Lisa Bluder, Caitlin Clark, Kylie Feuerbach interviews
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00:00 [Ball hitting bat]
00:06 Question for both of you guys, I guess.
00:08 Side Hawk week is always one circle,
00:10 just your guys' thoughts on the upcoming game.
00:12 Yeah, I'm excited.
00:14 You know, obviously it's kind of a younger team this year,
00:16 but any time you have a Side Hawk rivalry,
00:19 you know it's going to be a really good game.
00:20 It doesn't really matter who's on each side of the ball,
00:22 and you're very well coached.
00:24 I have a lot of respect for Coach Finley,
00:26 and it's going to be a hostile environment,
00:28 and it's really kind of our probably true first road test
00:31 that we face this year.
00:33 It's going to be loud, it's going to be exciting.
00:35 I still expect a decent amount of Hawk fans,
00:37 but these games are just always, you know,
00:40 a lot more fun to play in
00:41 because they have that emotion behind them,
00:42 and that's kind of what I'm excited about.
00:45 Yeah, I'd have to say the same thing.
00:46 I think she covered everything.
00:48 Any in-state rival game, like even outside of just Side Hawk,
00:51 when they're all super fun,
00:52 we have a ton of Iowa fans on both ends,
00:54 so it'll just be a really cool environment,
00:57 and like she said, it's a hostile one,
00:59 so they have great fan base,
01:01 and it's going to be just a super cool game for us,
01:03 and definitely one of the first road tests as well.
01:07 What's this one mean to you, Kylie?
01:08 I mean, you went over there two years ago,
01:09 so it's not your first time back there,
01:11 but, you know, what's this one mean?
01:14 Yeah, I think I'm definitely pretty far out
01:16 from since I've been there last,
01:18 but I think going there my sophomore year
01:21 kind of got my toes in the water
01:23 of experiencing how it feels,
01:25 but, I mean, like I said, they have a great fan base,
01:28 and it's just a really good environment to play in,
01:30 I think, even if you aren't on the Cyclones team.
01:33 I mean, they still have just a great support,
01:36 and we're going to have a lot of Hawk fans there, too,
01:38 so it'll just be a really fun game.
01:40 Jaylen, you guys scored 58 points
01:41 in that loss to Kansas State here.
01:43 You've already 97 points over the last five games.
01:45 Was there -- you know, did you guys as a team
01:47 kind of come together and say something
01:49 after that Kansas State loss?
01:50 Was it something the coaches said?
01:52 What kind of sparked, you know, this offensive output
01:54 over the last five games?
01:55 I think everybody kind of just took a step forward in a way.
01:58 I think we knew we needed to get a lot more out of everyone.
02:02 Everyone could take a step forward.
02:04 I could get people more involved in the offense.
02:07 I think it was just kind of a wake-up call, in a way,
02:09 of, you know, people are going to play good defense,
02:11 but our offense is really good, too,
02:13 so we need to find ways to score,
02:14 and at the same time, that game was not
02:16 a very accurate representation of what our team is,
02:19 but it reminds you of, you know,
02:21 anybody can be beat on any given day.
02:23 You need to show up. You need to prepare.
02:25 Just because you're playing a team on your home court,
02:26 it's not a given win, but, yeah, I think our offense
02:30 has definitely been clicking since that game.
02:31 It was nice to go to Florida and string three wins together.
02:34 That's always a huge confidence boost
02:36 when you're playing back-to-back-to-back,
02:39 but other than that, I think, you know,
02:40 we've had multiple people in double figures,
02:42 and that's what we're going to need going forward,
02:44 you know, going into the Iowa State game,
02:46 going to Wisconsin, which is another sold-out game.
02:49 I think those are, you know, things that need to be,
02:51 you know, happening every single night
02:52 in the starting lineup, or, you know,
02:54 our bench production has been really good.
02:56 Kylie's coming and giving great minutes.
02:58 Sydney, if Alter off the bench,
02:59 has been tremendous for us this year,
03:01 so I think it's just those things are something
03:04 that, you know, we need to keep progressing on.
03:06 Kaitlin, what stands out about your first trip over there,
03:10 and just, I mean, what do you kind of expect
03:13 from an environment,
03:15 just the whole vibe of being over there?
