Post-Game Quotes vs. Minnesota
1/23/2022 4:44:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Michigan State Head Coach Suzy Merchant
About consistency and the play in the fourth quarter...
Some of it is just not their fault to be honest, consistency just depends on, we have had so many players in and out. I think too, trying to figure out while people aren't playing well or foul trouble do, we go big and then move Tamara to the three or do we play another guard. We are trying to figure that out too, like if one of our guards isn't always scoring or handing the situation defensively or offensively like we think they need to, got sit them do we go big or not? But I will give Minnesota a lot of credit. I think that Lindsey did a great job. They did not play very well at their last game at home against Iowa, got beat pretty good. I would say teams can go one of two ways, you either implode and kind of quit and get discouraged or you fight, and I think that team had a lot of fight in them today. I thought they out hustled us in a lot of situations, but I thought we made some plays down the stretch for sure.
About defensive end of the ball...
That was a real sore spot for us, we gave up way too many offensive rebounds. We just, our guards aren't pursuing the ball at all especially on long shots. They kind of just stand there and so those are lose balls and if you don't go get it the other team is going to. So we just have to continue to get better at that. I thought we did a, there was times when we were really good and then there were times when we weren't. This whole game I thought there were a few possessions where I felt like we battled and perused the ball on the rebound, other times we just expected someone else to get it. Trust me, every huddle, every break that's all we talked about was we have to peruse the ball, we have to box out but we have to go get it. Credit them I thought a lot of things went their way. A lot of balls that we should have got, fumbled it, ended up in the jump ball, they ended up getting the ball back. We have to create our own breaks and to me that was very disappointing for sure.
About Nia and what she did in the fourth quarter...
I thought the whole second half I thought she cam out the second half with a different mindset. She was, her three ball was dropping she was getting to the rim, to the free throw line. We always want the ball in her hands late. I wouldn't say it bothered us because we were in the same offense and Northwestern plays nothing but zone but fir whatever reason we weren't playing the ball. I though Nia was a big part of sharing the ball in the second half and moving it and kicking of trading and kicking and creating for other people. So on top of her ability to take over like you said I also thought she did a really good job of, she knew when it was her turn to take a shot and when it was her turn to create for other people. I thought defensively she was really good today too.
About the three point shot and how Nia has improved...
She has been doing that and playing a ton of minutes but at this level if you want to play pro you cant be predictable, you need to be a three level scorer. I think that not a knock on Nia peruse that she couldn't shoot it from the arc I think right now, between last year and this year she has proven she put the work in. Wethers she gets a little flip hand off she can hit it, whether its inside out, she comes off balls screens now and can hit it a little bit. So I think the league is really the head coaches of the WNBA are watching that part of her game and they, there's no reason for her to not be a top draft pick at this point. Shes such a slasher but can she knock it down. But watching her the last couple seasons she has proved people wrong that way.
About Matilda and her constant ability...
Yeah it's interesting because Nia is a slasher that learned to shoot it where Matilda is a shooter who has learned at this level you have to be able to put it on the floor too you cant just be a solid three point shooter. I think she showed today she had pull up, she got to the rim, she penetrated and kicked. So as good of a job as she did knocking it down and taking those shots and transitioning the offense I think she also recognizes that she needs to be a triple, we call them three level scorers. She has been doing that, I think she's been doing a really good job of that. I even thought she has some really good defensive segments there where she was walling up and her size bothered them a little bit. Couple big defensive rebounds down the stretch. Those two are kind of interesting you know ones a slasher that learned to shoot the others a shooter that's learning how to put it on the floor a little bit so those two together are a nice combination for us. Too see it as a freshman, Dede and her have to play as freshman. That's serious minutes in big time gems at crucial times and to be perform or hit free throw, make a play, get a stop, get a rebound, that's going to pay dividends down the line for both of them.
About the leadership that Nia has...
I think Nia's confidence has kind of carried over to everybody, she has that calm, she's the same as the first play of the game to the last play of the game. That kid doesn't really she's steady. I think Matilda is naturally like that too but it is kind of fun to watch her a little bit build off of Nia's confidence. I think our post play did a really good job. I felt like Ty had some big plays in the home stretch whether getting herself to the free-throw line or just ducking in and getting a rebound. She was very good mobility wise as good of job as Matilda and Nia did I thought there was an ugly one with a lot of people down the stretch.
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