NCAA Tournament Zoom Session Comments from Head Coach Joni Taylor and Players

The No. 10 Georgia Lady Bulldogs were selected as a No. 3 seed for the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Head Coach Joni Taylor and players Gabby Connally and Maya Caldwell commented after the seeding was announced.

Head Coach Joni Taylor
On how she feels about their seeding...
"Obviously, it is exciting to be playing when you look at last year and us having to stop in the middle of playing before post season began. So, we are just grateful for the opportunity number one to get this far and compete in the NCAA Tournament. Obviously, the field of 64 is the best 64 teams in the country. We are excited about representing The University of Georgia as a number three seed. We will get to work immediately on Drexel, and learn all that we can about them, and start scouting."

On whether she feels upset they got the same seed as Tennessee after going 2-0 against them...
"Not at all, I mean Tennessee is really, really good, they beat South Carolina this year. The SEC was really, really tough. I do wish we had more SEC teams in; I do think LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State- when you look at just at our league and how tough it is I just wish we could have gotten one more team in, but overall, looking at the tournament I am extremely happy with not only where we are but, how well the SEC represented women's basketball."

On if she thinks her team can go all the way...
"I think we proved that last weekend in the SEC Tournament. The biggest thing is that these players play for each other and they play with their hearts, they're tough and we have a lot of depth. If we can stay healthy, we will be able to make a really big run as long as we play together, and people step up and make big plays."

On this past week...
"It was heavy in the locker-room Sunday, obviously. South Carolina is really, really good. To be able to play the game the way we did we did not make enough plays and ran out of time. It was balancing emotions of being extremely sad because we did not finish what we came there to do. Also taking a moment to appreciate everything that we had done up to this point and realizing that if we continue to play the way we have been playing, we are peaking at the right time we could go really far in the NCAA Tournament. I think what the SEC Tournament proved to us is that we are one of the best teams in the country. And that we have an opportunity to go compete for another championship."

On what the next few days look like for the team...
"I have no idea. There are more questions than answers. The NCAA determines everything, they tell you when to you leave, how you travel, how you leave. We don't know any of that yet, I am sure Meredith [Mitchell] is getting phone calls right now. Since they have had the reveal and the selection show we will get more information. This past week we took some time off to reset, recharge, refocus and to pack. We do plan on being out there for three weeks. So that is what we have been doing and now we will just sit back and get our instructions from Meredith after she speaks with the NCAA."

On if there is an area within the team that is favorable to an NCAA run...
"Our roster. You know we are dangerous. We have a lot of depth, and on any given night it could be anyone could be a difference maker for us. That is what has allowed us to get to this point. That is what will allow us to make a run in the NCAA Tournament, and hopefully compete for a championship. What makes us dangerous is our depth and that on any given night it could be anybody. So far we have all been ready when our number has been called."

On peaking...
"Absolutely, I have seen teams that peak in January I have seen teams that are starting to peak but aren't quite there and can't sustain it. It is a little bit of luck honestly. To try and get that done at the right time and we have been able to do that this year. We took some time off this week and started back practice over the weekend. We picked up right back where we left off which is another thing that I was excited to see. So, we excited about the opportunity we have and we are ready to play some basketball."

On her message to her team after the SEC Tournament...
"That was exactly it. Let's sit in this. Hopefully, we can make it back to the SEC Championship Game, this is not our last time here, but we must control the emotions around this because we are not done. We are not done. You have a moment to feel how you feel about Sunday. It was heavy right, like I said earlier, but let's get into the business of staying present and getting ready to compete and play because we are playing really good basketball. The lesson coming from Sunday is we have another opportunity to compete for another championship, that's how good this team can be."

On whether her team has COVID-19 precautionary plans...
"Absolutely, I think we have been prepared for it all year. That is what happens, you have protocols and plans in place and hopefully you don't have to use them but if you do, we just follow the follow the protocol that is set for us. It is pretty standard. There is not a lot of wiggle room when it comes to that. We would just do what our medical advisors tell us and lean heavily on our trainer and our doctor."

On the SEC Tournament building the team's confidence...
"Well, I mean you look at playing Kentucky who has the best player in the country in Rhyne Howard. Then you go to Texas A&M who won the SEC Regular Season Championship and only had one loss, those are two teams we lost to in the regular season. Then to go play South Carolina who is another team we lost to and ended up losing to on Sunday. Those are really tough teams to play back-to-back-to-back. I think for us to show up the way we did mentally and physically, the energy we had, the cohesiveness we had, the different players that were able to step up and play for us. I think it gave us all a lot of confidence to know that we belong on this stage and it will carry us into the Tournament."

