LADY VOL HOOPS REPORT (8/28/17)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee women's basketball head coach Holly Warlick and seniors Jaime Nared and Mercedes Russell met with the media on Monday afternoon at the Ray and Lucy Hand Digital Studio.

Nared and Russell talked about their experiences with the USA Basketball U23 National Team, which recently won the U24 Four Nations Tournament in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 12-15. Both players started for that squad, with Russell grabbing her fourth tourney title in as many international trips and Nared claiming victory in her first USA Basketball appearance. They were among 12 from an original list of 40 players competing for roster spots.

Warlick discussed her senior duo's experience with USA Basketball and the benefit of playing highly-competitive games during the summer. She also addressed the addition of assistant coach Bridgette Gordon to the staff, the team's health, team leadership as well as the development and mental toughness of UT's No. 1-ranked freshman class.

HOLLY WARLICK

(Opening statement)
"I just want to start out saying our thoughts and prayers are with Kara Lawson and her family. Her father has passed so we want to make sure we are thinking about her and also the people in the Texas area. We have some former players in the area so obviously we are thinking about them. Seeing the resilience of the people in Texas has been really inspiring and just phenomenal.

Our kids got their first chance to do community service (on Saturday). We always do Hoops for Hope, and this was our tenth season. It was a lot of fun. It's an opportunity for our players to give back and they had a great time.

Jaime and Mercedes, I'm excited and happy for them. They had a great opportunity to represent our country and the Lady Vols. I was happy to see what they did. They really got after the preparation in order make that team. I'm really proud they made it because they really put in a lot of effort.

You all know we hired Bridgette Gordon, former Lady Vol and now our new assistant. I'm excited about Bridgette and glad to have her on board.

Our girls have done a great job this summer. It's a great feeling to go into a gym and know that the group we have is willing to go all out in practice. I think our freshmen have added to that. Our freshmen are competitive, talented and they aren't scared. They want to learn and they have done a phenomenal job of fitting in and gelling with our upperclassmen. Jaime and Mercedes have done a great job of being leaders for us, and I am really proud of them. It's exciting starting a new season. I'm anxious to see it and get going."

(On how playing with team USA has benefitted Mercedes and Jaime)
"I think that just playing in game situations has helped them. I know they have both been in the gym doing skill work and skill development. I think it was great for them having to compete against that level of competition and playing against all of the different styles that they were up against. I just think the opportunity to play in the summer to play with a team and a coach is great experience. Your being coached by a different coach, playing with a different system and playing with different players around you, so you have to adjust. The only thing I'm disappointed with is that they didn't have the opportunity to lift (. When they got back and started lifting they were really sore. They were in the gym all day long (at camp). We have to benefit from that (experience) because I know they did the skill work side of it. I'm really pleased with that, and I think it's going to help them starting this year."

(On whether the actual tryouts helped them maybe more than playing overseas)
"Yes, that's a great point. I think the competition, the four teams that went after each other each day, that was a lot of talent playing each other. I think they benefited from that more than they did overseas because the style is so different. Japan is smaller and super quick. I watched some of the games, and it was a little brutal. They went after each other. I think that would've been a very difficult team to pick (USA U23 Team) because the talent was really special."

(On keeping freshmen from feeling pressure during first year)

"When I recruited them, I told them they would have a great opportunity to play. They are talented, and they've been through pressure situations at the high school level. Our upperclassmen have really taken them in and made sure that things aren't overwhelming to them. If they don't understand something in practice, (upperclassmen) are explaining it to them. I think for them, we're going to take it slow. We're really breaking down what we want offensively, we're really breaking down what we want defensively, so I don't want them to have a question of what we expect from them and what we want. Do they feel the pressure? They've never played. Everything is new to them, and I love it. I love that, because it is new to them and their effort and energy is contagious. But our upperclassmen have taken them in, and sometimes I think upperclassmen can be threatened by talent coming in, but they're not. I think that's been really fun to watch, our upperclassmen help and our freshmen listen."

