Lisa Bluder, Caitlin Clark, Kate Martin
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SportsTranscript
00:00 -Well,
00:04 we played a little bit better than we did on Thursday night, which we're very thankful
00:08 for. I thought we came out and resumed playing Iowa basketball.
00:12 High assists, low turnovers. I just thought our energy level was
00:16 a lot better out there tonight. We were more focused.
00:20 We scored the most points in program history in the first half. That was pretty fun.
00:24 Obviously we shot the ball very well. But I'm happy with our three point
00:28 defense. Drake averages almost 12 threes a game.
00:32 We held them to 26%. Three point shooting. They're averaging
00:36 over 40%. I thought that was big for us. Kate
00:40 Martin had a special game for us and played tonight
00:44 like she was playing this summer. I love to see that. Katelyn
00:48 has a double double in 30 minutes of play and also broke the
00:52 NCAA record for most 30 point games, I believe. Pretty cool.
00:56 I love the fact we forced 22 turnovers tonight as well.
01:00 -58 points against Kansas State. 64 in the first half today.
01:04 Talk about how something like the flip of the switch there happens.
01:08 -We just didn't get in a groove in the Kansas State game.
01:12 Again, Kansas State is very good. We might be playing them again next Sunday.
01:16 They're a great team. They're long. They're very good defensively.
01:20 We just feel like we have an opportunity
01:24 to really go after Drake's matchup zone. I thought
01:28 we did a good job of picking that apart. -Katelyn, you were the only
01:32 Iowa player to miss a shot in the first quarter. How did it feel for
01:36 your teammates to pick up on that in the first quarter for you? -It felt good.
01:41 I'm sorry I let them down. It's really disappointing of me.
01:45 I'm really proud of this group. Like Coach Butters said, Kate
01:49 played really, really well tonight. That's something we really need from her and something that she's very
01:53 capable of and something that we believe that she can give us every single night. I thought
01:57 Molly Davis was tremendous. I thought Sharon was tremendous. I thought we could have got Hannah Stolke the
02:01 ball maybe a little bit more. Other than that, I thought
02:05 players outside of me played really well, stepped up. Coach Butters challenged us
02:09 when we came to practice after the K-State loss. I thought everybody responded really well.
02:13 -Kate, what was the difference tonight? -I just kind of shot it with
02:17 confidence tonight. All week
02:21 my teammates have been building me up. Coach Bluter, all the coaches have been building
02:25 me up. It's not fun to not make a three in the first three or four games, but
02:29 really it was just confidence. I'm just glad that I could
02:33 step up tonight and knock them down. -How were you able to work the
02:37 baseline? You got in really close to the basket and it didn't seem like there was any way
02:41 you could get there. -I think in their matchup zone, corners and
02:45 short corners were really vulnerable. I was getting the ball down there and
02:49 just kind of driving to the hole and it just worked for me. I kept
02:53 doing it. -Kaitlin just said that you challenged them in practice.
02:57 What was your message to them coming off the Kansas State loss going into tonight? -I just
03:01 didn't think we were very disciplined in running our offense and just paying
03:05 attention to detail and being focused. We got back to that tonight.
03:09 -Kaitlin, you had major last four threes. You kind of got the crowd
03:13 into it there a little bit. I know you kind of struggled through the other night. How did
03:17 you feel to get that going? How did you get that shot back? -It felt really good.
03:22 Honestly, I went back and watched all the film from when we played
03:26 Kansas State. Most of my threes I shot were good shots. There was a few
03:30 that weren't good shots. Sometimes you have nights where they just don't go
03:34 in. My coaches and my teammates have pumped into me
03:38 you're one of the best shooters of all time. Keep shooting it. Obviously I didn't shoot it very well
03:42 in the first half from three but I knew I would get it going there. It felt good to see a few
03:46 throw it through the rim, a couple in transition. That's where I
03:50 like to thrive so it was fun to have those moments. -Coach, only about 13
03:54 minutes tonight for Hannah Stolke. What was
03:58 the deal with that and spending that time on the bench?
04:02 -She just has a little bit of a knee that was bothering her a little bit.
04:06 Not bad but we felt like honestly with Drake, the way they run
04:10 around, you really have to play work on defense. With
04:14 four games and eight days this week, if we could give her rest, it was an opportunity to give us
04:18 rest. -Either of the players, what was it like playing in a game with a pace like this?
