Exclusive locker room quotes from the SEC champs:
Kamilla Cardoso:
"It feels great. I'm so proud of every single one of these girls. I think we played our asses off. I think we did a great job, we shared the ball, our defense was incredible and I just think we did what we have to do."
<Talaysia Cooper interrupts my next question to say "Kamilla is the GOAT" while patting her on the shoulders>
On putting the game away:
"I think we just stayed locked in. We stayed poised. We were just playing possession by possession."
Aliyah Boston:
On cutting the nets, which she had a little bit of trouble with:
"I always try to get a bigger piece. I'm just not good at cutting," she said while laughing pretty hard
On the game:
"I think we played well. I think we all stepped up and we competed for 40 minutes. Tennessee continued to come back and hit big shots, Rickea and Jordan did that. We just fought."
On her start:
"That was my goal. I wanted to be aggressive, and it worked out that I started like that."
On the seniors:
"We just stayed levelheaded no matter what throughout the entire game. We just knew that we had to take control of the game or at least try to at least early because Tennessee is a great team. They came back from being down, so it's not like 'oh we have a lead, they're not capable of coming back." We know that they are."
On Horston and Jackson:
"Tough players make great plays and that's just who they are. They are great players, they're tough players and they were determined to get to their spots. I think they were able to do that. As the game we went on we tried to make it more difficult. If they hit a shot, they hit a shot and we just take the ball out and go down. It's not like we can stop them, because they're great."
Brea Beal:
On the 4th quarter defense:
"I think it just comes to a point where whether it's halftime or in timeouts, we're able to adjust. We're able to talk to each other and tell each other what we can do better, especially when you have great coaches like our coaching staff. We have very knowledgable players that are willing to listen, learn and repeat what they hear."
On defending Horston in the second half:
"I think for me personally it was just really trying to avoid foul trouble and not being as physical and aggressive. In the fourth quarter I was able to gamble a little bit. If I get a foul, I get a foul. It was really just that aspect and locking in and showing her different coverages."
On winning another title:
It's a surreal feeling. I"m sure when we all have gradauted and we have left, we're going to thank everyone for putting us in these positions and thank God for allowing us to be here.
On savoring the moments:
I think freshman and sophomore years when you're winning it's like, 'okay we won, congrats let's go home.' But when when it's getting close to the end of the road, time slows down and you look around. You're not so much on your phone recording, you're just kind of seeing the confetti fall and watching people cut down nets because it's probably the last time we will see it.
Laeticia Amihere:
On cutting down the net:
"Honestly it just reminds me of great times. It reminds me of last year's championship, it reminds me of the Final Four, it was just a great moment to be up there."
On Horston:
"She's talented, of course. She's going to be in the league. We just had to make sure that we executed our defense."
On the mindset going into the tournament:
"First, get some rest. I think that's crucial. And then get back to work. We know how it feels to get in that stretch, so we know what we have to do."
Raven Johnson (who had a fistful of confetti inside her hat that she was wearing):
On cutting down the net:
"We did it, but we're not done. We have six more games. We haven't won the big game that we want to win, which is the National Championship. This just gave us confidence to go into the next six games disciplined and do what we have to do."
On her conversations with Kierra:
"Kierra, my hat goes off to her. She was in my ear giving me confidence that I could go out there and run the team and trust my instincts."
She also said this was the most minutes she's played in a game since high school.
"The way we are right now, I don't think anybody can beat us honestly. We are all as one. Coach Staley has created a dynasty here, and our FAMs bring us so much energy. When them being in the stands cheering us on, we're definitely going to have a great shot."
Zia Cooke:
"I was definitely excited we were able to get the win, but I know that we're not finished. It feels good to win. It's something we want to do, and we don't expect anything less from our team."
On savoring moments:
"I'm taking it in for sure. Winning is the only thing that we want to do, and we're not done yet."
Victaria Saxton:
"Tennessee is a physical team, they're really, really good. They're great on the boards as well, so we knew that would be a challenge for us."
On the title:
"We got it back. We were just locked in on today."
Bree Hall:
On her 3-pointer:
"I had sat out the previous 3-pointers, and just coming in there I thought I have to be as confident as I can. Coach was in my ear telling me to be ready, and I think I was."
On Horston and Jackson:
"Horston and Jackson were amazing. They played very, very well. They're two amazing, very talented players and I think we just played good defense. I think our defense is really, really good."
On the 4th quarter:
"I think our defense is really just the big thing. We play so many defenses and different things are so huge, our guards are so athletic, so I think it's really hard for other teams to score on us.
Chloe Kitts:
"It's crazy. I never thought it would be like this, especially coming in halfway through the year. I knew we were good, but when I got here I didn't know we were this good."
On Zia flipping the switch:
I have no idea (how she does it). I hope I'm going to be like that when it's my time. I don't know how she does that, but she's really good. We all look up to her.
Olivia Thompson:
"I'm just really, really proud of this group. Not just my class, but the whole team. We had some really standout performances this tournament. Raven the starting point guard in the championship game was just amazing, and I think Laeticia's enteire tournament was domiannt. Even though she didn't score as many points as she did the first two games, we really felt her presence. I think that's what really separates us from a lot of teams, our depth."
On Zia getting going:
Once Zia hits one, I mean, she's going to keep hitting them from there. I'm just super proud of her and her hard work and just keeping those head up. When she missed those (first) four shots she doesn't get down on herself. She just keeps going on to the next shot mentality, and that's really major.
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