University of Georgia Athletics
Practice Underway for 2021-22 Georgia Lady Bulldogs
October 01, 2021 | Women's Basketball
ATHENS, Ga. – The University of Georgia Lady Bulldog basketball team held its first official practice of the 2021-22 season Thursday evening at the Stegeman Coliseum training facility.
Under the leadership of 2021 SEC Coach of the Year Joni Taylor, Georgia returns close to 85 percent of its scoring from last season's team. The Lady Bulldogs are led by returning graduate students Jenna Staiti, Que Morrison, Mikayla Coombs and Malury Bates — seniors who have all earned undergraduate degrees from the University of Georgia.
2021 SEC All-Freshman Team member Sarah Ashlee Barker is also back and will be joined by McDonald's All-Americans Reigan Richardson and Jillian Hollingshead.
During Thursday's media availability, Taylor, Staiti and Morrison offered the following comments.
Head Coach Joni Taylor
On Jenna Staiti and Que Morrison returning...
"I do not know if I can put it into words. It is so great to have them. You go from thinking that you are going to lose four seniors and being very young to having two of them back. That gives you three starters back. Their experience and the miles that they have put on the court is tremendous. They lead the right way. They are both from the state of Georgia and wanted to come back. They felt like they had unfinished business, and I think that also makes its own statement. Both of them could have easily gotten drafted and could have gone to play, so I just think that it speaks to the love that they have for their program and for each other that they wanted to return for another year."
On Sarah Ashlee Barker entering her second season …
"She is in tremendous shape. She looks great. Our message to her was 'You have to stay on the floor, which means you have to stop fouling. Your role is going to be very different than what it was last year, and that starts with being available and being on the floor.' Just really not putting herself in those situations to get in foul trouble where she has to sit — just consistently knocking down shots. I think, for her, we know that she is capable of that. I think that this year she feels a lot more comfortable in our system and what it is that we are doing. She is not thinking as much. She is playing, so it already looks different. Just being able to consistently knock down shots and then challenging her to be a three-level scorer and not just settling for those jump shots."
On Jenna Staiti and Que Morrison being fully healthy to start the season...
"With Que, she is fully healthy. For us, it is just managing their load. The goal for us is for them to finish the season healthy and to put them in positions to have success. It is what it is. I tell our players all of the time that it is fair, but it is not the same. There are just some things that they are not going to do. Jenna is going on her sixth year, and Que is on her fifth. The amount of tread that they have on their tires, as I say in practice all of the time, I do not need to see Que get through a ball screen. I am very confident that she can do that, so I need to get somebody else those reps or give somebody else Jenna's reps offensively. For us, it is making sure that they stay sharp, that they stay in shape, that they have a chip on their shoulder. Managing load and making sure that they finish the season healthy, so they can go on to have a great professional career is what our focus is. They are both healthy. They both look great. They are picking up right where they finished last season, which was at a very high level, scoring and playing. They are excited to get started today, and I am excited to see how they continue to lead now that we are into practice."
#23 Que Morrison | Graduate | Guard
On her decision to return for this season …
"I always had it in the back of my head when I was presented the opportunity. I wasn't focused on it because I had a season to finish and that was all I really cared about. Once the season did finish, I kept the window open between coming back and entering the draft when honestly, I always knew I was coming back."
On what is the unfinished business and what she wants to see the team accomplish…
"More so just going farther than where we went. Last year is over and I have to look forward to what is in front of me. I see a bright future for this group of girls and I just want to go further and go harder."
On what she tells the younger players, given her experience…
"I kind of had that role last year, thinking it was my last year, but I'm just trying to lead by example. Whatever that looks like for me- whether that's talking more or doing the rep as hard as I can and showing how it's supposed to be. Setting that example. I've been doing that since we came back this summer and my teammates have acknowledged it."
#14 Jenna Staiti | Graduate | Center
On her decision to return for this season…
"I definitely did look into going into the WNBA draft. But after much conversations with Coach Joni, it was like 'how could I not take this opportunity?' It's a really good opportunity for me. I get to finish my masters. I get to spend another year here and my family and friends get to see me play one more time here at the collegiate level. It all just seemed like I needed to be here. It took a lot of weight off my shoulders once I decided to come back. I was really stressed with the decision-making process because I really wanted to do what was best for me and not what my parents thought I should do or anything like that, but overall, this was the best decision for me."
On her years of playing basketball and how far she's come…
"I see the really shy, not confidant player that I was when I first got here. What these coaches and my teammates have helped me transition into and how much confidence they put in me every day has really shaped me into the player that I am today. It means the world to me. I think I've grown up a lot. I'm an adult now. Even off the court, I'm a totally different person than I was when I first got here."
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