On playing Drexel...
"Listen, there are so many bracketologies and so many predictions and so many things, we don't spend a lot of time doing a lot of things on the front end of it. When we have done that in the past it never ends up being who you thought it was going to be. Especially given this year, again hopefully having an extended stay in San Antonio, our focus has been on spending time with our families, making sure we are all packed up for a long stay. Then we will get back in the office tonight and dig up everything we can on Drexel and start watching film. We don't do any prep in terms of maybe it's this team or maybe it's that team you know. We handle it when we find out who it is."

On what boxes she hopes to check off in the NCAA Tournament...
"There are lot of teams that this team has not done. Making it to the Elite Eight, that has not been done since 2013, making it to the Final Four, it has been done five times here, but it has been quite a while. I think we are capable. Then again, looking forward to getting out there, getting quarantined so we can get back involved and practicing. We are ready to play. "

On her thoughts on the teams that she could play in the NCAA Tournament...
"That we have to beat Drexel to get there. So, my focus is on Drexel."

On the general mindset of the team...
"I think it is staying in the present moment. We approach every game like it is last one we are going to play. Especially with the challenges of the season and everything that is going on, we don't take any game for granted. We have taken this season one game at a time. That is truly how you have to survive and advance in the Tournament. You cannot look ahead, and you can't look behind- what we have done is over. We have to go be in this present moment. What sits in front of us now is Drexel."

On how this tournament will be different this year...
"We actually did this in 2013 when we were a top-four seed and we got sent to Spokane [Washington]. Our first and second rounds were out there, so Coach Landers made the decision to keep us out there instead of going back and forth. So, some of us actually have experience doing this. Obviously, the protocol measures will be a lot tighter. We will not be able to move the way you are used to moving, but I think that we have an experienced team and we sat our team down and talked about how this is a business trip. I think they are prepared mentally and physically to be out there for three weeks. It will be nice to stay in one place and not have to pack up. Obviously, not being able to see your family and to have the freedom that you are used to having will be different, but that is when you rely on your experience and just reminding them that nothing great is achieved without a sacrifice. This is a sacrifice we have to make, but guess what? So do the other 63 teams. We are not the only ones with these rules and protocols. We are ready to go and excited for the opportunity."

On benefits of having a senior-heavy team…
They've lived through a lot in their 21-22 years. They've seen a lot. They saw us walk out of Greenville, S.C. last year and expected to have a team meeting in a week and that never happened and we were separated from each other for months. They don't take anything for granted. This is something that they have dreamed of since they came to Georgia. They came to Georgia to compete in the NCAA Tournament and to advance and to continue to rewrite the legacy of Georgia Basketball and to add on to it and enhance it. They put themselves into this position and I think that they have been tremendous in being leaders for our young women on this team to show them the way. We have a fun group and we have a lot of fun, but when it's time to get down to business we're are able to do that. I think the balance of enjoying the moment and enjoying each other, but also being able to put our hard hat on and get to work has allowed us to be as successful as we've been this year.

On how past two tournament appearances have helped her prepare…
At this point with the quick turnarounds, it's about the mental prep as much as it is the physical. You want to save the players' legs, you want to make sure they're fresh. So, it is a grind. You've got to compete and play every game like it's the last one, but also it's where the mental piece of it comes into play in terms of making sure that they're ready to go from a mental aspect. The film, the scouting report and those details really come into play.

On how loss to South Carolina can be helpful going into the NCAA Tournament…
We learn from every experience - the good ones and the not so good ones. We fell short. Hopefully what we learned from that is how to stop a run sooner and how to go on a run faster, how to take care of the basketball in some moments where we didn't. We can learn and grow from all of those experiences. That game was this group's first time competing for a championship, hopefully it won't be the last. We can take what we learned in that moment and apply it to the [NCAA] Tournament.

On what she knows about San Antonio and Gabby Connally's recruiting process…
I know that they have good Mexican food in San Antonio. The Final Four was there a few years back and they always host a great tournament so I am excited about going back. The River Walk is a nice area - not that we will be able to see any of that trip around. Obviously Gabby Connally is from San Antonio, Texas. I was at a tournament in Texas in July and was watching someone play and Gabby was playing on the court next to the team I was watching. This was Gabby's ninth or tenth grade year. There was a pause in play in the game I was watching and I turned to watch the other game. I saw Gabby come off of a ball screen and shoot the ball and then come off of a ball screen and make a play. They kept running ball screens for her. I was like 'who is she?' and got up from the game I was watching to go watch Gabby. Then I found out that she played for Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil who is a really good friend of mine and a college coach for a really long time. That got me excited because Clarissa does things the right way, she has coached and played at the highest level and was one of the best players in Texas basketball history. I know she is going to be hard on her. I knew that Gabby was going to be tough and was going to be prepared from a scouting report and she was going to be able to come in and play immediately and be a really good point guard for us. I got a lot of things answered in a short amount of time and then we just started the recruiting process from there.

