April 3, 2010

An interview with: you? I said, No, she's probably in the room somewhere. But she's pretty high. She's pretty high. Celeb.

Q. Danielle, there were a couple of items in the media guide I was intrigued by. One of them, as you could probably guess, is you have a notation: Not my team, Stanford. And that was probably done quite a while ago. And, secondly, if I may, the other item is if you were not playing for Oklahoma, you'd probably be playing for Cal. How close were you to going to play for Cal? DANIELLE ROBINSON: Cal had been THE MODERATOR: I'm pleased to recruiting me before Coach Boyle had got there. introduce Oklahoma head coach Sherri Coale, as And I just really enjoyed my visits up there. And well as student-athletes Danielle Robinson and early on, I guess you could say, Cal was at the top Amanda Thompson. just because something important to me was being COACH COALE: Obviously we're excited close to home so my family could watch me play. to be here. Love the city of San Antonio and the And Cal is pretty close in distance. way they host the Final Four. Nobody in America And so I definitely took that into does it better than this city. Our kids have enjoyed consideration when I was making my decision. being here, and now we're ready to compete. THE MODERATOR: Questions for the Q. What about Stanford? student-athletes. DANIELLE ROBINSON: I grew up watching them, you know, for many, many years. Q. Danielle and Amanda, in Oklahoma And then as I took more and more visits and, you Sherri Coale's a rock star. Can you talk about know -- I respect the program a lot. Tara how -- has any of that gone beyond the state VanDerveer is a great coach. She has great borders, any of your travels with her, have you players. But I just didn't feel it was the right fit for had any experiences that can speak to her me. celebrity status nationally? DANIELLE ROBINSON: Everywhere we Q. For both Amanda and Danielle. You go, Coach Coale is known. You just hear people, guys have played the toughest schedule in the we'll be walking, Oh, it's Coach Coale from country. During the season you played three Oklahoma. I mean any particular incident, I can't teams that wound up being No. 1 seeds and recall. But I know she's pretty well known around now you're playing a No. 1 seed in Stanford. the nation. How is that schedule playing particularly tough AMANDA THOMPSON: I think she's nonconference games, how does that help you pretty high status, I mean, even out here. We get to where you are now? walked the River a little bit and it was only a couple AMANDA THOMPSON: I feel like it's of us and someone was like, Is Sherri Coale with helped us a lot. We faced all different kind of

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visit our archives at asapsports.com teams, all different kind of styles. We've come So she's just a great person. from behind. We've had leads. It's just given us opportunity to experience different kind of play. Q. I wonder, your program has been And a long time in the tournament, you involved with some memorable games with know, you need that because when you're scouting Stanford in the past. Does the rivalry you have somebody, you can say, okay, we can compare with that school still resonate with newer that to a team we played and it helps us go along players who don't have any experience? And and helps our game plan. also how much would it mean to end that DANIELLE ROBINSON: Like she talked losing streak you have against Stanford that about, we see a variety of teams throughout the stretches to four now? whole season, especially in nonconference. It DANIELLE ROBINSON: I'm not really prepares us well for the Big 12 conference, and familiar with a couple. I just know the one that's that prepares us for the NCAA tournament. the most recent. I mean, it's a great rivalry for women's basketball. I don't know how big it is. But Q. Danielle, could you talk about I guess I could say it's somewhat of a personal playing against Jeanette Pohlen in the CIF final thing for me being from California. in, what was it, 2007, and what you remember But we're just going to execute our game about her as a player and also what -- if you've plan against a great Stanford team. watched her develop over the years at Stanford AMANDA THOMPSON: Well, like she and obviously she's made headlines in the last said, I'm not familiar, but I've heard about the week? games in the past, and it was against Oklahoma DANIELLE ROBINSON: You know, we and I feel like I'm a part of that family so I think it's played our senior year in the state championship. going to be a rivalry however long it goes on. She wasn't the point guard then as she is for That's how we'll play the game, as if we Stanford now. just lost to Sanford last year. She's a great player. I think she led her team for the whole season. I think they only had Q. For both of you, give me your one loss coming into Long Beach, if I recall that thumbnail analysis of Stanford and what you all correctly. So she was a great player, great leader. have to do to beat them? I got the chance to play her this past AMANDA THOMPSON: They have really summer, learned a lot about her. She's a great tall posts down there, and they just execute very person. We've actually become pretty close well. So we definitely have to take away their friends, and we keep in contact, especially since cadence and disrupt what they do and outwork she's close to home in Palo Alto. them and just play hard. So excited for where she's at. I was I think everybody's going to be good at this excited when she hit that shot last week. And time of the year, so we just to do what we do well, ready to play her, I guess. to stop what they do well. DANIELLE ROBINSON: We have to Q. Amanda, just to pick up on what you speed them up, use our athleticism to our were saying earlier, what do you think advantage. We definitely have to block out against accounts for why Sherri is so popular? Is it them. They're extremely good on the boards, just victory, or is it her style or personality? especially Kayla Pedersen. We know that we have What do you think it is? an advantage with our athleticism. AMANDA THOMPSON: I think it's just the way she carries herself every day. I know she Q. For both players, a lot of teams, pays attention to more the little things. She's all when they get to this point, look back at a about tradition and just doing the right thing. turning point in the season. Outside of the And people see that. And they feel that Whitney Hand injury, there doesn't seem like and they just gained a lot of respect for her. And I there was. Was this just a building process gained a lot of respect for her for doing that. And it and a maturity that you guys reached to get to just makes everybody else follow in her footsteps, this point, or what's your feeling on that? and she just makes great players and she plays DANIELLE ROBINSON: I think one of our great games and she's not afraid to challenge us. That's why she's so popular around.

