Lady Vols vs. Florida A&M Postgame Quotes

Tennessee Head Coach Kellie Harper

Opening statement...
"It's great to start the season 1-0 and I'm proud of our team. I tell them again in the locker room, 'You don't ever take any of them for granted'. I thought we did some good things. Obviously as the coach, there are some things that we're going to work on. We're going to try to improve upon after each game that we play. I think it was fun to get this one under our belt and be able to move forward."

On the junior class...
"I think the thing that I like about this team right now is that everybody can contribute. Everybody can find something to help us with. If it's two minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, when you get your name called, you've got to be ready to go. Jillian Hollingshead...was pretty proud of her 12 boards, we all were. I think we had a lot of production from other folks. The junior class for me, these classes are still a hodge podge a little bit. I know we had some production from a lot of folks."

On Destinee Wells' play at the end of the first half...
"That was beautiful. What we're trying to do is get Destinee (Wells) more comfortable, that she's looking to be a little more aggressive each and every game. I am so comfortable putting the ball in her hands at the end of the quarter to make a great decision. I don't think she's scored as well as she's capable of, but that's coming to. She just makes such good decisions with the basketball and finds the open person. It was a beautiful, beautiful play."

On if the deep rotation of players during the first half was planned...
"Yes and no. I think the circumstances did warrant that and we were able to find some matchups that made sense for some of our bench personnel. We were able to get them in, but there were some necessities. Kaiya Wynn went in pretty early because I didn't think that we were guarding on the ball. I think everybody has their strengths and everybody's got to pull to get that. Moving forward we hope that we can have production from a lot of people. I think we've got to be prepared to have that, but at the same time our players on the court can play longer minutes if need be."

On Jewel Spears debut...
"Coming off of a game that I didn't think Jewel (Spear) took enough shots, we talked to her a little bit about looking for some more shots. Obviously, today she was open and took them. I think the thing that I was impressed me was she missed her first two and she kept shooting. I think that's important. That's who she is. That's who she needs to be for us to help spread the floor and give us some opportunities on the perimeter. Now we took a lot of threes in the first half because there were kick-out opportunities because of some double teams collapsing. I thought we made some good decisions on the perimeter to find those open threes and Jewel was able to knock them down."

On Kaiya Wynn's performance...
"Kaiya (Wynn) is a great athlete and she can really move laterally. She's fast, she's strong. I think for us, we're continuing to work with her about being a defensive stopper. I think that's where we need to head with her. It's what she's going to work toward."

On how Tamari Key is feeling...
"I honestly haven't talked to her much yet. Tonight was a lot about trying to get the right matchup for her. We want to keep her in a position that keeps her successful. For us just trying to find opportunities for her with the matchups. It's not exhibition games anymore. It's real. Those things matter. I thought she did a good job when she was out there."

On Jewel's creativity getting shots up being an asset to the team...
"For her she has the ability to create her own shots, so we're not always relying on someone else to get her open. She has a good feel for moving away from defenders and using screens. I think she's very comfortable in that space. That's good for us because it allows us to find her some more shots. She's not just taking them. She can make those shots."

On how Karoline Striplin can help the offense when she's efficient…
"Well, she works hard. First off, she sprinted the floor and gave Destinee (Wells) some assist opportunities because we found her in transition. Karoline (Striplin) did a nice job finishing when she got it around the basket. I thought she took good shots. I thought she was really active and I thought defensively she did a nice job. I thought she was really communicating from the paint area, she had a couple of breakdowns, but we all did defensively. I really liked her game tonight. I thought she was consistent and made it look easy."

On what's gone into Destinee Wells having chemistry with her teammates so early on…
"Destinee (Wells) has so much basketball savvy. She has a great IQ and when she steps out on the court, she can make a lot of plays. My biggest job is to make sure she is comfortable because if she is comfortable, she's going to make a lot of plays for us. I love the way she connects with people, whether it be in transition or in the half-court."

On Jewel Spear being comfortable playing against Florida State…
"I would think so. Anytime you have a history or anytime you have played someone, there is a comfort or you feel like you know them just a little bit better. I think for us right now when we get to SEC play, our team feels pretty confident knowing what we're going to see. I think Jewel is going to go down there on Thursday and feel pretty confident that she knows what she's going to see. I am completely comfortable with her sharing some info with us for the good of our team, but I'll head back up to the office tonight and start my scouting report. We have it done, it's ready to go, now it's just on me getting ready for practice tomorrow."

On what the challenges are going into Florida State being the second game...
"Well I think athletically, they are extremely quick, they do a great job getting to the paint, they've got some size in the paint as well. They're going to play really fast and utilize their athleticism. They're hard to guard. They are really hard to guard. They are hard to keep in front of you so that's going to be a pretty big challenge for our team."

