Senior, Guard, Marina Mabrey
On what the comeback showed about the group:
“I don’t really know. I think we put ourselves in a hole to begin with but we came back, we were leading. That hole shouldn’t have anything to do with what happened at the end of the game.”
On what their legacy at Notre Dame will be:
“We didn’t build this. The players before us built this and we took it to another level and I feel like that is a high standard to live up to for anyone who’s coming here. But I don’t feel like we did everything we could.”
What are her emotions right now:
“I’m not really that emotional to begin with. It’s a game we didn’t win. We should have been the better team tonight but we weren’t. They were the better team tonight. Like I said, in March you just have to be better than somebody for one night and they came out and did that.”
On why Baylor was the better team today:
“They punched us from the beginning, like almost everyone does but they kept on punching. We finally punched back but it took too long. I think coming back took a lot out of us and I just think mentally we were not able to make that stop. Obviously, it’s hard to look at the big picture right now, but I know that us five seniors have done a lot for this program. We did bring a national championship - we should have brought two.“
On wearing the Notre Dame jersey:
“It means everything to me. It was really weird taking it off. It’s over, it’s time to move on and I appreciate everything Notre Dame has given to me. My coaches have taught me a lot. I feel like this place is second to none and I think if I had to make the decision again, I would pick Notre Dame again.”
Senior, Forward, Jessica Shepard
On why they lost the game:
“Offensively, we weren’t taking the shots that we wanted to take. We weren’t rebounding inside. We were letting their post get too good of a position and it definitely cost us.”
On her emotions after the game:
“I’m just thankful that I got to play here for two years. The girls have been great and the coaches have been great. I couldn’t have asked for a better coaching staff. We’re such a talented group. It’s tough to go out the way we did but I have definitely made memories that I will never forget with this team.”
On what Coach McGraw said to them after the game:
“She said, ‘It didn’t come down to Arike’s free throws and it didn’t come down to one possession. It’s a forty minute basketball game.’ We didn’t play well enough for forty minutes to win the game.”
MUFFET McGRAW: Really frustrated. Well, I'm sad for
the seniors that we came that close after getting down
17, clawing our way back. We had so many missed
opportunities both ends of the floor. Defensively,
offensive rebounds we gave up just really I felt lost the
game in the first quarter. We just didn't come out
ready. That was disappointing.
But I thought Jackson really was the key to the game.
We really couldn't guard her. Brown gave us a lot of
trouble, as well. Those two really played well.
It was a great season. Certainly a great career for
Arike, Marina, Jess and Bri.
Q. Was Arike trying to miss the second free throw?
MUFFET McGRAW: Yeah.
Q. Marina seems like she's the one who brings
your energy level up. She did a couple times in
this game. What is it that allows her to not just do
that, but make her teammates better in real-time?
MUFFET McGRAW: She's incredibly competitive,
feisty. I mean, it hurt us when she got the two fouls in
the first half because we lost our edge. She was really,
really the one that was getting things done for us on
the floor. It was difficult playing without her.
Q. It looked like it was a war out there. The
referees let you play tonight, didn't they?
BRIANNA TURNER: Definitely. We knew coming in it
was going to be a physical game. Baylor comes from
the Big 12. A lot of big players. So we knew coming
in, it was going to be a fight the whole way through.
ARIKE OGUNBOWALE: They were really physical and
their posts played strong. Their guards were strong.
We knew it was going to be tough.
Q. Brianna, will you address what the impact you
thought of the Cox injury was, just sort of did you
feel like you needed a moment to regroup there as
well?
BRIANNA TURNER: I think it's always tough whenever
a player goes down from either team. But we have to
play through those injuries no matter what happens.
We wanted to keep fighting no matter who was in or
out of the game.
Q. Arike, you've had a chance to win these games,
then you're at the line with a chance to tie it. 80%
foul shooter. What is your level of shock?
ARIKE OGUNBOWALE: I mean, it's tough. It's tough.
You can't really do anything about that one.
Q. Brianna, Arike has put you guys through so
many big moments with big shots. She kind of
throws her head back after that free throw. What is
going through your mind?
BRIANNA TURNER: It doesn't come down to the free
throw. I missed the block the previous play. I mean,
we were down a dozen at halftime. I mean, Kalani
was, like, really hurting us down low. It didn't come
down to a free throw. It was much more than that.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, ladies. We'll continue
with questions for coach.
Q. Talk about the impact of the Cox injury, that
period of time. You really made a charge at them
after that point. Did you feel like you had to pull
your kids together and regroup a little?
MUFFET McGRAW: Yeah, I don't think anybody wants
to see that. We've had so many. Brings back bad
memories. You kind of want to gather up, say a prayer
in your head, hope she's okay.
But you've got to be resilient, just like we were last
year. You've got to be able to come out. I thought
Smith came in and gave them a huge lift. I thought she
played really well.
Q. What did you say to Arike after that? Obviously
she knows that it's not the free throw that makes
the difference.
MUFFET McGRAW: The game didn't come down to
that free throw. I mean, the game was 40 minutes.
There were plenty of mistakes we made throughout the
game that caused us to lose, most notably the first
quarter. Just didn't come out ready.
Q. You had five people on the floor, of course, who
can make shots in that situation. Any question in
your mind that call was going to be for Arike in that
spot? How much was what she's done in her
career play a part in your decision?
MUFFET McGRAW: Yeah, we decided that probably a
week ago. I mean, there's no question that's what was
going to happen. Worked on that play in particular.
Wasn't exactly how we thought it would go. She got to
the free-throw line.
Q. Baylor's guards take 42 of their 73 shots. You
would think that would be an advantage to you the
way they play. You're a fourth quarter team. Is that
because of the mental and physical conditioning
you have?
MUFFET McGRAW: I think we're in pretty good shape.
I think mentally they definitely have a higher gear that
they can get to. We didn't quite get there on defense
tonight. I thought we got there on offense.
What was the first part of your question?
Q. (No microphone.)
MUFFET McGRAW: Yeah, I mean, Jackson was
having a day. We were actually trying to guard her.
She just got a lot of really good shots, shot over us,
went by us, scored in pretty much any way. Really,
really stepped up in the big moment.
Q. Having won with this group last year, does it
make it any easier to come this close tonight?
MUFFET McGRAW: No. You know, it's always tough to
lose. I think you're always looking at that one thing you
could have done differently to make the difference in
the game. Just disappointed about our start. I mean,
that was really unfortunate.
But knowing what this group has meant to us, it makes
it tougher to lose this way.
Q. We got the stat that Arike Ogunbowale, second
overall in points in this tournament, with her 37
tonight. Thinking back on what she's meant to
Notre Dame, maybe what she can be at the next
level, what would you say about Arike?
MUFFET McGRAW: I think she's going to be a great
player in the WNBA. She is incredibly skilled, great
work ethic, wants to win. She can score in a lot of
different ways. Yeah, I think she's going to be a star.