"Collective Effort." | Napheesa Collier, Bridget Carleton, & Cheryl Reeve Postgame Sound | 09.06.24

who would like to start us off uh I guess I will I forgot to raise my hand um Bridget you kind of started to come back in the at the end of the first first half and then those three threes and the assist on a three after they cut it to one I mean all year long this team has had different people step up when they needed it it was your night tonight yeah yeah I mean I got some good looks I mean their defense they pack the paint obviously they're worried about fee on the rolls off ball screens and my teammates are doing a really good job of finding me and you know that's my job to knock down those threes I had got some good looks in the first half but I didn't knock down but they felt good so I know I was just a matter of time and um like Courtney hit huge shots I hit some big ones obviously fee was just dominant in the paint all night so it was Collective effort but yeah it felt good to pull away with those threes and and and for Coach just I mean they trimmed they got down to one point twice and then Bridget hits consecutive threes and then feeds Courtney for a three just I mean she kind of did it off you tonight yeah um you know at that point in the game I felt like we had a lot of confidence about what we were doing uh at both ends when you know when we did when they kind of got back in it off fueling off of some of our miscues both ends of the floor um we just knew exactly what needed to happen and and uh we knew what types of shots we could get and and uh whenever we were seeking the paint and and trying to get layups which we did a lot of in the third uh it really created good stuff for us so having that sort of uh information going into the fourth when that was was kind of happening to us we got we locked back in on our guards playmaking you know when Courtney Williams play makes that's when we're really good and and her and natia I thought we really good in that space hey y'all congrats on congrats on the winning tonight um I don't imagine it was a very uh cheerful halftime locker room after giving up 50 points in the first half but uh just this whole season and this last you know stretch of 10 games I mean just my God the the third quarter adjustments have been uh fantastic they they were again tonight just uh for for any of you what was sort of the mood and and the message in the locker room at halftime and how did that translate to really taking over the game there in the third quarter it was definitely defense you know oriented I think it's something that we really like emphasized this whole year and hung our hat on and now that we're at the end we really just want to make sure that there's no slippage that we stay true to who what we have gotten what has gotten us this far and what has really um been the game changer for us so just really locking in on that and making sure that we stay true to our identity um and so I think we did that in the second half we came out really focused on that and it changed the game for us there was just eight points in and the pain in the second half right after at 26 in the first half when you get 26 points in a paint your field goal percentage is going to be high when your field goal percentage is high your defense is better you know it was just a bad combination for us and um really committing they shot 35% um you know eight points in the paint like that that's that's who we need to be and we really committed to the game plan and uh you know I was appreciative that we we found our will on that end and for Coach I think uh I think Aaliyah was averaging 15 and a half boards per game in the first two uh against you guys and Helder did just five rebounds tonight just uh how how did you assess the way that uh you guys play played on played on the gr glass and uh outrebounded them uh overall in the night yeah outrebound them by one um I think what I I told the group that I really appreciated was uh I I thought that we played with some physical toughness uh in the paint particularly in the second half and we we really got after it there and and we just were hungry we were hungry for you know sort of changing the narrative uh that maybe that the Indiana feels about us in terms of our paint protection or our ability to rebound and so I thought we responded uh in a in a physically tough way K uh P um do you how much did what Bridget did in at the very end of the first half fueled you guys I me because you guys were down 10 with a minute left to go in the first half then suddenly it's a five-point game how much did that change things it was a huge momentum swing for us um just it was just I think a killer to their morale just dagger after dagger that BC knocked down um it's really fun to be a part of to watch as well to be on the court with her doing that um so I think it really changed the game for us to that point and I'll ask you the same question um there have been some constants with this team obviously but it seems like On Any Given night there might be one person in the fourth quarter who just really steps forward your last game it was Courtney tonight it was Bridget with big basket after big basket and a big offensive rebound too I mean just talk about what it was you know what kind of confidence that gives a team no matter the situation I think it's what makes it so hard to play against it's because we don't have just one person that is that you just have to guard you have to guard all of us because any one of us can go off any night any quarter any time of the game it's impossible to guard all five people at your hardest at all time um and so I think that's what you're seeing is if they take one option away we have four more on the court that can do the same thing and one planal one for for Bridget uh you talked about how your shot felt good but early in the game the threes weren't going um it kind of seems like maybe a few years back you might have stopped taking them at some point has there been a change just in terms of your confidence to continue to take those shots even when they don't hit early on it look like I've uh changed a little bit yeah I mean I think just the maturity and the confidence I've built with this team how we play the belief my coaches and my teammates have in me putting me in good positions um it's not a good thing if I pass up a shot so I know I'm gonna be aggressive um and never you know if I am over four that just means I'm going to make the next one that's kind of my mentality um and you know paid off today but yeah I thought those first three in the first St so I knew I was like nothing was wrong it was just a matter of time good thank you any final questions thanks allk you