03:18 Yeah, well, the last time we played there
03:19 was our second game back from when we had COVID,
03:22 and we were shut down for a while,
03:23 so we were playing on, like, just a couple practices.
03:26 I think we had just lost to Duke, too,
03:28 so it was kind of a weird dynamic for us.
03:30 It didn't really feel like, I don't know, maybe not.
03:32 We didn't -- we weren't fully prepared.
03:34 We weren't quite in shape, but we played a decent game.
03:37 I think it was close for the most part.
03:38 I think we were winning part of the game,
03:40 but overall, just a really great atmosphere.
03:43 Their student section was tremendous.
03:46 You know, I grew up going to some games inside Hilton.
03:49 I know what it's all about. I know how loud it gets.
03:51 They support women's basketball,
03:54 and their teams are always very well coached,
03:57 so I think those are the biggest things,
03:59 and it feels like forever ago that we played there,
04:02 so I'm excited to finally go back
04:04 and be able to play there again.
04:07 These are the games that you wake up
04:08 a little bit more for.
04:10 They're fun, and it's our third step,
04:12 and Coach Wood always talks about,
04:14 you know, we want to be state champions.
04:15 We want to beat the three in-state schools,
04:17 so this is our third one to kind of check the box off on.
04:21 What kind of challenges does Audie Crooks present?
04:24 I mean, she's kind of a post that you don't see many like her.
04:28 Yeah, she's really good,
04:29 and we'll get more into our film and scout today
04:32 and going over all that,
04:33 so, you know, I think she's just really physical.
04:38 You know, she's hard to defend.
04:41 Obviously, as a freshman, it's pretty impressive
04:43 what she's been able to do so far,
04:44 but what she did in high school, everybody knew about her,
04:48 so it's not really that surprising.
04:50 Yeah, she's just physical.
04:51 She's base. She's hard to guard.
04:54 You know, we always want our post to push off the block,
04:57 so that'll be a key.
04:59 You know, she keeps the ball high,
05:01 doesn't drop the ball down when she's trying to score,
05:03 so, you know, I know Coach Buder and our coaches
05:06 will have a great game plan to stop her,
05:07 and I think it's really good for us.
05:09 You know, we have a lot of different looks
05:10 we can throw at her, and I think at times
05:12 that can be challenging for all post players
05:16 is, you know, whether we're doubling,
05:17 whether we're trapping,
05:18 whether we're playing you straight up.
05:19 It's just throwing different looks at people
05:21 to kind of keep them on their toes.
05:23 Kaitlin, for the K-State game,
05:25 you were the youngest starter on the floor for the Hawkeyes,
05:29 program team in sport.
05:30 Everybody around you is still older.
05:32 How important and impactful is it for you as a player
05:35 to have all that experience around you?
05:39 Are you talking about what game are you talking about
05:40 specifically? The K-State game.
05:43 I think, you know, having people around me is always key.
05:46 I can't do everything by myself,
05:49 and I think Coach Bluter has always preached,
05:51 you know, the better that everybody else is,
05:53 that's how far we're going to go,
05:54 but it's my job to, you know, get them involved,
05:57 help them get into the offense.
05:59 So I think that's my job as a point guard,
06:00 you know, whatever it is, is find ways to be successful.
06:04 If Kylie's in the corner, drive out her defender,
06:05 get them to come off, give her an open three in the corner,
06:09 get Sharon on the top and in,
06:10 because I know that's where she's best successful
06:11 as a post player.
06:13 So I think that's just the biggest thing is,
06:14 you know, finding people ways that they're successful,
06:18 and I know that as a point guard.
06:19 I've had the opportunity to play with a lot of these girls,
06:21 whether it's been here, whether it's been in AAU,
06:23 or whether it's been in high school.
06:24 I know how their games are, so, you know,
06:27 pick apart the defense to set them up for success best.
06:30 You guys have played a lot of basketball with Kate Martin.
06:32 She's always been a very consistent player,
06:34 but over these last five games,
06:35 she just seems a little bit different on the offensive end.
06:38 What have you guys seen from her, I guess?
