Post-Game Quotes vs. Valparaiso

Head Coach Suzy Merchant
About 500 wins…
Much like I said out there, I have been coaching a long time, just so you know, and I have been blessed to be at some pretty cool places. Thinking back, just standing there thinking about 500 and I think about holding the ball at Saginaw Valley in the NCAA tournament, just to have a chance to win the game and do crazy things just a little bit. Proud of all of those faces that kind of come through your mind and teams that you were part of. One thing I'll say is to get all 500 of them, I'm really blessed that all 500 of mine came in the state of Michigan where I'm from and that does not happen in our business very often. To do it here at Michigan State, growing up wanting to be a Spartan, I feel blessed and grateful for this opportunity to stand here. It was fun to see all of those little 500 signs. I actually forgot about it. I knew it was coming but I didn't know if there was going to be something or how they do all that. I just really wanted to win a game, my focus was on that. A lot of faces, a lot of memories from Saginaw Valley (State), to Eastern (Michigan), to Michigan State, and to be blessed to do it in our state means a lot.

About what was said to Nia Clouden after getting into early foul trouble…
I think (with) Nia, she had two fouls and, again, it kind of makes it hard because you don't want her to get her third. That's difficult. We have to kind of work on her with that. Great players show up first half, second half, both halves. I mean she couldn't do a lot from the bench, so when it was her opportunity to get out there (she went out there). The thing I like about Nia is it isn't just about her scoring. She had 18 and 15 (were) in the second half, but she had seven assists, she had a steal, she had nine boards. I mean, it wasn't like 'hey give me the ball and just let me take shots', she really created for other people and had some big plays for us.

About a victory that stands out to her among 500…
Well, there's one incident that I always talk about, at least at Michigan State. We had won in I think 2011, the first Big Ten title, and one of the season ticket holders who had been part of our women's basketball family for over 40-plus years, she had passed away. I had Kalisha Keane on my team and Kalisha Keane was the first Big Ten Player of the Year ever at Michigan State in women's basketball history. We won the championship and confetti is coming down, and if ever it was a night, it was senior night, we won the championship, she's the best player in the league, if ever there was a night that should be just about what she's feeling. She actually leaned over to me, put her arm around me and she's like looking up. A lot of people think she's looking up at the confetti and the banner or whatever. But she's actually looking up and wondering if - we call her Grandma Pat - wondering if Grandma Pat got to see us win that title. So as I look back, there's a million victories that you'll just feel so good about - the four overtime games, or beating Indiana last year, I mean you could go through the list, there's a lot of them - I think that it's never about the game, it's about the people in the game. To reach out and think about someone else like that I think it says a lot about the program and the kids in it.

About former players reaching out…
I don't know, that's a good question, my phone is kind of buzzing. Oh, Lexie Gussert, there you go. That's the first one. I see there's a lot of them right here. Yeah, there they are, they're all coming in now. That's good, that's what it's all about at the end of the day. You always want to win and winning matters, but it's always about the kids. It truly is. When it doesn't become about that, which in our business I think you all can look around and see there's a lot of stuff going on that makes it less about that. If you can just build a relationship with a kid, I just think that's what has always motivated someone. Like in my position, I think it's what's made (men's basketball head coach Tom) Izzo successful. When it becomes about name, image, likeness and rankings and transfer portals and all that stuff, at the end of the day, you have to create something, then a culture and a team and a program. Michigan State's a great place to do that and feel blessed and excited that I get to do another day. Hope my office works tomorrow, maybe make sure my keys work tomorrow. Maybe they said 500 is it, you're out.

Players Mentioned

Nia Clouden

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