Pac-12 Media Day 2022 – Women’s Basketball Highlights
San Francisco, Pac-12 Studios, October 25, 2o22
By Shereen Rayan
@sportscrazee Twitter @sportscrazee28 Instagram
One of the most successful Pac-12 Media Day for Women’s basketball came to a conclusion at 4pm on Tuesday, it was fantastic. With game announcers and former coaches asking questions, it was just plain fun. A few bombs were dropped as well.
UTAH
Coach: Lynne Roberts Players:
Coach talked about how angry her team was after they lost to Texas in the NCAA Tournament, she couldn’t get a reaction to her post-game speech from her players. Gianna and Kennedy feel they learned a lot from that experience, they are excited about their freshman. Coach treats every conference game as an NCAA Tournament game, she wants to get better defensively. “I’ll run with these guys anywhere,” said Coach Roberts after being asked about playing Stanford after Tara Vanderveer voted Utah to win the Pac-12. Joan Bonvicini and Cindy Brunson both agreed that Utah was a fun team to call games for, probably because the Utes average 75.9 points per game earning them the highest-scoring team in the Pac-12 (17th NCAA).
Coach Roberts said it’s hard to get the players off the court, they are practicing so much, they want to be better. Adding USC transfer Alissa Pili has been wonderful, Coach Roberts joked that Pili wouldn’t pick up the phone while recruiting her and was always wanting Pili on her team when playing against USC, so she is happy to have her in Utah.
WASHINGTON
Coach: Tina Langley Players: Lauren Schwartz (F), Haley Van Dyke
The players came in wearing some beautiful purple adidas uniforms, the shorts had a unique design, I had to ask them what they thought about them and the love them, thin material, the colors, everything.
Coach Langley wants her team to be known for how they care about each other, that each teammate makes everyone better. Haley is excited about the growth of the team and Lauren sees all the growth on the team being there for each other. Coach Langley wants to lead by defense but get better on offense, she feels that going to play in Italy was a big help and great experience. Haley felt the team got together as a group in Italy, they went to a villa and made pasta together, and she loved Florence the most.
UCLA
Coach: Cori Close Players: Kiki Rice (G), Charisma Osborne (G)
Coach Close has always backed the pac, choices were made and there are great opportunities, she is focused on making the experience great for student athletes. She has the highest ranked recruiting class coming in for the upcoming season and she is working on the team getting to know each other, they spent the summer working on relationships. Coach recruited for more than just skill, she looked for high character young women. Charisma and Cori feel the freshman are very competitive and fit into the team, they are all committed to winning. They want to give the freshman the grace to learn but hold them to the highest standards.
About leaving the Pac-12, the team is focused at whatever opportunities which are in front of them. She sees a more position-less style, players need a high IQ, this she learned from Coaching team USA (USA Women’s U19 World Cup Team). Her biggest takeaway is how to focus on the habits during the journey, and then how to coach with a championship mentality. She plans to coach the team hard, she has uncommon women developing uncommon habits.
UCLA missing the tournament was a feeling Charisma just doesn’t want to feel again. Kiki, a freshman, was asked who the starters will be, as well as Charisma.
Coach Close feels finding joy is a choice, and that was driven home for her as she went through adversity of past years. The discomfort of adversity brings growth according to Close.
OREGON
Coach: Kelly Graves Players: Endya Rogers (G), Te-Hina Paopao
Coach Graves is okay with all the transfers going on in the Pac-12, he carries 11 players on his roster. The players did a lot of soul searching over the summer, they are hungry to be Champions. Kennedy, “She’s 6-7, she’ll be 6’7 the whole game,” coach Graves explained, “We need all the freshmen to be competitive” Graves feels his team has to shoot the ball better and have more fluidity on offense.
Former Duck Sabrina Ionescu advised Endyia to keep apprised of the score. Coach Graves feels she is a Super Hero, the way she represents Oregon and the WNBA, “She truly is a marvel.”
What the difference about their team this season is they want to work hard for each other, “We’re all in it together,” explained Endyia, “We have to be way more consistent — and trust each other,” replied Te-Hina. The team is working hard and playing for each other.