06:40 Yeah, I think Kate has just kind of rose to the challenge
06:43 after our K-State loss more than anything,
06:46 and I think that's what you would expect out of somebody
06:48 that has been here for six years
06:49 and has given a lot to the program,
06:51 and Kate's playing the way we all knew
06:53 she was capable of playing.
06:54 I don't think it's a surprise by any means.
06:57 I think it's a different role for her,
06:59 so it kind of took her some time to really fall into that.
07:02 She's a very unselfish player, a very team-first,
07:05 get-others-involved player, but at times,
07:07 we need Kate to be a little bit more selfish
07:09 and look for her shot and be aggressive,
07:11 and that's kind of just what, you know,
07:13 the coaches wanted her to do, too.
07:14 So I think, you know, the last five games,
07:16 it's been really, really fun to watch.
07:17 I mean, it seems like she hardly misses shots.
07:20 She's physical driving to the basket,
07:21 but she plays really great defense, too,
07:23 so -- and she's just a great leader.
07:25 So I don't think she always gets enough credit,
07:27 but she's, you know, she's a big key for our team.
07:30 Among those lines, how much more comfortable
07:32 do you see Molly in her second year here?
07:35 Yeah.
07:36 Yeah, I think Molly has been, I think, dominating.
07:40 She's obviously gotten into that starting role
07:42 and playing really well, but even in coming off the bench,
07:44 she's just been doing a great job,
07:46 and I think we have, obviously, Caitlin as our point guard,
07:49 and it helps having Molly on there, as well,
07:51 to handle the ball in scenarios
07:53 where Caitlin might not be able to bring it up.
07:54 And Molly's just a very smart player.
07:57 She's a very high IQ with the game,
07:58 and she kind of knows when to take over,
08:01 when to kind of let things flow,
08:03 and she's just done a great job on our team
08:05 of just throughout this year, and even last year,
08:07 she's a very smooth player,
08:09 as you can probably tell on the floor.
08:10 It seems like she's absorbed some of your on-court swag.
08:14 No, Molly's always had swag.
08:15 She's so swaggy. I didn't teach her anything.
08:18 It's almost like she doesn't care,
08:19 and then that's why she's so, so heavy,
08:21 because she just goes out there and hoops,
08:24 and it's fun to watch.
08:26 They're kind of tall in terms of, like, a forward position.
08:30 I mean, there's a bunch of 6'2" kids.
08:32 How do you sort of counter that?
08:34 I mean, you'll have a post in there,
08:36 but that's a lot different to deal with.
08:39 Yeah, I think we've played height already this year.
08:43 I think specifically Kansas State,
08:47 their post player is obviously very tall,
08:49 but their guard players are very tall, too,
08:52 so I don't think it's anything we haven't seen yet,
08:55 but I think the biggest thing is we can throw
08:58 a lot of different defenses at them.
08:59 We can switch it up.
09:00 We can give them different looks,
09:02 which poses a challenge for them
09:03 to try to kind of assess our defense
09:06 and see what we're doing,
09:08 which at times can take a couple possessions,
09:09 and then who knows, by then,
09:10 we're already switching it up again,
09:12 so I think that's one thing I really love
09:13 about Coach Bluter's coaching style.
09:15 She's never really set to one thing on offense or defense.
09:18 We're continually switching things up,
09:20 and I think that really keeps the other team
09:22 guessing about what we're doing.
09:24 How difficult or how much of a challenge
09:25 is it to prepare for a team that's basically all new?
09:28 I mean, Jones is gone, Ryan's out,
09:33 you know, all of them are the names
09:35 that we've known so well the last two,
09:36 three, four years are gone.
09:38 I think it definitely makes you pay attention a lot more.
09:41 Watch more game film, pay attention to the scout better,
09:46 because like you said, you don't know them
09:48 really necessarily like you would in previous years
09:51 when they had the same starting five for a couple years
09:53 or basically close to the same,
09:56 whether it was having Emily or Ashley or Lexi,
10:00 all those players that you had played for three years prior,
10:03 and you kind of knew what they were going to do,
10:05 and that's kind of almost the same way in the Big Ten.
