Um I'm guessing you could have chosen really any of the seniors. Uh but we gotta remember these guys are student athletes, man. Their whole families are here. Carmichael is on fire. I mean there, I can't even get to them. There's so many pictures and, and autographs wanted and that's what this is about. So if it's really critical, we can make them available uh another day, but I'm just so proud of the seniors. I'm so happy that they're being loved the way they deserve uh in Carmichael and I'm clearly proud of Lexie that she says I'll do it so that those guys can stay and be adored by the ones that are here. So uh about the game, Duke Carolina, right? It's probably the heading of most of y'all's articles, Duke Carolina, Carolina, Duke, you know, just such a special treat. Uh Biggest thing I take away is that when those four seniors came to Carolina, the program was in a time of transition. Um They trusted, they trusted me, they trusted the place and they've fallen in love with it along the way. Um And their senior night is sold out totally packed. Um And they were adored by the people that kind of fought their way to get here. They were good enough to get LEXI to come. Um So I'm just really proud of the environment. Thanks for everybody to support this program. I, I came, I had to go home for something before the game and I came back around two of the games, the games at four and I, I can't even tell you the line. I tried to take a pic, I tried to take a video of it but I was driving and that's not safe and, but man, it's really, really grateful to how much this team is loved. Coach. What does this moment mean to you to see Alyssa and Deja members of your first class as a head coach here explode offensively and kind of make the plays down. Yeah. Well, first, thanks for all the coverage you two in particular have had all year. You've been traveling, you've been kind of having to write a lot of unique stories and different people kind of game after game. But, um, you know, II, I showed some film to Alyssa before the game reminding her that she impacts the game in so many ways, right? And so if she was in a scoring drought for a game, like that's just not, it doesn't matter, she impacts the game in so many ways. So I showed her the various things, playmaking, rebounding, blocking, stealing, shooting, driving is oing um, and you know, she obviously showed a lot of that tonight and Deja Kelly is just, you know, a killer, the, the, the plan at the end they were down three was the foul to make sure they didn't get a three pointer. And then, yeah, yeah. Yeah, we had a foul to give the first time and then, you know, up three and a foul, they only get two shots. I like our rebounding down there. So, um, we were going to see if, if they were starting to take some time off the clock and if they were running, you know, any stagger that we were gonna have to run through, we wanted to make contact on the ball. Yeah, I mean, you know, India too, I mean, I think she's, she impacts the game in a lot of ways and so, you know what she didn't do in shooting, she did a lot of other things, I don't know, statistically, four steals, you know, five rebounds. I mean, what, whatever we can get from guys off the bench will take and, you know, India is only gonna have only gonna get better and better here. That might not be an appropriate word. My mom doesn't like when I use that word. So use it, use it, uh, in the right way. I mean, how did you see it play out in the right way in those final minutes? You know, she just loves the, the ball in her hands. Um I think she's continuing, you know, that kids had to play through a lot of her teammates, you know, new teammates coming in highly impactful ones and then, um and, and then position a lot of guys going out. So she's had a really kind of ebb and flow this year with what we've needed from her. Um And, you know, we finally got to a point where we said what we need from her is find ways to help us win. And she did that tonight in that first half, particularly in the second quarter, it seemed like Duke was able to kind of get in rhythm from the three point line, I guess, you know, you know, plateaued a little bit later in the game, but I guess in that first half, you know, what did you see out there that was to get those looks and, yeah, so Friday was a walk through because I can you imagine me ask these guys to practice how, how, how tired they are, you know, they're not tired but how fatiguing these are on their bodies. So we walked through a 23 zone which we've, we've never played here. Um And so on Saturday, we used our guys and we practiced them live through kind of their main sets against the zone. Um And it, it really played well. I thought we got tired at some point in the second quarter and so we weren't quite as active. Um And they made big shots and, you know, guys that are kind of lower percentage three point shooters, right? Um And so we tightened that up with our energy. Our slides were pretty good all night. Um And where our rebounding was pretty good all night out of his own. Um, you know, so yeah, it was just, you know, you, you've gotta do what you gotta do and today we felt like we needed a little bit different defense to give him a different look there in the front row that changes the jerseys. Oh, guys, I'm just so bummed that I never