(On decision to hire former Lady Vol Bridgette Gordon as assistant coach)

"I took my time, and I didn't want to rush into anything. I talked to people, and every time I talked to people, Bridgette's name kept surfacing. I felt that Bridgette was a great fit, but I just wanted to make sure that we're doing the right thing for this program. But she just kept coming back, and her name kept coming around. You're not going to find another person that loves this program as much as Bridgette Gordon. Obviously, she's part of this history, and she started this whole ball rolling as far as our national championships. She's got a lot vested in this program, and I think it means a lot that you got somebody here with their number in the rafters. She's not the type of person of 'back when I played…' But I think Bridgette is a great example of what this love for the program can do, where it can take you and how you can benefit from it. I think she's a great choice, she's been a great fit for our players, and she does a heck of a job recruiting, too."

(On status of team's health)

"We're healthy. (Cheridene) Green looks great. Her quad (strength) is getting better, and, knock on wood, we're pretty healthy right now. Everybody's in practice and going through everything, so we're just trying to get a flow and a feel for each other, and just put in some time."

(On the development of Kamera Harris)

"I think Kam has done well. You see her as a freshman, and you see her now; her body has totally changed. She's gotten better on the court. So, she's another example of just putting in the time. Kam's putting in the time, she's made a commitment in the weight room and made a commitment on the court. It's a matter of if she'll continue to develop, and if she continues to develop, that will determine probably how much playing time she gets. We're going to need her to get in and give Mercedes (Russell) a little bit of relief. Obviously, with 10 players, she's going to have to help contribute."

(On what the team needs to improve on from last year)

"My first thing that comes to mind is a better defensive team. I think we're a lot better than what we want it to be, so we've got to get better defensively. Then, we need to be selfless. We've got 10 people capable of making an impact on this basketball team. We've got to learn how to step up our leadership, which I think we have, and then we've got to follow that leadership. We've got to become very unselfish on the court. I thought at times that, for whatever reason, the ball would get stuck in our hands, or we weren't committed to do some things. We've been talented, but we haven't had consistent leadership, and I've been saying that. This year, since the spring and leading into now, our leadership has been pretty solid. I think you see the result now of our team playing well together and having a good feel in the gym. I think consistent leadership for us is a huge key."

(On how to get consistent leadership)

"I think we're talking about Jaime (Nared) and Mercedes (Russell). They've just got to step up and be more consistent, and people have to follow. I think that Mercedes staying and Jaime graduating, those two have set the example by getting in the gym and working. Mercedes is not extremely vocal. Jaime has learned to be. Jaime Nared has gotten in the gym and puts hours upon hours upon hours, and she's developed that respect from the underclassmen. I think just getting in and working and being consistent, and those two have been pretty consistent on their work ethic and making a commitment to this team. They don't waver. They haven't wavered, and they put this team first. Our younger kids and underclassmen see that and understand that."

MERCEDES RUSSELL

(On what she gained from U23 camp in Colorado Springs and the Four Nations Tournament in Japan)

"I think just being able to compete with some of the best. Every day, we were practicing to play against some of the best players and the competition is very high, especially during tryouts. It was 36 of the best college players in the nation, so just being able to compete and play against some of the best really helped."

(On how this experience compares to other basketball opportunities)

"It's definitely up there with some of the best. It was one of my favorite experiences overall. I've never been to Tokyo before, so just experiencing a new country and new city was awesome. A lot of our time was devoted to basketball, so it was less sight-seeing than other experiences I've had, but overall it was awesome."

JAIME NARED

(On experience of playing in the U24 Four Nations Tournament)

"A lot of the time we spent was devoted to basketball. It was just a great opportunity and great experience to play with some of the best players in the country and compete at such a high level."

(On how this experience helped her learn what to improve on)

"There's always improvements you can make. Just going over and playing in Colorado Springs, you definitely see what you need to improve on and see what you can get better at when you're playing with some of the best players. So, I couldn't name just a few things I specifically want to improve on, because you always want to up every aspect of your game."

University of Tennessee Athletics

HOLLY WARLICK

MERCEDES RUSSELL

JAIME NARED

Players Mentioned

Kamera Harris

Jaime Nared

Mercedes Russell

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