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visit our archives at asapsports.com turning points was the loss against Texas at home. pretty much together I feel 20 hours a day out of We knew that for us it was unacceptable, and we the 24 hours, regardless if you see somebody on had to make changes. And we went into that campus, stop to talk to them, or at the gym or go to locker room and that's what we did. And from here their house. We're like family. on out we've been playing that better. AMANDA THOMPSON: I would have to AMANDA THOMPSON: I think we've had agree. We're pretty close. And a lot of teams it's several turning points throughout this year. You hard to have fun and be honest at the same time know, those are definitely one of the key ones. and take constructive criticism and encourage at But I think that great basketball, it has a lot the same time. of changing points. In order to be a great team I think that this team, we can do that and you have to go up and down and go through also have fun. You kind of learn from each other struggles, and when you overcome them, that's and just enjoy every moment. I think I've enjoyed when you get to points like this, times in the Final every moment with these guys all year. And I'm Four. You don't really look back on them; you just just thankful that I have them as teammates. build on it and learn from them and keep going. Q. Can you both talk about how last Q. We're obviously here for the year's experience at the Final Four you think Connecticut Invitational, but the fact that a lot will help you this time around? of people are going to perceive the fact, well, AMANDA THOMPSON: Well, I feel like it's going to be Stanford and Connecticut in the we got satisfied last year with just getting here, and championship game and Stanford gets the this year we kind of learned from that and know chance to end the streak and all that. Do you that we're going to enjoy San Antonio, but we're get a little incentive from the fact that maybe here to do a job and we're here to get to the next people are just saying, hey, it's nice Oklahoma game. And hopefully we get that championship. and, to a lesser extent, Baylor is here, but And just never taking our eyes off of it and just kind they're just kind of standing in the way of the of live every game and play every game like you're Stanford-Connecticut game? Does that give not going to have another one. you guys any motivation if that's the case? DANIELLE ROBINSON: Yeah, last year AMANDA THOMPSON: Well, you know, we settled -- we got here, we went into halftime people say what they say. I mean, they have their with a 12-point lead. And we just came out flat. opinions. But I think it just puts us in a great And we know how hard it is to get here, especially position to change history. UConn is going to be back to back, so we're just going to go out there UConn. Every other team is going to be and fight like we have for our whole season. We're themselves. Everybody's competing for a just going to play for each other and go out there championship. and have fun. So we know what we expect of ourselves, THE MODERATOR: Thank you very so we're going to play our game and not worry much. Questions for Coach. about what everybody else is saying. We're just creating a bubble and staying within that and Q. Tara VanDerveer said earlier that her having fun while we're doing it. first Final Four -- I think she said it was 1990. DANIELLE ROBINSON: Like Amanda She wore a ribbon in solidarity with Oklahoma said, we know what we're capable of. We don't because they were going to drop the program. need the support of anybody beyond our Could you tell the story what it was like when Oklahoma circle, because we've been the you got there: What was your office like, was it underdog all season and people didn't expect us to hard to recruit, what was your salary? be here right now, and we're here. Probably wasn't great. What did you creatively do to build the program and get people to come Q. Amanda and Danielle, how do you play and showing up to watch, too? and your teammates get along on and off the COACH COALE: Okay, how long is this court? press conference? There's quite a story there. DANIELLE ROBINSON: Well, we're like When I came to Oklahoma, I have used sisters. We're like family. I can say this is the analogy before that it's like finding a rusty old probably the closest team since I've been here. We just have so much fun. And, I mean, we're