On what she liked about the discipline from guards and how they have improved since pre-season…
"I think we have gotten a little bit better, slowly, but surely. I don't think we have arrived by any stretch of the imagination. I thought we opened the game and gave up a few too many offensive boards. I thought we cleaned that up in the middle of the game, and I don't know if we were super disciplined in the second half with our defensive rebounding, but we were able to get it because we were bigger. That's where you want to do the right work, do it the right way every time to take care of those games so that it's preparing you for when the only way you can get it is to be disciplined. We'll continue to move forward with our rebounding as a priority in practice."

On the player that Jewel Spear can become this year…
"Hopefully you got to see Jewel's personality a little bit, she is a great teammate. She is fun to coach, she is very driven, and she is a pleaser. If you tell her to do something, she is going to go out and do it. I think she has some really natural ability when she steps out on the court, especially when the ball is in her hand. She is playing with good confidence, I've liked how she's really bought into our defensive philosophy and what she needs to do, I think we've seen a lot there. She's doing better on the boards and I'm really excited for her to be at Tennessee on this big stage and to have the opportunity to play with a lot of great players and hopefully help this team make a strong push this season."

Junior Guard Kaiya Wynn

On shaping into a stronger player and what she attributes to that…
"I do attribute that to becoming a junior, but also my team and coaches. They have stayed on me my entire time here, always being supportive, always making sure I am getting in the gym and helping me. My coaches just keep believing in me and I keep knowing that they are encouraging me in that they know I can play and I know I can play. So, I am kind of just coming into my own and getting older."

On playing against Florida A&M who was coached by LVFL Bridgette Gordon…
"When they told us we were playing FAMU, coach (Kellie) Harper was like 'they are coached by Bridgette Gordon,' and coach Jon (Harper) was like 'if you look up there, her name is in the rafters,' so that was pretty cool. I actually think I met her (Bridgette Gordon) when I came to a couple elite camps here when I was 14, which was pretty cool. I think it is just a testament to the Lady Vols' program. You have a coach to come back and coach another team and put up a good fight against us, while their name is retired, so that is pretty cool."

On if the game has slowed down for her at all…
"Yes, the game has slowed down a lot. I think that came a lot with working out and getting in the gym and being intentional about what I am doing—not just doing a whole bunch of general things but working on things that apply to my game and things that I am going to see. Also, just watching film."

Junior Forward Karoline Striplin

On tonight's win and how it felt to start the season on this note…
"It felt good. Just when you look back, all the extra hours we put in, I feel like we kind of came to fruition here and made it to junior year. I can't believe that I am saying that, but it's just exciting to start the season off with a win. I felt like everybody played great and we can just build off this."

On having Lady Vol great Bridgette Gordon back at her alma mater…
"I think like Kaiya (Wynn) said, it was awesome to have another Lady Vol great back on this court, one that she played on and had many great games here. I think that her team was really reflective of the type of style she played, and they showed a lot of toughness and had some great finishes down the stretch. I think that is was just awesome to be able to see another Lady Vol for Life succeeding, and I am glad that we got the opportunity."

On Florida A&M's hot start and what Kellie Harper said to them to get them back into the lead…
"Basically, it came down to not guarding one-on-one. It was also a lot of us not helping our teammates, so it really came down to locking in and really focusing on the task at hand and guarding the person in front of you, kind of seeing where you can help out when you are not guarding someone with the ball."

Senior Guard Jewel Spear

On how important it was to get off to a hot start in her first official appearance as a Lady Vol…
"I thought it was really fun, very exciting. Credit to Florida A&M and how they came out, but I thought we responded really well. I thought my teammates were looking for me, whether Rickea (Jackson) was getting doubled, Karoline (Striplin) looking on the x-out pass or Kaiya (Wynn) making the extra pass. Just me making those shots was credit to my teammates giving me the ball when I was open."

On having a high assist rate tonight and what went into that…
"I think it is really fun to see when we share the ball it makes everybody's job easier, and it's really fun to play with Kaiya (Wynn), Karoline (Striplin) and everyone else in the locker room because we want to see other people be successful. When other people are successful, it makes the team successful, so I think it was really cool to see us get 21 assists off 32 field goals."

On playing against her dad's alma mater...
"My dad didn't come, but I am pretty sure he was watching on TV because he went to Florida A&M. I texted him before the game 'Ready to play your school, who are you cheering for?' (He said) 'Of course you,' but I love my dad and I love my family."

Florida A&M Head Coach Bridgette Gordon

On the emotions of coming back to Tennessee and what it meant to get such a great reception from the fans…
"It meant that I played the game the right way. It wasn't just about the wins, the championships, it was just about everything that Pat (Summitt) stood for. I'm a part of her legacy. Just to be back, I didn't know how I was going to receive it, having to walk past the chair that I know that she sat in for so many years. I got pretty emotional today at shoot around. It was emotional having Holly (Warlick) come there. We have so much history together. We both came into UT at the same time in 1985. She was returning back now from being a player to a coach and enjoying her on the staff in 17 and then 19. It was great to be back and just wanted to make sure I made Pat proud by putting on a product, not just Pat, but around the nation, by putting a product on the court that she would be happy for, and I think she will. I think our young ladies competed and battled; they didn't back down. We talked about that, about the house being on fire. It was the opportunity, especially after we watch Colorado upset LSU and James Madison, what they did to Michigan State. I just think the parity in the women's game is here, and it's here to stay. Everybody puts on their uniform the same way. I can't be prouder of my young ladies, the way they battled. You're talking about five young ladies that were a part of a six and 24 team last year, six and 24 was their record. Going back to the part, it was great to be back home. There's no place back home and I loved everything about it. While I have the microphone, I've been advocating about the W and needing to make a franchise here in Knoxville. We have the best fans in America, and we would show up and show out if they brought that franchise here."