On what Gabby Connally has meant to the program…
Gabby Connally has been someone who will sit here and tell you, I am sure, that I have been hard on her. As a point guard there is a different expectation, there's a different level of responsibility that I place on that position. I knew that she was someone who could handle it. For her to not flinch when I am just on her, on her, on her speaks to her resilience and her toughness. She hits big shot after big shot after big shot. She is one of our sharpest players in terms of scouting report and knowing what is going to happen. You know you're clicking when she comes over during free throws and we can say the same play at the same time. I am asking her, 'what do you want to run next?' and 'what do you see out there?' The vibe we have as point guard and coach is something that takes time to develop and when you see it come together it's a really special thing. It has been tremendous for our program.

On what it means to have three schools represent the state of Georgia in the NCAA Tournament…
Listen, Georgia in my opinion is full of talent. You look at Georgia, California and Texas and that is where everybody comes to recruit the top prospects in the country. I am not shocked at all that Georgia has three teams in the tournament. Susie Gardner has done a tremendous job at Mercer - they're always competing for championships. What Nell Fortner has done in her short time at Georgia Tech is really tremendous and she has done a really good job there. For us to represent the state in the way that we are, I am very happy for both of them - they are really good friends. Obviously Susie is a former Lady Bulldog and an assistant coach here so those ties go really deep. Nell is first class in everything she does. You could literally circle the state of Georgia and recruit from the state and get top talent.

On her approach to this year's NCAA Tournament…
Well, it is survive and advance or lose and go home. You have to do everything right or there are no more chances. I think that we understand that. We have taken this week to honestly recharge. We gave them all the week off and have practiced Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and today. We will give them tomorrow off so that they can finish packing so they will be ready to go when we find out when we are leaving. I think what we learned after the SEC Tournament is more confirmation. This team already knew that was special and they had a chance to really shock some people so what has happened is everybody else is catching up to what we already knew we could be. It's one thing to say it and one thing to do it. I think the confirmation for us is that we did it - we didn't win it, but we made it to the championship game and fell a little bit short. It gives us the opportunity to go at it one more time.

#2| Gabby Connally G
On being able to return home to play in the NCAA Tournament…
"There are no words for it. Just the way it all happened is really crazy and obviously I'm super excited to be heading back home. I know there are some friends and family that will get to see me in person who have yet to see me play in person. I'm just fortunate enough to have friends and family who watch me on TV. I have a lot more people who want to see me do well rather than see me fail. That's just so uplifting. For me to be able to finish out my last year at home and play some of my last collegiate games in San Antonio is going to be something really special. I'm really excited. It's going to be bittersweet but obviously I'm looking forward to it and I'm looking forward to bringing home a trophy too."

On being able to play in the NCAA Tournament as a freshman and now as a senior…
"It's come full circle. It's bittersweet, I don't want my playing days to be over here, but at the same time I'm glad that I went through all that I've gone through. I am who I am today because of those experiences and because of the people I've played alongside and the people I've played under. Coach Joni and the coaching staff, they've really developed me as a young woman and if basketball is in my future after my last year here, I know I'll be excited about that and continue to lean on the coaches and my teammates. They're my sisters, I'll have them forever, they'll be in my wedding, stuff like that. It's just honestly…the one word I have is bittersweet but I am looking forward to going out and finishing my career. I don't want anything less than a National Championship.

On what kind of legacy she hopes to leave…
"We want to bring home, and I know I keep saying it so maybe the more I say it the more positive vibes get put in the air, but we want to win a National Championship. Even if we don't accomplish that, I think that we just play extremely hard. We know there's more to life than basketball. So, I think we're all prepared for the real world and I think that the class of 2017, they're all really good basketball players. What's even more impressive than that is that they're even better people. I love spending time with Jenna [Staiti], Que [Morrison] and Maya [Caldwell]. Like I said, they'll all be in my wedding, I'll continue to talk to them once I leave the University of Georgia but we just want…the legacy that I hope we've left and the example that we've set is just to come out and play. Play extremely hard and give it your all and have fun in the process."

#11 | Maya Caldwell G
On what it is about how they've been playing recently that will allow them to succeed in the tournament…
"We just play together. We've honestly been doing that for most of the season but last couple of weeks we've been playing together, for each other and I feel like that's the reason why we've gotten so far. We don't want to disappoint one another and let each other down."

On how she's trying to carry her confidence from the SEC Tournament to the NCAA Tournament…
"Just by staying focused and not letting it get to my head. Raising expectations is something that I've talked to the coaches about many times and they've already made it very clear about what I was capable since I got here as a freshman. I finally had my little breakthrough consistently but it's not about me. It's about the team, it's about getting that trophy, that ring and just reminding myself who I'm doing it for. That's the team, my family and the Lord."

On how she is different than she was than the last time they made the tournament…
"For one, I'm way more experienced now. I feel like my role has changed a little bit as far as being a senior on the team and being a starter. That comes with a lot of weight to carry. I'm also way more mature. I think it's safe to say that my IQ level has risen. I also got better at defense. A lot of little things, a lot of major things has changed such as those."