April 7, 2008
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April 7, 2008 An interview with: some more points to keep up with the way Stanford has been playing offensively? ALEXIS HORNBUCKLE: I think it's definitely important to be efficient on offense and put up more points. But at the same time it comes down to defense and boards. So we just have to step up our defense in case our shots are not falling in. Q. Candace, did you ever in the past year have, for better or worse, a Matt Leinart moment where you thought maybe I'll stay at THE MODERATOR: We'll take questions Tennessee, take a couple of grad courses and for the student-athletes first. After about 15 finish out my final year of eligibility? minutes we'll let them head to their breakout CANDACE PARKER: Obviously I've rooms, and then we'll entertain questions for the talked about living in the moment and just staying coach. day-to-day. That's what I'm trying to do now. I'm We're joined up here by Tennessee head focusing on that. I haven't had time to really think coach Pat Summitt as well as student-athletes about it. Candace Parker, Alberta Auguste, Nicky Anosike, Shannon Bobbitt and Alexis Hornbuckle. Q. Candace, can you talk about your When you're ready, Coach, an opening relationship with Candice Wiggins. I know you statement. guys have spent a lot of time together with COACH SUMMITT: Obviously, we're U.S.A. teams. And I had heard that somebody excited to be in the position to play in a national showed you a box score from when she put up championship game. This group has -- they've the 44 against UTEP, you smiled and shook been there before and we know it's going to be your head. Have you smiled and shook your against a great Stanford team. Obviously a team head at what Candice has done through this we lost to earlier in the year at Stanford, and I whole tournament? thought that was probably a defining moment for CANDACE PARKER: Candice is a great us in terms of making a commitment to our player. I remember watching her play when we scouting report defense and stepping up and were in eighth grade and we were watching the making plays. championship national game. Nicky Anosike was And I think it's going to be two great teams playing her team in Orlando, Florida, and she was going at it. Hopefully we'll be a little better on the a ball of energy, always moving. offensive end. But I'll let you hear from the players She's progressed and gotten better every and I'll talk to you afterwards. year. I think she's a great leader for her team and THE MODERATOR: Questions for the she really inspires by her play. She inspires her student-athletes. teammates. Obviously we're great friends. We've played on a lot of the same U.S.A. teams and Q. Alexis, I'll start with you. As things like that. She's a great person as well. efficient as Stanford has been offensively, Coach just said you need to be better Q. Shannon, that first meeting with offensively. Do you feel like you need to put 1 Tennessee - 04.07.08 visit our archives at asapsports.com Stanford, I think Wiggins only took 12 shots in focusing on the little things. You can't get a home that game. I want to ask you about the run unless you touch third base, which is what supporting cast and the other players at we've been focusing on the whole season. Stanford and maybe what the toughest aspects So our strength and conditioning coach of defending the rest of their players will be made these shirts up for us and we wear them to tomorrow night. bed every night just to remind us that it's the little SHANNON BOBBITT: Yeah, she only things that count and we can't get to our ultimate took 12 shots and Tennessee players did a great goal without doing those little things. So it's really job limiting her touches and making all her shots helped us just reiterate what we want to do. tough. And she has a great supporting cast and they can all shoot the 3 ball as well. Stanford is a Q. Candace, what do you remember great team. So we all have to compete and guard from Kayla Pedersen from that first game? all of them. And, secondly, she says that their plan is to force you to your left tomorrow because your Q. Alexis, JJ Hones wasn't in the left-handed shots appear to be short. Do you rotation when you played them the first time. think that's a dangerous tactic for them to From what you've seen of them since then, attempt? what has she added to the dynamic, CANDACE PARKER: (Laughter) particularly with her size and particularly as a obviously I remember the Stanford game in my defensive player? mind like it was yesterday. We talk about how it ALEXIS HORNBUCKLE: She's stepping ruined our Christmas and ending the year on a up, hitting big shots, whether it's going to the loss. Obviously Kayla has really stepped up her basket, hitting pullups, knocking down the 3 ball. play throughout the NCAA tournament. Glad I got She's adding a new dynamic to their offense. So some insight on what they're planning on doing. we have to be ready to defend not only Candice And obviously I'm just going to continue to try to and Jayne Appel but the other three as well. It's play my game, and obviously if I step out on the going to be 1 through 5 is good, and they're court, then all's fair. playing together, so we've got to defend 1 through 5. Q. Candace, I'm sure you're getting really tired about talking about this, but how is Q. Alexis, Candice Wiggins singled you your shoulder feeling now and what have you out as one of the better defensive players she's done between the time the game ended last gone up against. I wondered what your night as far as rehab and getting rest? feelings were going into that matchup against CANDACE PARKER: Jenny Moshak is her? the best trainer in America. She obviously has me ALEXIS HORNBUCKLE: I know I have a on rehab programs, just do going strengthening tough defensive assignment. Like Candace said, exercising, stim, ice, getting circulation back. she's a big ball of energy, never stops moving, she Obviously the stiffness from yesterday was tough hunts for her shot. They do a great job of getting this morning, but it feels great. One more game. her open, running off screen. She's going to get Just get through it and worry about it later. handoffs, so I know I have a tough defensive THE MODERATOR: Thank you. assignment. I can't rest and I can't take a Questions for Coach. possession off. Q. They've played two beautiful Q. Nicky, you're wearing a T-shirt that basketball games the last two games, that two says "Touching Third Base," I don't think that's good teams made runs at them, they never got a softball shirt. Can you tell us what that rattled. How much better do you think they are means? from what you've seen in these last two games NICKY ANOSIKE: We all just kind of and what you saw on December 22nd? And the made promises to each other we would touch third other question would be: They played you man base, which basically means you don't make it to to man pretty much straight up. A lot of teams the finish line unless you do what's necessary don't dare do that because of Candace. What beforehand to be successful at the end. So just 2 Tennessee - 04.07.08 visit our archives at asapsports.com do you think is it about them that allows them floor better. She's a big play person. She steps up to do that? and provides great energy. COACH SUMMITT: First of all, I think I think she brings a lot of energy to her Stanford is a much better basketball team. They're team. She's very positive, a very positive leader. running their offense with great efficiency and And she just -- she's one of the best players in the getting great looks. And I think the question about country, there's no doubt about it. And what she the defensive part of it, I think they have the size to brings to her team, I think, gives them a lot of match up with us. And I think that's what allows confidence and keeps them motivated. them to be able to defend us in man to man. When you have a player with that kind of And Jayne Appel has got a great presence energy, it filters throughout your team. We get that inside. But if you just look at our two teams, it's not from Alexis. But I think Candice is such a skilled like we have a distinct advantage from the offensive player and a player that makes good standpoint of our size. decisions on the floor, she makes everyone else better. Q. Pat, I know earlier in the year out of Candace Parker, obviously very similar in frustration at times you compared this team what she brings as far as the points, the maybe to the '99 team, not playing 40 minutes.