LaDazhia Williams Talks Career Game, Confidence Against Utah

Q. Angel, did this feel like a statement win for you guys after your schedule has been criticized and stuff all season?

ANGEL REESE: We always play the underdog role, so just going into this game and just proving everybody wrong, we knew what we had. But of course the media is going to do what they do, but we do what we do. And I think we fought hard all four quarters. We've been through so much from the beginning to the end, so I'm just super happy for this team.

Q. Angel, how dramatic was that finish? How back and forth, up and down was it? How did you handle your emotions going forward and fighting to the end?

ANGEL REESE: Just trying to, like you said, keep my emotions together. It was tough. When I got that fifth foul, I was upset with myself for sure, but I trusted my teammates. My teammates have been in situations, especially in practice, where I'm not on the court, and they have to do last-minute situations, so I'm super proud of the team. Alexis and LaDazhia stepped up as seniors, so I'm just super happy for the leadership that we had tonight.

Q. LaDazhia, you're next to two people who don't mind talking. I take it this is probably not your favorite thing to do. When Angel got the second foul early in the second quarter and had to go to the bench, did anything go through your mind in terms of I need to do more, I need to help this team out? Would you say this was your best game you've ever had?

LADAZHIA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I would say that it was my best game I've had, and being a senior, I'm not ready to go home. We already know where we want to go, and Angel getting in early foul trouble, I felt like I needed to step up as a senior and just be a leader on the court and just do what I can for my team.

Q. What worked so well for you? It seemed like early on you were making the shots around the basket, then you started hitting the jump shots. Their coach said they let you get into a rhythm. Was that how you felt, you weren't missing? How was the confidence?

LADAZHIA WILLIAMS: My confidence was an all-time high tonight, I believe. And Coach Mulkey she always tells me that high post shot is my shot and to take it, and I work on that every day in practice. So I was just shooting the ball with confidence tonight.

Q. Did you feel it in warmups? You knew that it was there, or did it come to you in the game?

LADAZHIA WILLIAMS: I would say it just came to me in the game. Being a senior, I didn't want this to be my last game, and I just wanted to do anything that I could to extend our season and help the team out when we were in foul trouble. I would just say I just felt it as the game was going on.

Q. For both of you, what did you think of her outfit tonight?

LADAZHIA WILLIAMS: We already told her this is probably her best 'fit.

ANGEL REESE: She always comes. The whole staff be coming trim. They all be fly. Nobody be liking. They all try to outdo each other.

KIM MULKEY: I do not go pick these things out. New Brand is the name of the stylist, and she's shipping another one when she saw we won tonight. Most of the time I wear Queen of Sparkles. Look, we're from Louisiana, we like sparkles, we like diamonds, we like Mardi Gras, we like to eat and we like to party. So I'm filling the bill for my home state.

Q. When you transferred to LSU, could you have imagined this, the Elite 8, 31 wins, all that? Did you think, this could be quite a ride or what were you thinking?

LADAZHIA WILLIAMS: I mean, I knew playing for a Hall of Fame coach, we were going to get something done. We work hard every day in practice, and we listen to what she's got to say, and we put in the work. I'm not really too surprised. This is year two, and we're making a statement. We just want to keep making statements.