04:22 A lot of offense, not much defense. -It was really fun.
04:26 I thought we could have honestly played a little bit better defense.
04:30 The offense they run is really good. It challenges you to
04:34 communicate. I still thought there was a lot of ways where we could have improved on help
04:38 side defense and boxing out a little better, especially to start the second half. I don't think
04:42 we were as focused as we could have been. That's the most fun type
04:46 of basketball is to play offense like that. Whether it's the other team you're
04:50 playing or you. I think that's what our crowd loves to come and see. It's fun to give them that
04:54 excitement after only scoring 58 points on Thursday.
04:58 -Grace Berg came in averaging 50% from two and 53% from
05:03 three. Can you talk about matching up with her defensively? -She's a really hard worker
05:07 and she's really good in the post. She can seal really hard. She's
05:11 strong down there. She also can knock down the three. I knew that this was going to be
05:15 a good defensive matchup for me. I like whenever I have
05:19 to step up to a challenge like that. She got
05:23 her buckets and we knew that was going to happen. My teammates came in and helped as much as possible.
05:27 The post dug in on her when they could.
05:31 Kaitlin was flying in from everywhere at some point. She's a really
05:35 good player. I like whenever I get to play against really good
05:39 players like that. -Lisa, the other night you mentioned you wanted to get to the ball of the post more.
05:43 Sharon Goodman has 15 points tonight. Is that just kind of what you were looking for out of her tonight?
05:47 -Yeah, absolutely. Sharon's been doing a really good job for us.
05:51 I like it that we have three posts that we can kind of throw at people.
05:55 It's 15 fouls. As I told Sharon when she was kind of coming out of the game with a foul
05:59 I'm like, "Hey, why take them home with you? Be physical."
06:03 -Kaitlin, after the loss to Kansas State
06:07 I think some of the response was from some people expressions of concern about
06:11 where do you all go from there after that loss. Do you think tonight kind of helped to
06:15 silence those critics and just kind of remind them that it's still
06:19 early in the season? -Yeah, I don't think we really worry too much about
06:23 outside noise. That's not what our program's built on. If you watch
06:27 basketball, the best players in the world have bad games. Those teams have bad games.
06:31 Golden State Warriors have bad games. You don't judge a team by one game
06:35 good or bad. If anything, I think it's a great learning lesson for
06:40 our group. All three years I've been here we've had some tough losses early
06:44 in the year, but I think that allows us to be really great at the end of the year and learn some hard
06:48 lessons. It's not fun by any means. I don't enjoy losing. I wish we didn't
06:52 lose, but I think it teaches this group a lot of things and ways we can get better.
06:56 Also, as a reminder, you have to show up every single night you're playing somebody because people
07:00 want to beat you. You're the Iowa Hawkeyes. You were in the Final Four last year. You kind of
07:04 have a target on your back. I think this group just worries about what's in our
07:08 locker room. We knew that wasn't a representation of who we are.
07:12 Just got back to who we know we are. -Coach, how do you get Gabby
07:16 on track? -She played well at UNI.
07:20 I guess I'm just not super worried about it.
07:24 I just know that she's going to make the next one she shoots. I really
07:28 believe that. I tried to set her up for a shot tonight, but
07:32 it didn't work. We just need to find her sometimes early in a game and let her
07:36 get on her roll. -What's it been like so far, three or five games, just kind of
07:40 trying to figure out your rotation, I guess, and figure out who to bring off the bat
07:44 with the hot hand. You've got so many options on the wing and with guards. -We do. We have
07:48 a lot more depth this year than we've had in the past. I think
07:52 tonight against a team like Drake, that's really important because they do run you
07:56 around so much in transition and then in their court offense is so much
08:00 movement that they'll wear you out. If you can keep bringing people in,
08:04 I think that's really good. Also, again, like I said, with the four games
08:08 and eight days this week, having depth is going to be really important.
08:12 -You got some love from Jada and Kandice on the bench when you
08:16 subbed in the fourth quarter. I think you were pretty excited when Jada was able to score.
08:21 What are your thoughts on those two teammates and how does it feel to be able to see them
08:25 in some playing time? -That's what we want. We want them to be able to come in
08:29 and contribute. It's just really exciting whenever people who might not
08:33 get to see the fruit of their labor. They come in and work their tails off
08:37 at practice every single day. They might not get the minutes, but they're always cheering
08:41 us starters and everyone else who plays on every single possession.
