AUBURN, Ala. — We talked to both Ashlyn Watkins and MiLaysia Fulwiley in off-podium interviews at Neville Arena tonight following South Carolina's 76-54 win over the Tigers.
We appreciate y'all for subscribing, so here's what they said following tonight's game, which was the first career start for Watkins and a huge day for Fulwiley.
On when she knew she would start:
"Last night."
On if it feels different preparing to start:
"I don't think so. I found out last night, I feel like I just didn't have any time to prepare. I felt like I just had to come out and do what I have to do.
On why she played so well:
"Honestly, I don't know. I just felt like my team needed me. It was close at first, and when I was missing rebounds I was like, 'Oh, I could've got that. Oh, I could've got that.' And I put them back up, so I just like told my mind to just do it and go out there."
On how she felt in warm-ups:
"It felt normal to me. I wasn't nervous, I wasn't overthinking it, I just let the game come to me."
On her response to Dawn calling her "a starter" in post-game:
"It feels good because she sees our potential, she sees what we can do. And we just proved to her and everybody else than what anyone thought."
On where her game has grown:
"I feel like my confidence. Playing more definitely built up my confidence and made me feel like I was ready for this moment."
On how well Ashlyn played:
"She's a dog. She practiced like that, she plays like that. She knows it's in her, so when she goes out there and puts it all on the court, it just shows she's unstoppable sometimes."
On how much fun it is to play with her when she's like that:
"It makes me feel more relief knowing that I've got a good post player who can get any rebound that I put up and go back strong. If I throw the ball she's going to find a way to catch it, she's not going to let me get a turnover. Just knowing you have someone like her on the block, it helps a lot."
On her defense:
"I think I just took what she said and just used it and just kept pushing harder in practice. Just making sure I'm doing the right things in practice, and they just play out in the game. I just come into practice with the mentality that nobody is going to score on me, I'm just going to get stops, defend well and do what my coaches want me to do."
On turning around from a slow start:
"When I missed that fastbreak layup I was like, 'oh my gosh.' It really got to my head, I'm not going to lie. That fastbreak layup really got to me. But I think it got to me in a good way. I just started defending better, getting stops and making the right decisions for my teammates. Letting the game to me, and that's the way it came to me."
We appreciate y'all for subscribing, so here's what they said following tonight's game, which was the first career start for Watkins and a huge day for Fulwiley.
Ashlyn Watkins:
On when she knew she would start:
"Last night."
On if it feels different preparing to start:
"I don't think so. I found out last night, I feel like I just didn't have any time to prepare. I felt like I just had to come out and do what I have to do.
On why she played so well:
"Honestly, I don't know. I just felt like my team needed me. It was close at first, and when I was missing rebounds I was like, 'Oh, I could've got that. Oh, I could've got that.' And I put them back up, so I just like told my mind to just do it and go out there."
On how she felt in warm-ups:
"It felt normal to me. I wasn't nervous, I wasn't overthinking it, I just let the game come to me."
On her response to Dawn calling her "a starter" in post-game:
"It feels good because she sees our potential, she sees what we can do. And we just proved to her and everybody else than what anyone thought."
On where her game has grown:
"I feel like my confidence. Playing more definitely built up my confidence and made me feel like I was ready for this moment."
MiLaysia Fulwiley:
On how well Ashlyn played:
"She's a dog. She practiced like that, she plays like that. She knows it's in her, so when she goes out there and puts it all on the court, it just shows she's unstoppable sometimes."
On how much fun it is to play with her when she's like that:
"It makes me feel more relief knowing that I've got a good post player who can get any rebound that I put up and go back strong. If I throw the ball she's going to find a way to catch it, she's not going to let me get a turnover. Just knowing you have someone like her on the block, it helps a lot."
On her defense:
"I think I just took what she said and just used it and just kept pushing harder in practice. Just making sure I'm doing the right things in practice, and they just play out in the game. I just come into practice with the mentality that nobody is going to score on me, I'm just going to get stops, defend well and do what my coaches want me to do."
On turning around from a slow start:
"When I missed that fastbreak layup I was like, 'oh my gosh.' It really got to my head, I'm not going to lie. That fastbreak layup really got to me. But I think it got to me in a good way. I just started defending better, getting stops and making the right decisions for my teammates. Letting the game to me, and that's the way it came to me."