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visit our archives at asapsports.com car out in the middle of the farm, and you think: I And could you talk about the rivalry that you can do something with this. The windows are had with Tara in the past and how it's maybe cracked and I can fix them, the tires are flat and I evolved over the years? can fix them, and we can do a paint job. Okay, I COACH COALE: You said we were 0 for can do this. And then you open up the hood and our last 4? Is that right? there's no engine inside. It's a little bit worse than you might have imagined. Q. (Indiscernible)? We had nothing. There was not one single COACH COALE: What's overall series? player being recruited according to the files. So I Because I have no idea. had never recruited a player before, so, okay. But I used my network. And that's what it's all about. Q. Two and four, I think. You know people who know people who know COACH COALE: Okay. Obviously it's not people. a huge rivalry with me because I have no idea And I signed Phylesha Whaley, because what you're talking about exactly in terms of my college coach, I had a friend who was Phylesha numbers. Whaley's high school -- who was a friend of Here's the thing: The only time we meet Phylesha Whaley's high school coach. I had never Stanford is in the NCAA tournament. And Tara seen her play. I brought her in for a visit and and I have tried for years to schedule. We would decided to sign her because she had great eyes love to have that home-and-home matchup. We and I thought she'd run through a wall for me. She tried. When the twins got here we tried because of turned out to be unbelievable and holds all kinds of Danielle. And because of their final schedule and records at Oklahoma now. our final schedule, it just has not been feasible. And we went and found Stacey Dales in We've not been able to make it work. Canada and nobody had ever heard of her. And I So when you say rivalry, I guess maybe it went and watched her in the first three passes she is. But to me the only time we meet is when we're threw were off the wall. And called my assistant in the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight or the Final Four and coach: She's fabulous. I love her. I gotta have it's the NCAA tournament. her. Of course we're going to meet quite often It was just a series of really God being because we're both getting here. And the numbers involved in leading us to the right kids. I really do say that you will. believe that. And knowing people and building I don't sense any special rivalry with step-by-step and knowing that it doesn't -- if you Stanford over the years, especially with these kids, want to build it to last, you don't do it immediately. because they haven't played them. So sorry to It takes some time. bust your story (laughter). And we never took the Band-Aid approach. We went out and found great kids. Character kids Q. I'm honored to interview a rock star. who believed in the way we wanted to play and COACH COALE: I'm honored to be at the believed in our mission for building a championship UConn Invitational (laughter). program. And they came and they toiled and Phylesha Whaley came and lived through Q. As far as the scheduling, is it a fine 5-and-22 and 8-and-19 and got us to the stinkin' line between scheduling too difficult, Sweet 16 where we won the right to play particularly when you're going to be in the Big Connecticut. Whoohoo. 12, you know, during the conference season, And a phenomenal group of kids who paid when you schedule non-conference, do you the price to build a foundation that would last which worry ever about, you know, burning your kids allows us to be in this position today. out or losing too many games and affecting So that's the Cliff Notes version. their confidence? And has this team been able to handle the difficult schedule as well as Q. While we're dealing with past maybe any you've had? history, obviously you guys had a very COACH COALE: You know, I think that's simmering rivalry with Stanford in the past. maybe one of the blessings of once being a high Talking to the players, it sounds like it's not school coach and just jumping up to this. I didn't quite as intense as it might have been maybe seven or eight years ago. Is that fair to say?