ARIZONA STATE
Coach: Natasha Adair Players: Sydney Erikstrup (), Jaddan Simmons ()
Coach Adair, a championship coach, had to sign seven new players in her first season at ASU who wants a team that has a defensive focused, this job is a “Dream come true.” Her expectations are to win, Adair is a competitor, to have her team prepared, to have chemistry on the court. She talks with her players all the time, to listen to her players and bring them along. The ASU Administration has been super supportive, but Adair is focused on the players.
The team has gone to the pumpkin patch and gone to escape rooms to build chemistry. Coach Adair is big on family, she has a maternal instinct, that’s why Jaddan and Sydney stayed to play for her. Coach is about the player first.
Coach Adair runs a drill called cycles, the players have to get the ball to the front court in 3 seconds. Jaddan Simmons, or J-Smooth, worked on three point shooting this summer, to shoot the ball fast. For Sydney Erikstrup, she wants to utilize her length more. One being picked last, Coach Adair stated, “We will not be there – we want to get back to national prominence and stay there.”
CALIFORNIA
Coach: Charmin Smith Players: Jayda Curry (G), Kamery Martin (G)
Cal will be playing on national TV on ABC, in St. Louis, where Coach Smith is from, so her family and friends are “Super Excited.” The team will be doing some events with the Boys and Girls Club.
Cal had it tough with COVID protocols in California, so Coach Smith is looking forward to getting her players on the court playing games. The new additions and having health players will help the team with defense. Coach Smith wants to win, she brings in alumni in to talk to her players. She wants to spread the floor with all the guards she has, it will be a different look, but there is a place for the post players.
Kamery loves Cal which has a very diverse student body, academics are placed first, then basketball. They have fun goofing off, uncut moments, they know how to have fun with each other. Coach Smith loves continuing to play in the Raising the BAR Tournament, BAR stands for Basketball, Activism, and Representation. Cal has won the tournament 22 times.
STANFORD
Coach: Tara Vanderveer Players: Cameron Brink (F), Haley Jones (G)
The Pac-12 Conference have always had great players and coaches, “The nation has seen us play,” explained Coach Vanderveer. She is thrilled that her team will be able to play on ABC, she wants people to see the players and teams. Cameron, Cam, worked on her perimeter play over the summer and spent time with the family. Haley talked about her Happiness Professor, helping her with the perspective of her life outside of basketball,
Haley’s favorite WNBA player is Tamika Catchings and Kelsey Gray as well as Breanna Stewart. Breanna is Cameron’s favorite, she shares a trainer with some WNBA players, she met Lisa Leslie at the ESPYs and Rebecca Lobo and that meant a lot to her.
Vanderveer has two great players returning, but not all the players will get play time. What she tells her team it is not equal opportunity, “Cam and Haley will play a lot.” Basketball is a “We” sport, Tara says “We’re in this together!” She also quipped, “I have no favorite players, I love you all.” Her glue players are her four seniors, she has nine new players. Playing in the Pac-12 “Is going to be a battle every night,” says Tara.
Haley is seeing this season as her last, she will move on next season.
WASHINGTON STATE
Coach: Kamie Ethridge Players: Charlisse Leger-Walker (G), Bella Murekatete (C)
Coach Ethridge brought her two best players, they worked hard over the summer. Bella worked on her handles, “You’re going to see a different Bella!” The team is trying to establish a winning culture. Her coach said Bella committed to the weight room, and she feels the light bulb has turned on in her, and it was all her. Charlisse, a New Zealander, decided to stay at school over the summer and work on her game, that impressed her coach.
Coach Ethridge sees Charlisse as her leader, she wants four players to be in double digits each game to take some pressure off her.
Bella is excited and inspired by seeing more basketball played in Africa and abroad, she will come back next season as a super senior. Charlisse is happy that the Women’s professional basketball league where players get paid is inspiring.
Bella ended their session with, “Coog Nation Let’s ride!”
ARIZONA
Coach: Adia Barnes Players: Shaina Pellington (G), Helena Pueyo (G)
Bringing Aari McDonald back was one of Coach Adia Barnes best decisions of her career. She had to jump through hoops to have her on staff but it is worth it because the players listen to her and she mentors them. Adia says what sets her team apart is doing things in the community involvement, she was the Rodeo Parade Marshall this year and that was fun for her.
