Oct. 24, 2013
WKU Head Coach Michelle Clark-Heard
Opening Statement
"I'm super excited about the enthusiasm in the air and what we are trying to do. We are just trying to get better each and every day. We're excited about the momentum headed into the season and happy with the opportunity to do some great things."
On team slogan "Climbing The Ladder"...
"Last year, we came in and our theme was "On The Rise." Our ultimate goal is to keep building and building. `Climbing The Ladder' can mean a lot of different things. I think the biggest thing that we talk about is our quest to win a championship. If we get to that point, ultimately you get to climb the ladder and cut down the net. The rest of it is about getting the program where it has always been, and that is nationally prominent. It can have different meanings so that is why we picked that."
How preparations for the season are going....
"We're just working to get better each and every day. I think our biggest thing is making sure that every player is getting as much attention as they need to get to be the best they can be. When you bring in six newcomers you have to make sure you are jelling and that's what we've been working on."
On most improved area of the team
"I think with the returners, it is the motivation and the quest to keep getting better. I think the overall improvement has been the growth of the newcomers coming in and the returners teaching the newcomers what they needed too. Also, the returners being more familiar with the coaching staff and myself. They know the expectations and what to look for day in and day out for us to get better."
On the impact of the newcomers...
"Ruta (Savickaite) and Bria (Gaines) have been getting better and better but they have a ways to go. When we went out last year when we recruited, our whole job was to get better, to bring in some more speed and athletic ability and some big kids. That's what we did. Our two junior college players Jasmine (Crawford) and Chanell (Lockhart), there are days where they do really and there are days where they are still adjusting to Division I basketball. I tell my team every day that there are going to be situations everyday where someone on the team is needed. I'm looking forward to all of them being able to contribute."
On the goals of the season...
"From day one when I was hired, when I sat up here with President (Dr. Gary) Ransdell and Todd (Stewart) that is what we talked about (getting to the NCAA Tournament). That's our ultimate goal, not to just get into the NCAA (Tournament), but to get in and win some games. That is what it's all about."
On the next step for junior All-American candidates Alexis Govan and Chastity Gooch
"The numbers that they put up last year were incredible but the next step is to continue to get better. What I've tried to do is to challenge them in different ways. My biggest thing for Alexis (Govan) is to continue to get better defensively. Because she's so athletic, I think she can add a lot to her game if she does that. She shot the ball unbelievable last year. I think she was 46 percent from the field, which is unheard of at the guard position. With Chastity, she's done a lot of great things. Her body looks great, she's worked great in the offseason. I want her to continue to work and understand that she is a force on the inside. I want her to keep doing what she does to continue to do better. It is also going to help that they aren't going to have to play 32 minutes. We have more manpower. I think that's the thing for them, to be more productive in less amount of minutes."
WKU Players
All-America Candidate Alexis Govan, Jr., Guard/Forward, San Antonio, Texas
On expectations for this year from head coach Michelle Clark-Heard...
"Expectations are a lot higher this year. We expect to compete all game long in every game. We just expect to be in the ball game when it comes to the end of it."
On having a target on their backs...
"I don't think we're even thinking about the target. We just want to get better every day and work hard in practice."
On being an All-America candidate...
"I really think it's about my team. We have some talent this year."
On having a breakout year last season...
"We just need to be better leaders on and off the court. Defense is one thing the coaches have stressed with me and Chastity (Gooch). We were here last year so we need to help the newcomers this year."
On what the newcomers bring...
"Obviously, the new girls bring a lot of height, which is something we were lacking last year. Coach stressed she wanted to bring in more athletes, and I think she definitely did that."
On playing fewer minutes than last year...
"We just have to give it our all when we're on the court."
Ruta Savickaite, Fr., Center, Vinius, Lithuania
On meshing with the team...
"We play together. We already mesh with them. We already know how they play and their game styles. We haven't had problems with understanding how they play."
On adjusting to Bowling Green...
"Chattanooga is a small city too, so it hasn't been too hard."
On her personal goals for the season...
"I want to help the team and help Chastity Gooch in the post. My goal is just to help the team as much as I can."
Bianca McGee, Sr., Guard, Michigan City, Ind.
On how practice has been different...
"Practice has definitely been more competitive. We've been working on getting up and down the floor a little faster since we're going to have subs now. "
On goals for the team...
"Our goal is to come in and work hard every day. If we come in and do what the coaches ask us in practice, the outcome is going to be great."
Bria Gaines, Fr., Forward/Center, Glenwood, Ill.
On her role with the team...
"I want to come in and be a great rebounder while helping Chastity Gooch out in the post. I know she has a lot of pressure."
On what she has learned from Chastity Gooch...
"I learned from Chastity to go hard and make the correct moves--that you have to just be a good all-around post player."
Aleeya Harris, Fr., Forward, San Antonio, Texas
On if she is anxious to get back on the court...
"Very anxious. It's not easy sitting on the sideline every day watching everyone else practice."
On what she remembers from Alexis Govan in high school...
"She was always the person you wanted to stop on the floor. She was just the main focus for every team because she goes hard all the time. If she wants to score, she will score. When she has her mind made up, she's going to do it."
Chanell Lockhart, Jr., Guard, Chicago, Ill.
On how the newcomers are fitting in...
"The newcomers are fitting in just fine. Everybody comes and works hard. You know what you're going to get from everybody every day, so it's been good. Everything is good"
On what about the coaches made her choose WKU...
"The coaching staff is just a winning staff. Everybody has been part of a winning program, and it's a family-oriented kind of group and that made me want to come."
Jalynn McClain, So., Forward, Jeffersonville, Ind.
On if she feels more comfortable playing the post or wing...
"I like playing both. Coach has made me feel more comfortable playing on the wing a little bit more because last year I played a little more post, but I like both."
On how much more intense practices are this year with a deeper team...
"They're a lot more intense. Everybody comes in every day working hard because last year we didn't have that many players. Now we know that there's somebody behind that can take our spot, so they're very intense. Every day we come here and work hard."