10:08 You know their players, you know the offenses
10:09 that they're going to run,
10:11 and now like it's basically I think all new starting five
10:14 from last year, which really makes you pay attention
10:17 because they all have different skills and strengths,
10:20 and some of the things that they're doing
10:22 I'm sure are different,
10:23 so I think it just makes you lock in a bit more.
10:25 You mentioned Kansas State is kind of similar to Iowa State
10:28 in terms of their height with their guards.
10:30 I think a lot of people just say so what,
10:31 it's an extra inch or two,
10:32 but for you as a point guard,
10:34 when you see a defense like that
10:35 where their guards are all 6'1", 6'2", 6',
10:38 how different is that when you're trying
10:39 to operate the offense?
10:41 Yeah, I think it's each thing,
10:45 you can kind of pick and choose ways to exploit it,
10:47 whether it's a small guard,
10:48 I can be able to shoot over them or pass over them,
10:51 whether it's a longer guard
10:52 where I have a step on them with my speed.
10:54 So I think it's the biggest thing with a longer guard
10:56 is just like they can kind of contest shots a little better,
10:59 they can get in passing angles a little bit better,
11:02 but most of the time hopefully I can use my speed
11:05 to get around them.
11:06 I would like to think that's the pro on my side of it,
11:08 so I think there's always just things
11:10 that you give and take when you have that type of matchup,
11:13 and a lot of times teams are trying both on me,
11:15 they're switching up the defense,
11:17 that's what K-State did,
11:18 they had a smaller, quicker guard on me at times,
11:20 and then they had a taller, longer guard on me at times,
11:22 so I usually expect teams to try a little bit of everything,
11:24 and that's what we prepare for in practice too,
11:26 whether it's man-to-man, whether it's zone,
11:28 or whether it's junk defense, which we saw last Saturday,
11:32 we're usually prepared for all of that.
11:34 Kaitlin, there's been several plays,
11:37 particularly K-State game last few years,
11:39 where you drive into the lane and kind of almost pause
11:42 for a second, almost like a quarterback,
11:44 like reading a defensive end on an option play,
11:47 and it's led to a lot of easy buckets for Sharon.
11:50 Just how has your chemistry with Sharon grown
11:53 in this early part of the year,
11:54 and especially with Hannah being out a little last bit,
11:57 she's played an even bigger role,
12:00 obviously that chemistry was so key with Monica,
12:02 just how has that developed with her?
12:04 Yeah, I think the thing about Sharon is just like,
12:05 she continues to get better every single time we practice,
12:08 and that's so exciting for me,
12:09 just the growth she's had from when we started practice
12:12 in September 'til where we're at now,
12:14 it's really impressive, and she works really hard,
12:17 she's always positive, but like you said,
12:20 when I get into the lane, I want to give her a second to roll,
12:22 so I'm almost like holding her defense to focus on me,
12:25 so Sharon can slip to the basket,
12:26 and Sharon's hands have improved a lot,
12:28 and sometimes when you're coaching,
12:30 you're kind of like, "Oh, I'm going to get a little bit
12:32 "more of a shot," and she's improved a lot,
12:33 and sometimes when you're coming back from an ACL injury,
12:35 you kind of just need a year,
12:36 and now I think that she's had that,
12:38 she's really starting to come into her own,
12:40 her confidence is building every single night,
12:43 but yeah, I think she's just getting better and better,
12:46 I think that's the thing about her,
12:48 is she hasn't stopped improving,
12:50 she wants to get better, she stays after practice
12:52 and works on her game,
12:54 but I want to give her easy looks to score,
12:57 I think she offensive rebounds really well,
13:00 but yeah, I think the most exciting thing about Sharon
13:02 is she continues to get better,
13:03 and I think every single person on our team would say that.
13:06 Kylie, when you came here, did you expect this?
13:09 I mean, I know, I'm sorry,
13:11 I know you knew you were coming into a really good program,
13:14 but I mean, this has become a national brand,
13:18 were you ready for something like this?
