The Arizona Wildcats lost to ASU for the third time this year with a 54-51 defeat in the first round of the Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament. They end the season 12-18 overall and 3-15 in the Big 12. Our game recap is here. Below are replies from UA head coach Becky Burke to questions asked by the media in Kansas City, MO.
On close games
“This year’s just been a really, really big year of just really close games and lessons for us. And it’s been hard. It’s been really, really hard. but we’ve competed. We haven’t
quit. We haven’t given up. And for what we have and what we went through, I think our players did everything that they could to compete in the Big 12 this year. And for that I’m really, really proud. Proud of this group. Proud of Lani [Cornfield] and Nora [Francois] and Micky [Perdue] for their last season.”
On the last play of the game
“We know ASU is really physical. Baseline out of bounds, sideline out of bounds. That’s something that we are a little bit smaller. We are a little bit undersized compared to them. So they really give us a hard time trying to get the basketball in and get to our spots. And they’re really, really physical with us in critical times. They have been all three times we’ve played them, and we haven’t matched that physicality on the offensive end. Sumayah [Sugapong] and Lani are always options one and two, and then I pick who is three, four and five. But we didn’t do a good enough job handling their physicality on that last possession.”
On the future
“I’ m very thankful to be the coach at the University of Arizona, with our fan base, our administration, just what we have as a national brand of basketball, and what we’re going to be able to do with some time going into next season is really, really exciting. And we have everything that we need to be successful. Our goal is to compete for Big 12 championships and national championships, and we’re going to be better for this year and move forward.”
