Everything Mizzou's Kellie Harper, Grace Slaughter Said During Spring Media

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Addressing the media for the first time since being introduced March 31, Kellie Harper was all smiles discussing the state of the program one month into practices.

The Missouri Tigers' women's basketball coach took questions regarding her staff's transfer portal efforts as well as the early program expectations heading into the first year without Robin Pingeton since 2010. To her left sat its face.

"There are so many things," rising junior Grace Slaughter said when asked why she opted to return to Missouri amid the leadership transition.

Here's everything both Harper and Slaughter said as spring practices continue:

Harper on offseason recruiting efforts...

"You're doing high school recruiting, but you're also doing portal recruiting. We were able to get in and get really high-quality people who fit what we're looking for on the court and will be great additions to our established players here. I think they all bring something really unique.

"Saniah Tyler brings SEC experience from playing at Kentucky. She's super excited to be back in the state of Missouri. Shannon Dow also brings collegiate experience and had a terrific freshman year, so I think we're just scratching the surface with her, who she can become. Jordana Reisma is going to give us size and athleticism in the interior, and I think that's going to open up a lot of things for players like Grace. Then Sydney Mains is a super intelligent shooter with good size. So that's a good start — those are the ones I can talk about. We're continuing to build."

Harper on her general pitch to transfers...

"I think we had to explain our vision and where we see them individually. I'll be honest with you, one of the big sales was playing with players like Grace — players that are hungry, want to win and want to embrace teammates coming in to help get that done.

"I think our staff has a lot of positive energy, and it's infectious. Anybody that meets our staff and comes on a visit really likes it. Missouri has a lot of positive things to sell as well. We made sure that each player who stepped on campus knew exactly where we saw them and why we recruited them."

Harper on the importance of retaining Grace Slaughter...

"To be honest with you, I've kind of been a fan from afar. I've followed her career and enjoyed watching her play, especially this past year when I didn’t have a dog in the fight and could just enjoy good basketball.

"She means a lot to this program, to this community, to this university and obviously to our team moving forward. That's a big deal. She's super talented. We talk about her all the time — she has pro habits. This kid is in the gym every day, and our staff loves that. As we continue to move forward, I'm excited about the growth even Grace can have. We want to celebrate who she is but also continue to push her to be the best she can possibly be."

Slaughter on why she stayed at Missouri...

"There are so many things. I just wanted to first see who Mizzou was going to bring in. When I saw it was Coach Harper and got to know her and her staff, I felt like that was a really big positive. She comes with a rich history in women’s basketball — not only coaching but playing as well.

"Seeing Mizzou put that type of effort towards women's basketball was really exciting. On top of that, like Coach Harper talked about, the community in Columbia and the relationships you build over time — Mizzou is so much more than just a place. I get to play basketball in my home state, and it's an opportunity to play in the SEC as well."

Slaughter on being seen as the face of the program...

"It's something you have to embrace. I’m super thankful for my teammates the past couple of years. I got to be a freshman with Hayley Frank and really look up to her, see how she handled that role. I still talk with her.

"Being able to have good upperclassmen to look up to made a big difference. I think there's still room to grow in that role — to be more vocal. But at the same time, it’s a team sport. There are so many other individuals who help make it happen."

Harper on recruiting high school athletes...

"Recruiting is fluid, so things are constantly changing. I'm not going to say there's a definite right now, but we're definitely focused heavily on the transfer portal. We want to eventually move toward bringing in high school players. I think that's going to be important for our culture — for stability and consistency — and important for me.

"Having high school players coming in and doing what Grace is doing is going to be really important."

Harper on players entering the transfer portal...

"We had some really good conversations with all of our players. We met with all of them. The most important thing we do right now is have very honest and transparent conversations, both ways.

"The good thing about the transfer portal is that it allows players to find the right fit at the right time. Hopefully, we were honest in our conversations, and I hope our players were honest back. I think the decisions that were made were probably right for everyone."

Slaughter on her role in transfer portal conversations...

"Kind of like Coach Harper said, the transfer portal provides a lot of positives. It allows people to go where they need to. For my teammates who have been in the locker room with us, I'm just happy for them to be able to find a home.