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visit our archives at asapsports.com know you were supposed to worry about stuff like is not the sexy game that the other one is. This that. I just wanted to play the really good guys so I is kind of like the other game. I just wondered could figure out how far we had to go to become what your thoughts on that were. one of them. COACH COALE: Well, we're playing. And And it seemed to work for a while. It got as our team likes to say, we're still here. I don't us into the NCAA tournament. Got us to the Sweet really know that it matters what type of circus 16, and I thought this seems like a pretty good way revolves around the game. And in some ways I to do it. Get me every tough team you can. Find think it's a blessing in disguise to be not part of the me the best in America. I want to play circus. home-and-home with them. But one team is going to win that game. I just always had enough confidence in our And either ourselves or Stanford are going to be kids that regardless of the tenacity involved in the playing for the national championship on Tuesday. Big 12, we were going to win enough games to get So it's a pretty significant game, I would think. in the tournament. And I think there will be a lot of folks who And when we got in the tournament, we feel the same way. were going to be very well prepared to succeed there. Our goal was never just to get there; it was Q. Could you talk a little bit about Abi? to get to the tournament and win. Even back when She spent a lot of time behind the twins on the Phylesha Whaley and I were just dreaming about bench, and just kind of her progress this year it, it was get to the tournament and win. and what the task is in front of her playing And I think that schedule has played a Stanford? huge role in it. I know it's built this team's COACH COALE: I'm glad you asked confidence. Not a doubt in my mind. about Abi, because I think she's a fantastic story, because her story is refreshing. You know, kids Q. You had the Paris twins. You have these days play high school ball and they're Danielle. Is there some sort of story to how All-World on their high school team and they play you've been so successful recruiting in the Bay every minute and they think they're the end-all to Area? the game of basketball. COACH COALE: I don't know that there's Then they go to college, and if you get five really any magic to it. Obviously when you get kids of them and you've got some players left at all from like Courtney and Ashley, who are so renowned, the previous season, they're not all five going to not only within the state of California but across the play all the time. And for a lot of kids that's really, country, but when you get Cali kids -- I know when really hard. There are some who never get past it. Geno got Diana, then that opened the door. They never get past the fact they don't start as a More people are looking at your school freshman. Abi didn't start as a freshman or as a because there's that connection there. And I think sophomore or junior. Not only did she not start she that probably put us on the short list. I don't know hardly played. And she was willing to come to that beyond that there's any real magic, except that Oklahoma and not wait -- I want people to there are a lot of Cali kids who love the way people understand this, Abi did not wait. Abi got better support basketball at the University of Oklahoma. from her freshman year to her sophomore year. And I know for Danielle, when she got It took a year to figure how to work the way there and saw how big of a deal it is. It's a really we wanted her to work in practice. From her big deal in Norman, Oklahoma, to be on the sophomore and junior year she started to put the women's basketball team. It's a really big deal in intellectual pieces of it together, the why you go Norman, Oklahoma, to go watch the women's here and why you don't go there and what the basketball team. I think for a lot of California kids screening angle does and why we teach it, and it that's very attractive. all started to kind of make some sense to her. And then going into her junior year, she Q. Kind of picking up on that started to figure out how to really compete and add Connecticut Invitational theme -- all those things together. The missing piece was COACH COALE: Wendell started it. she wasn't in physical condition enough to play any significant amount of time. Her junior year, she Q. I know. Thank you, Wendell. I think there's also a little bit of a perception that this

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visit our archives at asapsports.com could have played more had she physically been time you met and how that friendship has prepared, because all the other pieces were there. built? And so she looked around and said, COACH COALE: Yeah, it was the fall. It Courtney and Ashley aren't going to be here next was snowing sideways. And Geno came in the year, looked at her teammates and I look like I'm gym and he had on loafers with no socks. going to be the center. Uh-oh, I better take care of Seriously, aren't you from Connecticut? It's winter my business. And she did. and he's complaining about the weather and how And look at what she's done. It's a cold it is and he doesn't have a coat and he has his fabulous story. And I think young athletes jacket lapels up. I said, Go sit down. I've got to everywhere should really pay attention to it, practice. That's kind of how it began. because that's the right way to do it. She was in it He appreciated the way our kids worked for the long haul. She was in it for the stuff that and appreciated the things that we were teaching matters. If you ask her right now she wouldn't high school players. And told me that. There's just have had it any other way. sort of been a mutual respect there in terms of the People keep asking what are you going to game of basketball and how it ought to be played do with Jayne? Jayne's a fantastic player. I don't and how it ought to be taught. want to take anything away from Jayne Appel. And it's just evolved through the years. She's may be the greatest interior post passer we've seen in years, and obviously an incredibly Q. Tara VanDerveer said that she capable scorer in either direction. thought that this might be been a really fun But Abi has played Cokie Reed from year for you to coach because of the losses Texas, she's played Tina Charles from from last year, expectations were lowered, and Connecticut, she's played Brittney Griner three you just could go out there and do some stuff times. It's not like Abi has been the biggest kid on as a coach and try and build. Was that the kind the floor all the time. of season it was for you, work with some She gets this. She understands it, and unknown parts to get it this far? she'll be ready for it. COACH COALE: It really has been a fun year, but really made it fun has been the Q. You're the only coach here without a willingness of these kids to learn and adapt and national title. What would winning the national transform themselves. championship do for you, professionally and You know, coming into the year, we maybe, more important, do for the program? thought we would play in a certain way. And we COACH COALE: I'm younger than the were moving toward that when Whitney got hurt. others, so write that, please (laughter). Just And it had to be adjusted a little bit at that time. barely. And from that point forward, everything Oh, it's why we do what we do. It's the from everybody's role changing a little bit when grand prize. Obviously. I think our returning to the Whitney went down to making changes in the Final Four this year put us in a different category. lineup. Jasmine moving into the starting lineup Put us in a different league, nationally. But you after Carlee had been starting. Playing different don't really get to be a part of that small circle until guys, guarding post guys, moving guys around on you get to cut down the nets here. the floor, changing defenses, whatever kind of And that's what awaits us. And before you manipulation we needed to have in order to be can do that, you've got to get here. So we did that successful, these guys are all about it. part. But we've got some unfinished business. And I think you can ask any coach And I think it would catapult us even into anywhere. One of the best things in the world is to maybe an even more elite circle. be able to call a timeout and say, okay, we're going to do this. And it's something they've never done Q. You mentioned on the conference before and you draw it up and tell them to do it and call Wednesday about the respect and the they go out and do it exactly like that, it doesn't friendship you've had with Geno Auriemma matter if you're coaching junior high or in the NBA, over the years. Could you take us back to -- I that's a pretty cool thing. think it was '96 when he first came to Norman And these guys are receptive in that way. to check out Stacy Hansmeyer and the first

