawing
it up, you know, it dawned on me maybe maybe
you should put Page in that spot, and I thought, nah,
let's give it a shot, you know, let's see what
this could be the one, you know, and that's a
(17:26):
big shot by her. That was, you know, after having
missed all of the other ones. That was a big
shot by her. And then another one and so took
a hunch and ran with it. It was big, really big.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
We have time for two more questions.
Speaker 10 (17:46):
Chantle Jennings with the Athletic Gino. Paige was asked the
other day where she thinks she stands among your favorite
Yukon players, and she said, somewhere between one and a thousand.
I'm just curious though, over the last five years, you
guys have spent a lot of time together. Obviously, not
where does she stand in that ranking for you, but
how does she or how has she changed you at
(18:08):
this point in your career.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
I think she's thinking very highly of herself. If it's
one in a thousand, I would say maybe somewhere between
five and a thousand, because we we we've had a
relationship since she got to Connecticut that is based on
(18:34):
I trust her to always do what I always I
trust page to do the right thing, ever since her
freshman year. I trust her to always do the right thing.
After she's tried all the shit she wants to do,
then she'll finally do the right thing. But I trust
(18:57):
that she believes in herself so much much. She just
is the most incredibly positive human being I've ever been around.
She always takes the absolute highest view of what can happen,
and no matter what anybody points out to her, no
matter like when she was sitting up here, I pointed
(19:19):
to her four turnovers, I said what was that? And
she immediately went to the next column and she said, look,
I got it back. Though I got four steals like
That's her mentality is always this is what I did
to help us when I'm not worried about what the
other stuff was. And I've admired that in her forever,
that she believes in herself, whether you believe in her
(19:42):
or not. And I happen to believe in her, you know,
one hundred thousand percent. And I feel for her too,
because I don't think I've ever coached someone in this
generation where they have to deal with the this type
of scrutiny and pressure that comes from the world that
(20:04):
they live in. She's the first one. The other guys
were able to kind of navigate it, you know, it
was there was pressure, but not like there is today.
So for her to get all the attention she gets,
have all the demands on her life, all the expectations
in her life, and still be able to deliver I
(20:31):
she had. She I thought she was a unique individual
when I saw her in high school, and she's she's
very unique. So she's now between one in a thousand.
When I say unique, I think she's closer to one
or two or three most unique players I've ever I've
ever coached. And I'm really going to miss her I
(20:54):
can't say that.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
One last question for coach.
Speaker 7 (21:02):
Coach Liam Bradford with the Argonaut at the University of Idaho.
It's clear you have a great relationship with Page. This
was a great scoring weekend for her, consisting of multiple
significant scoring runs. You've touched on the depth of this team,
but despite this being a considerably deep roster, how valuable
is it going into the final four that you have
(21:23):
a player that can really take over and take the
game out of the other team's hands.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
You're not going to win without it, you you well,
first of all, you wouldn't get there without it. Without
that h thing where one player you know this case,
you know Page and Sarah. Without those two players playing
to the level that they're playing at, you wouldn't. You
wouldn't get to the final four. You know the question
(21:53):
about fifteen or however many final fours out of the
last sixteen? Is that what you said? Out of the
last sixteen, sixteen out of seventeen. Our team and our
program got us to the regionals thirty sometimes. But I
probably could sit here if we had enough time and
(22:13):
name you the one or two. Well, some years we
had three or four players that stand up during this
weekend and get you to the national championship game. So
if we don't have if you don't have those players,
you're not going anywhere. And then once you get there,
if those guys don't play great, you're not going to win.
You'll be done after the first game. So as good
(22:34):
as your team is, as deep as your team is
you think it is, as much you know as you
think you have, there's at least two right here that
if they don't play great next Friday night, we're not
going to win. So if you said those two aren't
going to play, there's no reason to get on the plane.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
And because if you.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
Don't have guys like that, you don't have a shot.
But we do have those two, and they've proven that
they will play like that in the biggest games. So yeah,
I'm pretty confident in that, and so were the other players.
Thank you, coach, Thanks everybody.
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