thought of that. I mean, it was such a good idea. Um, yeah, you know, they're having fun with it and that's what women's basketball's about. Right? I know Caitlyn had a set, a set another record today. You know, the game is just really fun right now and when you have, um, grown people, um, not just watching games but getting into it, like that's really, really cool. Um, and so, um, I kinda expect them now. You know, they're my first fist pump when I come out. Um, because I, they're a reminder to me to enjoy it. It's hard to do. Right. You're so locked in and wired up. Um, and they just are a constant reminder to also have fun doing this. Yeah, it was definitely a very physical game. Um, I thought we stepped up and brought that aspect to the game too because we knew that they were gonna be physical coming in. But that was something that we talked about defensively that we had to bring. And I thought we did a really good job with that. We didn't let them just cut and score wherever they wanted to. We, we were physical back with them. Um, and I think that brought us some advantages throughout the course of the game and what did that talk or practice look like specifically to kind of bring that physical? Yeah, I'm, it's all our practice guys. They bring it defensively and we bring it right back to them when, when we're on defense. Um Yeah. No, our practices get physical and intense and prepare us a lot for these games. The defense, it seems like they had a harder time driving to the hoop. Ken said it was very different from the defense that they saw in Durham. How was it different than how did it work so well? Yeah, you know, we, we, we knew we've been one of those teams that's been able to keep them below 60 you know, um and they're hard to guard with their pace also. It's, these guys running around a lot is, you know, just pace takes a toll on them over a 40 minute period. So, uh giving them more zone front, giving them more. We did some match up stuff, so we did a little bit of a 2212 at times, uh, did a bit of a 23 at times, you know, so we had to scheme a bit defensively and that's ok. You know, these guys are willing to do whatever we need them to do and, you know, I don't know, you practiced it for 20 minutes and, and played it for 40. So good job. Did, did you speak to Reagan Richardson? One of nine? Uh What did you guys do against her? I mean, it was a full team effort. We were in a zone for almost the entire game. Um So it's just knowing where the shooters are making them take tough contested shots. And for the most part like, yeah, we had a couple of defensive breakdowns that we wish we could change. But for the most part, I thought we did a really good job knowing their personnel and acting on that in live play. Let's see. What did you see making a difference in that? Yeah, I mean, I just really think we brought it. We were intense. Um We were like we're winning this game and we all went out there and we played together and there it, it just wasn't gonna go any other way and that senior class, they just put their minds to it and it was a lot of fun. I mean, our effort on both ends of the floor diving for loose balls, getting difficult rebounds and still continuing. To score by moving the ball. What's the, you'd be brought in with this senior class and be a part of this group this year? Yeah, I mean, it's a unique situation since I am a grad student. So it's, it's a little different. But, um, the class is awesome there. Some of my closest friends and I've only known them for, what, 89 months like, um, and it's just crazy the, the impact that we've had on each other's lives in this short time and I'm really thankful for getting to know and play with all of them. Let's see, I guess, uh, when you're, you know, thinking back to obviously, you know, joining, you know, this particular team when you were looking at, I guess, mostly, you know, Deja and Alyssa and things like that, what stuck out about, you know, their games that you saw una that made you kind of say, you know, that's the type of, you know, those are the tough plays. Yeah, one of the biggest things is their grit and their competitiveness. Um, I feel like with both of them, coach always says they're relentless, they're tough and it's true. I mean, those are the type of people you want to play with and definitely a big reason on why I came to Carolina because I wanted to play with them along with the rest of the girls that were here. Um, so it's, yeah, like they, they help with the recruiting for sure. Um Just with their effort and the way that they play every single possession and how many kids in the portal wanna come and play with people that defend most people come and they want to ask about playing time, they wanna ask about role, they want to ask about shots. Um All Lexi said is I wanna play with a whole team of people that want to defend. I was like, um I'll send you some games of us defending. And sure enough here she is with, with, with uh seniors having the ability to play at this senior, they have quite the same finality that it has for years for you. Um, you know, senior nights are really hard and I, I keep trying to figure out how I can be good in those moments because they're just, they become, they've been in my home many times. I've been in their homes. I mean, you just have a really unique close