Both Shaina Pellington and Helena Pueyo learned a lot playing olympic and world cup basketball and they feel they both gained skills they would normally not get playing only college basketball. Also the teammates they play with broadens their world and helps them learn even more. Pellington played for Canada, and Peuyo for Spain.
Coach Barnes is happy getting better freshmen so it’s a little easier for her to coach, but takes a player transferring out with a grain of salt, that there is a balance, she wants to develop talent and not just accept transfers. With transfers you can win more, but you sell your future, “It’s a balance.” You have to want to be an Arizona Wildcat, and if you don’t want to put in the work, and are upset with playtime and want to transfer, she will sign the papers. She doesn’t need to sell Tucson, Tucson, with the supportive fans sell themselves. She is looking for more sellouts.
Shaina identified her weaknesses, like outside shooting, she is working hard to be a triple threat. She wants to force people to guard her, she has invested time to do that. She also wants to be a better leader for her team so she can contribute to the success of the team. Helena worked on her weaknesses as well, especially her speed. Adia is proud of Helena because her English has gotten better and speaking to media is a testament to that. Shaina is happy she has experience along with her coach to make it to the NCAA Finals.
USC
Assoc Coach: Beth Burns Players: Kadi Sissoko (F), Rayah Marshall (G/F) Note: Lindsay Gottlieb just had a baby girl
The USC Trojans have nine new players from six countries. Coach Burns is extremely excited about this team, she just moved back from Louisville to the west coast. Both her and Lindsey are very different but both think outside the box. She has past experience with the USC Athletic Director. “A challenge like no other in the most beautiful state in the United States, why not?”
Coach Burns says USC are loyal to the Pac-12 and want to be a wonderful partner moving forward. Burns feels like she has a great opportunity ahead of them, she sees the Trojans as a team on the come up, they are trying to do their part.
Kadi Sissoko feels the Trojans are underdogs, some of the players, it’s like their second and third chance. Rayah Marshall wants to showcase her talent and promises it will be fun to watch them.
COLORADO
Coach: JR Payne Players: Quay Miller (C), Jaylyn Sherrod (G)
Coach Payne is really proud of the work her team put in, they definitely have a different mindset, and she was happy to get a bid in the NCAA Tournament. Her goal is now to go deeper in the Tournament in March. She’s built a culture where the players push each other, in particular Jaylyn, she feels confident her team do better this season. The strength of Payne’s team is her veterans and that’s the group she will rely on. Her veterans spent time with the freshman to get to know them. Coach Payne brought on Shelly Sheets to help the team, and since she is the “GOAT” around the University of Colorado, she feels Sheets will really help.
Stanford is their big game this year, they believe they can win, the team is not afraid of Stanford, and they prepare to win.
On the transfer portal, all the Pac-12 coaches recruit a lot of the same players, so when they transfer, they already know them. It’s not surprising to Coach Payne that players want to stay in the Pac-12.
Jaylyn is trying to be better and learn from what she is being taught, she is 5-foot-7 but walks around like she is 6-foot-3. Quay feels the team getting to the Tournament is giving the team motivation to be better this season.
OREGON STATE
Coach: Scott Rueck Players: Bendu Yeaney (G), Talia Von Oelhoffen (G)
Coach Rueck seems really comfortable with change, maybe that’s because he has 27 seasons of experience, he has learned not to limit anyone, build them up and more. Historically that has prepared him for this team this season, with a bunch of new players. If he teaches too much too soon, you can’t be successful, he starts simple, then adds to the curriculum.
Rueck recruited Bendu Yeaney. As soon as he saw her name on the transfer portal, he has watched her since high school, he couldn’t be happier to have her on the team. Bendu likes to pressure the ball, she is super happy coming back home, she spread her wings, but always wanted to come back home. She’s been successful and wants to lead the team. Bendu still knows the playbook from Indiana and Arizona, so she has no issue learning a new Oregon State playbook. Coach Rueck agrees Bendu picked up the playbook quickly.
Talia Von Oelhoffen is counting on all five freshman, she feels they are all talented, and all five will get big minutes.
AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!
