Quotes Spoken By Pat Summitt
There are some coaches who
believe you just let the best players get all the points they can and stop
everybody else. Others limit the best player and make other people beat you. For
us, we want to guard everybody. But we really want to make sure that we make it
hard or at least difficult for that player to continually make the plays.
I think with the players who have been here, regardless of whether they've been
in that No. 1 position, that's what we're always trying to be -- the best team.
She taught me that it's OK to let down your guard and allow your players to get
to know you. They don't care how much you know until they know how much you
care.
Our philosophy has always been you better pack your defense and your board work
on the road. Because those ugly nights and those poor shooting nights — you
just have to grind games out. Today, we just had to grind it out.
I think this team deserves a No. 1. Now, whether we're going to get it or not,
that's up to the committee.
We're Tennessee. It's not like anyone is going to feel sorry for us. We have yet
to buy into defense. We have to bring that every possession.
If you can control the boards, you usually have a great deal of influence on how
many possessions you get, how many opportunities you get from that. And I
thought we got a lot of opportunities.
It's just a matter of everyone stepping up and taking responsibility and
ownership on the offensive end. We executed very well.
I think this team knows what they have to bring.
A lot of this tournament is about where you play and not who you play.
This one is a tough, tough bracket. But if you're going to win a national
championship you are going to have to beat the best teams along the way.
Sometimes you have to do that in a regional instead of a Final Four.
We have a mutual respect for this game and working with young people, not just
on the basketball court but to see these young women become confident and
successful in career opportunities beyond basketball.
You don't win a basketball game in the first half, but you certainly can lose
one.
You have to control the defensive boards if you want to win at this stage. I'm
concerned about ball control and being on the boards. That's a way you can
control the tempo of a game.
The ladies had great energy today. The communication was key, and I could
definitely see an improvement in their physical condition. They had an
incredible off-season in the weight room.
If this team doesn't understand that is has to rebound, then someone is going to
drill them and they'll figure it out.
Obviously I'm very pleased with the intensity, the enthusiasm on the bench and
everyone who got on the court. We played well together.
We were pleased we are able to get the tempo up at times. You have to control
the paint and we did that.
I just wanted to put on a uniform for the first time in a long time and play
defense.