closeness and you, you see them at their worst and you see them at their best, right? Um But I think part of it that makes it unique is that it's a four year journey and that's all I kind of focus on and especially with this particular group because there's four of them like they're gonna have, they've got to make some decisions and, and that's the lay of the land. Now they get to make decisions based on the information they have and, and it, it would do no, it would do no justice to this program or this journey to ask them a mid in the middle of it, what's best for you and what's be, what's best for us because it's just a finite experience. Right? And so for me, I just went all in on senior night and if, if any of them are back, we'll celebrate them again because then they'll be graduate students, right? Um, but we have 44 year seniors and that's just really rare and really special. How do you feel about where you are now in the postseason? Um, you know, with what we've with, with what we've been through this year, um, this will go down as a, as a really good year. You know, these guys have really been through it. Um, you know, I think if you, you could say you'll drive yourself nuts if you think about God very, I've already been fined. So, whatever happened at Duke the last time, you all figure that out, right? And then we had an overtime with NC State. We had an overtime with Virginia Tech. We had, you know, these guys have had so many opportunities and you're on. So it's easy to say what if, but instead we just say what is right? And what is, is a really resilient group that whoever is in front of them, they go all out. Right? And so now this is the best time of year. It's March so thrive in advance. Um, or you go home for, for both of you guys, I guess, uh, going off of that in these next few days, how much of it is a, I guess, a, a regroup so to speak. I mean, you know, you kind of mentioned there's been a lot of injuries, a lot of, you know, different stages of this season. But how much is these next few games? Kind of a, a regrouping. Well, since I've had a few, little bit more experience in Greensboro than her, I'll go first, I think. Um, we're off tomorrow and then I think, what is the day we play Thursday? Oh, so it's like the same, it's like a Thursday. So tomorrow will be off, tomorrow's Monday. Yeah, tomorrow we'll be off and then Tuesday we'll prepare. Um, and I don't even know when we're leaving that. I don't know, I don't know the details. I kind of focus one game at a time, but it's a Thursday game. So I've got, uh, two days of, of them on the, uh, on the court to prepare a game plan. Um, and then everyone we play, we've played before, right? And so, gosh, we know him well, so now it's more about what tweets do we have to make or where do we have to be different? Uh, but, you know, tournament time is so fun. You're not well fed, you're not well slapped and that's what you live for. Yeah. I mean, obviously I'm new to the AC C but, um, we were really just focused on this one tonight. We haven't thought that far ahead. Honestly. Um, we just got to take it one game at a time every time, no matter where we're at in our season. Can you speak to Sydney's four minutes in the third period? I thought the roof was gonna come off when she made that three because, because people root for good people, right? People root for good people. I know it's a good story. She's also a good human, right? Um You know, when she went down at Boston College, I literally was like, you have to be kidding me. Like up above is also picking on my walk on like stop leave us alone, right? Um And so she's wearing that mask, we'll get her a better mask. We custom fit it, but it takes a couple of days. So the next time you see her, she'll be in a better mask. But um yeah, you know, she made a big shot. The kid has given us all. She's got in practice and, you know, the freshman progression is not pretty, uh it's not awesome. It's kind of lonely. It's, it's really hard. Um She's been celebrated by her teammates and she's like been like every other freshman, she just every day, stacks a day. Um And so she's better now than she was three months ago and we need her to be better Thursday than she was today. Yeah. Easy kid to root for. Not just because of her story but because she's a good human. I mean, she leads the, the biggest fan of everyone on our team category. Um And you root for people that root for you one more from Lexi. How did you personally see Alyssa kind of combat the physicality? Yeah, I mean, she brought it, she was scoring in so many ways through people using a counter, using up on up and under and just, yeah, she had a really big three too. I mean, she can do it all and she's really proved that tonight. Um Just her competitiveness on both ends of the floor and just really took advantage of the matchups that she had and the matchup she had was a great matchup for our team. So we were trying to get the ball as much as we could. Um And she, she was great. Yeah, like what was going through her? Let's go. I mean, she prices them every single day. So we see her shooting them, we see them going in. So um it, it feels good when she has the confidence to step up and hit one like that. How about when Lexi went off the dribble? Were you guys so excited? Me too. Me too. Thanks. Thank you. Good job.