13:22 Yeah, I mean, whenever you're getting onto a team
13:24 with Kaitlin, you kind of expect the most,
13:26 but I mean, I kind of knew, obviously the team,
13:30 and I knew kind of what to expect,
13:32 and obviously in any team you're on,
13:33 you're expecting to get that far,
13:36 so with this type of caliber of a team,
13:38 this is the type of team I want to play on,
13:41 I want to work on a team where everybody's working hard
13:43 every day and getting better,
13:44 so, and yeah, it's like I said,
13:48 just a very possible thing when you have Kaitlin,
13:51 and I mean, all of our other players too,
13:52 but yeah, I kind of knew what to expect coming into it,
13:56 and I'm very happy I'm here, so.
13:59 These games, Iowa-Iowa State games,
14:02 have oddly enough just not really gone
14:06 according to what people would think,
14:08 like last year, nobody shot well,
14:11 two years ago, you got beaten in the post,
14:14 which didn't make any sense,
14:16 what is it about this matchup, this rivalry,
14:19 that creates those kind of things?
14:21 Yeah, I think last year especially,
14:23 it wasn't like the prettiest game of all time,
14:25 especially on our end, and we just kind of found a way
14:28 to win, I think it was like 70 to 56 or something,
14:31 it was not a really high scoring offensive affair
14:33 with two really great offensive teams on the court,
14:37 so I think it's just, you know,
14:39 they're physical games, not a lot usually gets called,
14:42 there's just high tension, high emotion,
14:45 and that's how every rivalry game always is,
14:48 you know, things don't always go according to plan,
14:49 but you kind of have to find a way to win,
14:51 even if it's not the normal way,
14:53 you know, if we go to Aims on Wednesday night
14:55 and our offense isn't flowing as it should be,
14:58 or we're not making shots like it should be,
15:00 you know, we're gonna have to find another way to win,
15:01 we're gonna have to find a way to defend,
15:03 and I think that can be the same story for us
15:05 every single night, so, yeah,
15:07 I think you're definitely right in that regard,
15:09 sometimes things get a little wacky
15:11 when you're playing in these rivalry games,
15:12 but I think, you know, we have the experience,
15:15 a lot of our team has played in these rivalry games,
15:18 and also already playing UNI and Drake,
15:20 I think that helps, we go to UNI,
15:21 and it's a sold out crowd, yes,
15:23 there are a lot of Hawkeye fans,
15:24 but you get used to the environment
15:26 and the atmosphere and what it's gonna be like.
15:28 Question for both of you,
15:30 Syd Fulcher has really stepped up this year,
15:33 I think she went seven for seven against Bowling Green,
15:35 14 rebounds earlier in the year,
15:37 some real, like, unicorn stat lines,
15:41 what have you seen from that growth from her this season,
15:44 and what's it like playing against somebody
15:46 with that sort of intensity and production?
15:49 Yeah, Syd has just kind of taken the,
15:53 kind of taken advantage of the things
15:54 that we kind of needed this year,
15:56 I think, especially with her rebounding,
15:57 and, I mean, not having McKenna this year,
15:59 and Monica, I think she's really taken that big dog role,
16:02 which we talk about a lot,
16:04 but she knows how to crash,
16:05 she positions herself really well,
16:07 and she's just the definition of, like, a workhorse,
16:09 she knows, she just is always hustling,
16:12 like, every possession you'll see her,
16:13 she's obviously always hustling,
16:15 and that leads to her getting seven for seven,
16:18 getting those good boards and good layups,
16:21 and, I mean, she just knows where to be,
16:23 she works really hard,
16:24 and she's definitely a player
16:26 you want to be on the floor with,
16:27 she's always working hard.
16:29 Yeah, me too.
16:31 You two guys are probably going to get
16:34 the most wrath of the crowd there,
16:36 how do you prepare for that, or do you just think?
16:39 I mean, I don't think it's, like, any different
16:42 than any other road environment that we go to,
16:45 and, like I said, I do expect a lot of Iowa fans
16:48 to be at the game.