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visit our archives at asapsports.com So it's been really, really fun. We get to tinker and I don't know, though, that there's been a try things out and they don't always work. The more dominant center than Tina Charles and the things we draw up or the ideas we have don't way she's played this year. She is so consistently always work, but our kids always dive in head first predictable. You just know what you're going to to try, and that's what makes it fun. get. With that 2002 team you might get Aisha, Q. Seems like a size versus speed you might get Swin, you might get Tamika. You matchup. Do you see it that way? And will this never really knew and what combination thereof. boil down to who can take advantage of the They know what they're getting from Tina Charles. mismatch the best? They go right to her. And sometimes it's that COACH COALE: That's a simple way to focus, I think, on knowing where those baskets are look at it. And I think most games ultimately do going to come from that maybe makes them great boil down to that. For us, we've had an ability all in a different sort of way, if that answers your year, it seems, to play the way we need to play in question. order to win, whether it's half court or full court, or patient on offense or scoring quickly. Q. Considering what you all have been We can do it a lot of different ways. Not through this year, what you've overcome, necessarily real pretty whatever way we do it, but where does this team rank, regardless of what we found a way to be effective. So hopefully we'll happens in the next couple of days? Where be able to use our speed to our advantage. does this team rank on your satisfaction meter and the other really good teams you've had? Q. Stanford has been in only a couple COACH COALE: I don't ever rank teams. of close games all year and were very fortunate I love them all. It's like asking me which one of my to escape the last one. You've been in plenty kids are my favorite. I love them all for different of them. Does this give you kind of an reasons, and this team definitely has a special advantage if this game is close? fiber. And because of the way they're wound up COACH COALE: Oh, I think it does, just with each other, they're going to have similar because our kids believe we're going to win. Does relationships throughout their lives like the 2002 that mean I necessarily want it close at the end? group. I'll take 12 or 15 points if we can get them. That group, they get together every year Our guys, when we went to overtime with whether they go on a trip or meet up somewhere, Notre Dame, when I went to the huddle before the they just -- they talk all the time. This group will be overtime, I knew we were fine. Our guys just like that. And some are a little bit more so than believed they're going to win. And, again, that's a others. This one just happens to be -- maybe part reflection of that schedule we played all year. of it is because of the small number. We don't have a lot of folks on our roster. Q. You probably play that 2002 Two, when you do things together, you Connecticut team better than anybody. You have a tendency to become pretty wound up. gave them fits there in the second half of the championship game. This year you were ahead Q. Coach, if you're familiar with the '82, of Connecticut in the second half. Geno says '83 and '84 men's tournaments -- I know I'm that that 2002 team could beat this year's team going back a ways -- could you make a case 9 out of 10, but obviously they're doing that the Olajuwon family is due some good something right. Are they doing anything that fortune in a Final Four? we haven't seen before in women's basketball, COACH COALE: I was so deeply or what is singular about what Connecticut's embedded in my incredible basketball career at the doing right now? And I ask that with all the Oklahoma Christian College that I don't respect I know you could beat them Tuesday remember -- no, I do remember what was night if you played them. happening. And, yeah, maybe some magic in COACH COALE: Thank you. I agree with there. him, I think the 2002 team was better. They were deeper. They had really a superstar at every Q. What kind of motivation do you position on the floor. When you look at what those kids have gone on to do in the WNBA, it's obvious.

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visit our archives at asapsports.com receive after being in the Final Four twice before and not having being able to win yet? COACH COALE: Oh, good question from the juniors. Well, it's like being invited to this incredible feast. They just set the table and the food looks and smells fabulous, and there's just dish after dish after dish after dish, and you get to get in the room and you get to sit down, and then they take all your utensils away. And so we're still hungry. THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach. FastScripts by ASAP Sports

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