08:45 Whenever we get to cheer them on, that's really exciting. Whenever they
08:49 get in and score or do whatever, get a steal, it's really exciting.
08:53 We just like to be able to cheer them on. -Coach, you're playing Drake, which
08:57 obviously you've got a connection with. What does
09:01 the big four in the state all playing each other every year,
09:05 what does that mean to you personally and I guess for the players too? How
09:09 important is it to have that rivalry each year?
09:13 -We have such good basketball in this state. It'd be different if we had
09:17 not very good basketball, but the basketball is so good. Why go play
09:21 a long ways away when you don't have to? I think everybody likes the
09:25 rivalries. They're hard. It's hard to go play at the Knapp Center. It's hard to go
09:29 play at McLeod Center. It's a challenge, but I think our team
09:33 focus is better because they know
09:37 how good these teams are and you're just not playing another name on the schedule that
09:41 you don't know much about. -Kaitlin, back to back games for Molly Davis and double figures.
09:45 She had two all of last year. She's two back to back.
09:49 What can she be for this team? This is kind of your sidekick.
09:53 -I think she's been really good. I think the way she was shooting the ball, I think she made
09:57 two threes and then she starts the game with a layup. Also, Molly's not afraid to defend
10:02 anyone. Molly's somebody that's going to go out there and be aggressive. She's not going
10:06 to shy away from the moment. Somebody that's had a lot of experience playing basketball.
10:10 Like Coach Bluter said at the beginning of the year, Molly has been playing really, really good
10:14 basketball. She improved so much throughout the summer. Her confidence had improved.
10:18 That's what we need every single night out of her and I'm just proud of her. When she plays
10:22 with that same confidence, she's a really, really great player. It's not somebody you want to leave open.
10:26 -For anyone, how do you guys with the tournament coming up,
10:30 how do you balance fun versus business when you get down to Florida?
10:34 -They have a day off on Wednesday
10:38 because we have to have a mandatory NCAA day off. We'll practice Monday,
10:42 Tuesday, travel down there. Wednesday's going to be a day off. I want them to relax. I want them
10:46 to get away from basketball for a while. Enjoy the nice resort that we're going to
10:50 be at. I want them to enjoy that, but they're also smart enough
10:54 to know how much to enjoy it. Then when Thursday comes, we'll have
10:58 practice and we'll be ready to go by Friday.
11:02 -It seems like you're trying to pass the ball around and work some of the other players in as opposed to
11:06 taking easy shots under the basket. Is that true? -I think that's
11:10 kind of a focal point of coming into this game is setting people up for
11:14 good shots. Coach Jay talked to me. As a point guard, you have to know
11:18 what those strengths are and set them up to be successful in that position.
11:22 Taylor McCabe comes in and hits two threes that are huge for us in the second quarter. It kind of blows
11:26 the game open from there. Those were set up by me driving into the paint.
11:30 She had her feet ready to go. That's a hard position to be in coming off the bench.
11:34 Being able to come in and hit threes like that, I thought Sharon was really good. For sure, I want
11:38 to set people up to be successful, whether it's Kate, whether it's Sharon, whether it's
11:43 whoever, and having their feet ready, set, and being able to shoot.
11:47 When you speak to points over turnovers, I know you had seven steals tonight. How important is that?
11:51 Who would have thought?
11:55 It's pretty awesome. Kate came up to me and she was like,
11:59 "Bro, how many steals do you have?" I don't know. They just keep falling into my hands.
12:03 I don't know if they're really all my steals. I thought my defense was
12:07 a little better tonight. I thought I just played with more energy. I felt like I was a little flat
12:11 versus K-State. When I just play with more energy, my all-around game is a lot better.
12:15 That's what I tried to focus on tonight. Obviously, not every steal
12:19 was forced by me. I was just lucky to grab the ball when it was tipped around.
12:23 Hey, seven steals. Don't think eight's coming, because it's not.
12:27 On that line, at halftime, you were just about
12:31 on pace for a quadruple double. Did that cross your mind at all?
12:35 It didn't, no. If I ever got ten steals, that would be insane.
12:39 I'd be so proud of you. That would be insane. Ten blocks, ten steals.
12:43 Ten turnovers. Ten rebounds.
12:47 Twenty points. That's what I'm going for. Thanks, guys.
12:51 Thank you.