On how Pat Summitt has inspired the coach she is today…
"I was telling a story about every day for four years, she would push me from 12 to three. The first two years we were in Stokley, the last two here in Thompson-Boling (Arena at Food City Center). I never understood as a young adult how she could push me so hard and immediately after practice I can go to her office and she wanted to ask me, 'how's your family, how's your mom?' That was just the caring part that I never understood until I pushed my players and I bring them in my office and I was having the same conversation. It was like déjà vu that that was happening. Me as a coach now and I was talking to my young lady. It's so much that she has inspired us all. I told my young ladies, the only thing that I asked for them to get is one percent better. Sit in the first three rows, that sounds so familiar, right? Compete, outwork, rebound, give it your best, represent with excellence. That's the same thing. We called ourself pressure, because we're under pressure. The last time, if you look it up, the last time Florida A&M University won something, it's been over 34 years. We're trying to do something special that hasn't been done for a HBCU. I know it's my first year, but in 22 years as an assistant coach (including at Tennessee from 2017-19), playing at the highest level. It's like your grandma's recipe. You're always saying, 'Grandma, how much did you use that? What's the recipe?' She'll say, 'Oh, I took a little bit of this, and I took a little bit of that'. That's what I've done in 22 years under different head coach. I took a little bit of this, and I took a little bit of that and I put my twist on it. I tell my young ladies every day, you might not like it, but this is the way I'm going to run my family. I'm creating a culture which is a sisterhood. That's what Pat (Summitt) taught us, it's a sisterhood. If I could just take it a little bit further, I talked to them about how precious life is. To have to have two home goings for two Lady Vols in the same year, less than three months apart, that's hard. Life is so precious. We talk about basketball, winning and losing, but when I took the job we went to church and five young ladies gave their life to go. It's about a lot of things. It's not just about winning on the court, which where the head goes, they say the body is going to follow and I'm the head. I know Pat would be proud of me."

On being able to take her team to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame…
"It's kind of like Mom and Dad can just get on your and keep telling you things and then Auntie just comes and says the same thing and it resonates. I think for my young ladies, to hear me talk about it. If I go back, and like I said I'm faith driven, God is first in my life. Just how I'm taking the job and my first coaching debut is at Tennessee, it's just full circle. On the trip, we were supposed to stop at Atlanta, we stopped at Peachtree. I pick up my phone and I call my friend Lady Hardmon Groom that played at the University of Georgia. She sat there and she talked about it. She talked about how mean I was on the court, but as soon as the game was over I would cook for them. I did all the little things. Then to get here and to walk them through it and for them to see Pat's (Summitt) statue, and to come into the arena and just to see the Mr. T starting kit that I wore. If it glitters it must be Gordon. Just for them to see and feel what it looked like and what I might of had to endure to be who I am today. I think that the chemistry, it started to resonate with them. An opportunity to go to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, and they said, 'Coach, is this the hall of fame just Tennessee?' I said, 'No, it's the hall of fame for all of them. The only hall of fame for women's basketball is right here in Knoxville, because there's no place like home'. They understand the history, what it took them to get here, to understand so I could see that they're starting to allow me to push them even more and now they can appreciate me a little bit more. Sometimes, Maria (Cornelius), they just see the paper. They forget sometimes because I don't carry myself that way. I carry myself like Pat did. Nobody is bigger than team. I sweep the floor, I mop, I go wash the floor, I do whatever I have to do for them to show them that I love them. Now, they understand, 'I guess my Coach was really a pretty good player to make history'. The first ever to be a part of four final fours, male or female, to lead Tennessee as the leading scorer. To lead Tennessee from a freshman to senior. Only player to do it. To be a part of a first in a lot of different things, I think it's starting to resonate. If they allow me to push them Maria and we can go out and compete and clean up the details, I think we have something special in the oven cooking and we just have to keep on working. I would just like to say to you Maria, I appreciate everything that you did for women's basketball and the Lady Vols. How you covered us, you've been doing a great job. I just appreciate you. Sometimes you don't get the opportunity to thank you and I grew up under your head and I just want to thank you. I hope not only that I make Pat proud, that I made yourself and everybody that's in this room proud of the product that I put out there on the floor and the way that I conduct myself. I'm a role model. I'm a lady first, then I'm a coach, then I'm an auntie."