16:51 I'm sure there's going to be a lot of Iowa State fans,
16:53 but at the same time, I think Iowa State fans
16:56 understand how good women's basketball is,
16:58 and they can cheer for one team,
16:59 but not tear apart the other,
17:01 and when we went on our run last year,
17:04 there was a lot of Iowa State fans
17:05 that were supporting us and supporting the state of Iowa,
17:07 which I thought was really cool,
17:09 and, yeah, I mean, but you're a competitor,
17:12 you know that's what the environment's going to be like,
17:14 and you kind of embrace it, you enjoy it,
17:17 you wouldn't want it any other way,
17:18 and I wouldn't want to be going there
17:20 and playing in front of no one,
17:22 so I'm excited that it's sold out,
17:23 and if it is all Iowa State fans, great.
17:26 That'll be an awesome test for us,
17:27 and, you know, get us ready for when we go on the road
17:31 to places like Ohio State, Indiana, things like that,
17:34 so just another game that prepares us
17:36 for, you know, really great competition in the Big Ten.
17:39 Thank you, guys.
17:43 Let's see.
17:45 Get organized here.
17:51 Well, you know, it's another in-state rivalry week,
17:54 our last one for the year.
17:57 Probably our most hostile environment
17:59 that we'll have had to have played in so far,
18:02 just going to Hilton.
18:03 Obviously, they have a great home court advantage
18:05 and a great fan base, and so I don't think our team
18:10 will be too upset about it just because they're used
18:11 to playing in front of crowds,
18:12 but usually their crowds are cheer and form
18:14 and not against them, so that part
18:16 might be a little bit different, but...
18:21 A very different-looking Iowa State team than in the past.
18:24 You know, very freshman dominant.
18:29 Obviously, we, you know, Kelsey Jones,
18:32 they feel like they've had a Jones there forever,
18:34 and she's going to, you know, be a great shooter again.
18:38 Audie Crooks is just a really, really hard person to defend.
18:43 Excellent shooter on the block,
18:45 and she's just hard to get around,
18:47 so they're going to pose a lot of,
18:49 you know, defensive challenges for us.
18:51 I'm sure with past teams, you go into this game,
18:54 and you do really have to emphasize the environment
18:56 as being a factor, and again,
18:59 I'm sure you mentioned it this week,
19:00 but how much does this team feel like
19:03 that's just kind of business as usual at this point?
19:07 I think that's a good way to put it, D'Argon.
19:09 It is kind of business as usual.
19:10 I like that.
19:12 I think it's very true.
19:15 I think everywhere we go, you know,
19:17 it seems like it's sold-out environments,
19:19 whether it's Wisconsin, Rutgers, or whatever,
19:21 so, you know, that's just part of what we have to deal with,
19:26 and, you know, it's something now.
19:28 I think if it wasn't there, it'd almost be disappointing
19:31 or, you know, like lackluster.
19:35 You guys scored 58 points here in the loss to Kansas City.
19:37 You're averaging 97 points per game over the last five games.
19:40 To you, what are the biggest things that stand out
19:42 about the last five games offensively
19:44 that changed compared to that Kansas City game?
19:46 I think it's a matter of us
19:50 sharing the ball a little bit better.
19:51 I mean, you look at that Kansas State loss.
19:53 I mean, we had our lowest assists of the year,
19:55 so sharing the ball a little bit better,
19:58 moving the ball, you know, a little bit more, you know,
20:02 and I think other people have just gotten their confidence
20:04 and have had more opportunities to shoot the ball
20:06 and get their confidence.
20:09 You said Fulter, 7% against Bowling Green,
20:13 and you gave her a locker room shout-out
20:14 for those 14 rebounds earlier in the year.
20:17 What sort of growth have you seen out of her this season,
20:20 you know, stepping into that role,
20:21 and what's it like to coach somebody
20:24 like that off the bench?
20:26 Yeah, Sid is -- she's our blue-collar dog.
20:29 I mean, she just gets after it all the time.
20:32 You know, she's somebody that has great tenacity.
20:35 I mean, just brings energy off the bench.
20:41 She can rebound. She can score.
20:43 She can defend. She's physical.
20:46 She just kind of has that little bit of that mean streak
20:48 that I like, and she brings that to our team,
20:50 so she's been playing really well for us.
20:54 Coach, like you say, go dive after that ball.
20:57 How do you coach that out of somebody like that?
20:59 You know, that's a lot, just innate.