"There's also that balance of trusting in the coaching staff. Coach Harper's been watching this whole year, so she’s been able to see what we need. It's a two-way street — letting the coaches do their job and understanding there's a positive for everyone in it."

Slaughter on Harper's experience sending players to the WNBA...

"We actually just had that conversation pretty recently. I would love to get to play afterwards. Understanding that Coach Harper has had experience developing players who go to the next level — that's the type of development I would get to have here. That was something super special."

Slaughter on her relationship with Ashton Judd, other upperclassmen...

"I was close with them. It's hard to see your friends and close people go, but at the same time, I’m happy for them. The transfer portal is a place where you can go if you think somewhere else will be a better fit for your development and your goals."

Harper on announcing Sophie Cunningham’s Mizzou Hall-of-Fame induction...

"I was very honored to be part of that announcement and to be there. I've also been a fan of Sophie's for a long time. Hated coaching against her, oh my goodness, because she's a winner. She's the person you want on your side.

"I’m so proud of her and happy for her. I can't wait to continue to be a fan of her as she continues her career. It's such a well-deserving honor for her to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and I'm very humbled to be a part of it."

Harper on her past coaching experiences...

"Every experience I've had throughout my career is one I can reflect on and learn from. No two seasons are identical — even if the team is similarly made up, it's different every year.

"I may draw from experiences from 20 years ago — I started really young, y’all — or three years ago. You find similarities in how the season is progressing, how players handle adversity, just different things.

"I always feel like I’m a lifetime learner. I love learning, and I’m always trying to figure out what works best. That's one of my favorite parts of coaching — figuring out how to put ourselves in the best position possible. Whether it’s on the court, off the court, or leadership development, there are so many pieces I've learned that I'll be pulling from this year."

Slaughter on differences under Harper so far...

"The past couple of weeks have been spring training, so it’s been focused on individual improvement and coming together as a team. Everything has felt super beneficial.

"It’s been really easy to go up to the offices and talk with them, which I really enjoy. I think I can speak for the team — we're all really looking forward to the summer, getting everyone here, and seeing how we can develop."

Slaughter on building team chemistry over the summer...

"Some of us returners have been talking about how we think we can bring this team together. It's about expectations, timing, even little things — like how early you get to the locker room before practice — it all makes a difference.

"Summer is the time to build relationships, whether it’s hanging out by the pool, or whatever. As a leader, I'll definitely focus on being more vocal and making sure my teammates can hear me in different ways. I think we’re all super excited to get everyone here."

Harper on what she wants to see this offseason...

"It starts with our current players, and I’m so proud of them. I tell them daily — I’m so proud of the people they are. They're working hard, getting in the gym, welcoming our staff, and they’re hungry. They have to maintain that. They have to let that hunger drive them. We're bringing in really good people who will match that. We're going to work really hard on building cohesiveness.

"You do a lot of that in the summer. On-court chemistry comes from off-court relationships. We have some ideas on how to help foster that. We have to be one. What we’re going to try to do is extremely challenging in our league, but they're up for it. I'm excited to get started.

"It's not going to be easy — we'll have adversity — and when that comes, we'll have to rely on each other. There’s no reason this team's bond can't be as strong as any team’s bond ever has been, when you start with great people and a common vision. You can achieve so much."

Harper on how many players she hopes to add to the roster...

"Recruiting is fluid. Roster management these days is fluid. We feel good about where we're at now. I think after yesterday’s segment, that would make 10. We're still looking. We’re still trying to bring in a few more pieces that make sense.

"We’re not going to add just for numbers. Our practice guys are going to get a lot of reps. Our players are going to play a lot of minutes — that’s what they want. They don’t want to sit on the bench; they want to play."

Slaughter on short-term steps for reaching her long-term goals...

"We’ve talked about that as well. I was able to talk to one of our assistants, and he made the comment that anything you work toward for a long-term goal also helps the team with short-term goals.

"Whether it’s small habits that lead to the end goal — there are so many different things you can work on in an offseason. The big ones are bringing the team together and working on leadership, making sure we move as one this upcoming season."