21:02 It's innate in their personality and their --
21:05 you know, the way that they play.
21:08 We certainly reward that, and I think any time as a coach
21:11 you reward good behavior, you get more of it.
21:14 You know, there's some coaches that always,
21:16 you know, bring up bad behavior,
21:18 but I think rewarding good behavior
21:20 is a better way to coach, in my opinion.
21:23 So, I mean, we celebrate it, right, when it happens,
21:27 so that we hope it keeps happening.
21:30 I asked the kids this, but the last couple of games,
21:34 maybe more than that, have been sort of odd games
21:39 in terms of the IYO state.
21:40 I mean, last year nobody could find a basket.
21:44 Two years ago, you got beat in the post on the boards,
21:48 which was unthinkable.
21:50 What is it about this rivalry
21:52 that leads to kind of confounding results?
21:57 Yeah, I just haven't really looked back to two years ago
21:59 when we lost there, to be quite honest.
22:02 I just remember we lost there.
22:03 But, you know, I mean, home court has meant a lot
22:08 in this rivalry.
22:10 You know, I think, you know, they'll do a great job
22:14 of denying Kaitlin and sagging off everybody else.
22:18 I mean, that's kind of a scheme that, you know, they use a lot,
22:22 and so we have to be ready for that.
22:24 And, you know, the way that our other people
22:26 have been shooting of late, you know,
22:27 hopefully that's going to negate that a little bit.
22:30 What have you seen from Kate Martin
22:31 over the last five games?
22:33 I know before the season you mentioned she's playing
22:34 like a pro, she's being aggressive.
22:36 We didn't see that necessarily the first few games,
22:38 but the last five she's been playing at a different level.
22:40 Yeah, I mean, I think Kate could have been
22:42 on the all-tournament team in the Gulf Coast Classic.
22:45 I think she's just playing with confidence.
22:47 She's playing free, and, yeah,
22:49 she didn't start out the year like that for some reason,
22:51 and I don't know what it was, because she was playing
22:52 like that all the way up until the beginning of the year,
22:55 and maybe it was just that realization of,
22:57 "This is really my last year?"
22:59 But she's having fun now, and really, I mean,
23:03 she was seven for nine from the field.
23:04 She had three blocked shots last game.
23:06 I mean, she's playing really well.
23:08 Crooks is really -- she's got great hands,
23:11 really nice touch.
23:13 Speed isn't her thing.
23:15 You know, how much do you want to --
23:18 you know, does that make you really want to run?
23:20 You know, I think she's better afoot
23:21 than people give her credit for.
23:23 I really do. I think she can --
23:26 you know, I'm not saying she can play 20 minutes
23:28 in a row like that or 10 minutes in a row like that,
23:30 but I think she gets up and down the court.
23:32 I've always been impressed with her ability
23:34 to get up and down the court,
23:36 and her hands are good, like you said,
23:38 and she's an unbelievable passer.
23:40 But, man, she's shooting, what, 70% almost from the field.
23:44 But I have to remind my post players that, Sharon,
23:47 you're shooting 70% from the field as well.
23:50 Do they alternate Crooks with the Nellie?
23:55 Yeah. Right.
23:56 The 6'4"?
23:58 Yeah, 6'5".
23:59 They list her as number zero, so, yeah,
24:01 they're alternating at the post position.
24:04 How do you handle their height overall?
24:06 I mean, they've got a number of kids that are 6'2",
24:08 the Addie Brown, and --
24:11 Yeah. I mean, they're bigger than us
24:12 in the guard position, for sure.
24:14 You know, and you got Niamir Dew at 6'2",
24:17 Addie Brown at 6'2".
24:19 I mean, they're bigger than we are.
24:22 Kelsey Jones is 5'10".
24:25 So, you know, that's something that we have to --
24:28 You know, we can't grow. We can't change it.
24:30 So, you know, let's just do the best we can with what we have.
24:33 And this is what we're going to be facing all year.
24:35 So we got to get used to it
24:36 and can't use that as an excuse.
24:40 So it's just something that's a reality of life.
24:42 But we do have, you know, Sid coming off the bench
24:45 that gives us a little bit more height.
24:46 And so, you know, that's good.
24:49 Hopefully -- You know, and I don't know what Hannah's status
24:51 is. I have no idea.
24:53 But, you know, if she's coming off the bench,
24:56 that's another weapon that we have.
24:58 Go back to Sharon for a second.
25:00 There's been a lot of plays, it seems like,
25:02 these last couple games where Kaitlin drives into the lane
25:05 and almost kind of pauses for a second,
25:07 like a quarterback reading a defensive end on an option.
25:11 It's led to a lot of easy buckets for Sharon.
25:14 I'm just wondering how have you seen those two in particular,
25:17 their chemistry build as this year's gone on.
25:20 Obviously, that was so key with Monica,
25:22 was Kaitlin's chemistry with her.
25:25 How have you seen Kaitlin and Sharon,
25:27 you know, start to build some of that?
25:29 Yeah, and I think it's still growing.
25:32 It's getting better all the time.
25:34 You know, remember, Sharon wasn't our starter
25:36 this summer either.
25:38 And so, you know, they didn't have a lot of that time
25:41 together this summer.
25:43 But I think Kaitlin is starting to understand
25:46 that Sharon can really get the job done
25:49 and gaining confidence with that.
25:51 And the more confidence she gets in that,
25:53 the more confidence Sharon's going to have.
25:55 So I think that chemistry is growing all the time.
25:58 But I think we have seen some good moments of it.
26:01 I think fans have kind of grown accustomed, obviously,
26:03 to Megan Gustis and then to Monica Sinano.
26:05 But Sharon, just talk about what she's been able to do.
26:08 I think it's not obviously the numbers that, you know,
26:10 the 18, 20-point team that Monica or Megan could do.
26:12 But I feel like Sharon doesn't get enough credit
26:15 for what she's done so far this year.
26:16 Yeah, I agree with you.
26:18 I think Sharon's doing a tremendous job.
26:20 And, you know, the thing is,
26:21 she's also splitting minutes with Addie.
26:23 So her numbers aren't going to be just pop off the charts
26:26 like points per game or rebounds
26:27 because they are splitting time.
26:30 And then Hannah, too, is getting time there.
26:31 So sometimes, you know, it's a three-way split in there.
26:35 But her percentages, you cannot argue with.
26:40 With Sharon, now that she's in the starting lineup
26:43 and Hannah out,
26:45 that makes Kaitlin Clark the youngest player
26:47 in that starting lineup.
26:49 And there probably aren't a whole lot of lineups
26:53 where the all-time leading scorer
26:56 is also the youngest one in that starting five.
26:59 Is that, like, meaningful or important to you
27:01 to have that sort of experience and age around her?
27:05 Well, I didn't know that until now.
27:06 So, obviously, it hasn't been meaningful to me
27:09 because I didn't know that.
27:11 You know, I just think of, you know,
27:13 Kaitlin as being this veteran
27:14 because she's played here for so long.
27:16 And I don't know if, like --
27:20 I feel like, you know, this team is still growing.
27:22 It's still getting used to each other.
27:25 And, you know, we have --
27:26 It's exciting because we have that much better
27:28 that I think we can still get than we are now.
27:30 So, no, I haven't put any thought into that.
27:34 Are they mostly playing zone again?
27:37 It's 80-20, 80% player, 20% zone.
27:40 I know, you know,
27:44 they played quite a bit against Vanderbilt.
27:46 It was zone, but it's 80-20 according to synergy.
27:49 I know you just talked about the height of Iowa State.
27:52 You played Kansas State, who's kind of similar,
27:54 a tall post player, guards that are kind of tall.
27:57 If it's not -- If the scheme and everything is not the same,
27:59 but just going up against a team like that
28:02 that has taller guards, can you kind of take away
28:04 from that going into a game like this?
28:05 I think so. I think any time that you've had success,
28:08 you know, going against something that's similar,
28:10 that you can try to use that as,
28:13 you know, a confidence builder or an example that,
28:16 you know, hey, we've done this before.
28:17 We can do it again.
28:19 Thanks, Coach. Thanks, you guys.
28:23 [BLANK_AUDIO]