For some women’s college basketball coaches across the country, their "One Shining Moment" came on Selection Sunday.
They were just happy to be invited to the Dance.
Other teams — like South Carolina and Arizona, Iowa and Iowa State — have loftier goals.
Here is a look at some juicy quotes heading into the Greensboro Regional:
No. 1 South Carolina
Who said it? Coach Dawn Staley, after the Gamecocks’ SEC Tournament finals loss to Kentucky
”We've put ourselves in a really good position. Going into the NCAA Tournament it doesn't feel good, but we've got a lot of feel-goods throughout the season that we'll draw on. Obviously this was one of our goals of the season. It wasn't the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is still very much in front of us, and we'll buckle down and try not to be the sad faces that are in the locker room today in the next couple of weeks.”
No. 2 Iowa
Who said it? Leading scorer Caitlin Clark, after the Hawkeyes won the Big Ten Tournament:
“It's obviously amazing. I think this team has done a tremendous job of really enjoying last Sunday but at the same time putting that behind us. And coming into this Sunday I wanted to do it all over again with confetti this time. We didn't have confetti at home. We had 15,000 fans but we didn't have any confetti.
"We got the best of both worlds. And this is an incredible feeling for us to be the first Iowa women's basketball team to be regular-season champs and Big Ten champs. You can say we're hitting our stride at the right time. It's perfectly fun. And obviously Monika (Czinano) was tremendous tonight. And Kate Martin stepped up huge these last couple of games. That's what we're about and Iowa basketball is all about. And that's just fun basketball.”
No. 3 Iowa State
Who said it? Coach Bill Fennelly, after the Cyclones’ Big 12 Tournament semifinals loss to Texas:
“This team has been beyond a joy for me. At this point in my career you don't get that very often. And the good news is I'm heartbroken we don't get to play tomorrow, but we're going to play again. I would not want to be around any other people than these guys. The way they conduct themselves. I can't tell you how many people in Kansas City walked up to me and said, 'Hey, Coach, we love your team, the way they act, the way they play, the way they conduct themselves, and the way they represent.' They weren't all Iowa State fans. I had four other kids in other teams in our league complimented these guys not on how they play, but how they act and how they represent their school."
No. 4 Arizona
Who said it? Coach Adia Barnes, after losing to Colorado in the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals:
“We deserve that fourth seed. We're not healthy right now, but we put our work in the whole year. We have an incredible environment where I would be shocked if we didn't sell out, which is really good for our game. We're a good team. We have had some bad losses lately, but we've beat some really good teams throughout the year. I think the first one I can name is Louisville, but there's a list of them. So we deserve to be in the tournament. We deserve a seed. And we're going to have Cate back. We knew that. I could have pressed as a coach and had Cate back this week, but it wouldn't be constructive and it wouldn't be productive for the tournament. So, honestly, the NCAA tournament's more important than the PAC 12 tournament. Sorry PAC 12. I love you, but it is what it is.”
No. 5 North Carolina
Who said it? Coach Courtney Banghart, after the Tar Heels’ ACC Tournament quarterfinals loss:
“Sometimes it's good to just move on and other times it's good to say, okay, like this is what happened so that you don't think about what happened. This is what happened, this is how we got into this situation both offensively and defensively. Here was our chance to win it, et cetera. And then to make sure that wherever we end up at the NCAA Tournament, we have this as an example, this as a learning experience. It won't be my favorite part of the day to break it down, but I will like being in the room with them to say, here's how we can be better. Because I thought it's a good team, a really good team, and if you win in March, you're playing meaningful games in March, you're doing something right.”
No. 6 Georgia
Who said it? Guard Jennifer Staiti, after the Bulldogs' SEC Tournament loss to Alabama:
“I just think it goes back to everyone on the floor needs to know what they're doing. We got to trust our coaches knowing that they're going to put us in the best situation for each -- offensively, defensively and just following the scouting report. If we're supposed to switch a ball screen, we need to switch a ball screen, how do we defend stuff. I say it all the time, I trust them. Just trust them and things will go our way.”
No. 7 Colorado
Who said it? Coach JR Payne, after losing to Stanford in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals:
“We have proven we've won, I don't know, what, seven of our last nine games in one of the best conferences in America. We're deep. We're one of the best defenses in the country. We rebound -- I think we should get a high seed, and I think that we've earned that, and I think the NCAA Tournament wants to see teams that are playing well at the end of the season, not a team that just started well, kind of fizzled through conference. We're a team that has risen over the last month and a half and I think that's earned a very good seed.”
No. 8 Miami
Who said it? Coach Katie Meier, after the Hurricanes' loss to North Carolina State in the ACC title game:
“I think that's where we have a certain resilience because -- and I said it yesterday, but the roots are deep here. When we're yelling at each other on the court, we're not losing our composure, we are family, and that's how family talks to each other. So when we're saying box out and screaming at each other, that's not when we lose our composure at all. You see other teams that make a mistake and they turn their back, and we make a mistake and go right at each other. And I think that has a lot to do with how vulnerable we've been and how open we've been with each other and how we're not scared of a hard truth because this is not going to happen to us again.”
No. 9 South Florida
Who said it? Coach Jose Fernandez, after beating Houston in the American Athletic Conference semifinals:
"Right now we're sitting at 24 wins. Like I said yesterday, you know, this team has been through a lot. We've been tested. We've been in tight ball games. We've won games on the road. So we got one more game tomorrow and we'll be playing in the NCAA Tournament. And then, you know, your next game in the NCAA Tournament could be your last one."
No. 10 Creighton
Who said it? Coach Jim Flanery, after the team was selected for the NCAA Tournament:
"I told the team there's few things like seeing your name pop up on the screen when you're watching the 'Selection Show.’ I think we're all thankful that the year went the way it did."
No. 11 DePaul (First Four)
Who said it? Freshman guard Aneesah Morrow on getting selected for the NCAA Tournament:
"I was super-surprised. My first thing was to hug on our teammates; just smile; just enjoy. I know how much hard work me and my teammates put in on a daily basis, and there are trials and tribulations and things that we go through that's on and off the court. I feel like it's such a process and just to see all of us happy as a team — it was just amazing."
No. 11 Dayton (First Four)
Who said it? Coach Shauna Green on getting selected for the NCAA Tournament:
“It’s funny because we saw it, and it kind took a couple of seconds to really sink in, but the NCAA Tournament is what we work for. It’s what you dream about as a kid, and these guys, especially these upperclassmen and our super seniors and the group that was kind of robbed of that NCAA tournament (experience) two years ago, they came back to get to the NCAA tournament. I was just so happy for our players and so happy that all the work, all the ups and downs, everything we faced throughout the last couple years, it all paid off and they get to realize this dream of theirs.”
No. 12 Stephen F. Austin
Who said it? Head coach Mark Kellogg said after winning the WAC Tournament title:
“The excitement when your name is called is what’s important. These kids worked hard at WAC Vegas to get that championship. To see your name called never gets old. … We are tired right now. We will ease into the week and then later in the week get after it more.”
No. 13 UNLV
Who said it? Rebels coach Lindy La Rocque, after winning the Mountain West championship:
“Obviously last year, the first year, there was like a number of crazy things, pandemic, all of that, and then for me as a first year head coach, a brand new staff that is working together. We went through a lot of growing pains. We had a lot of good ideas and we were just trying to see exactly what we had, the pieces that we had, what would work. I think the biggest thing is that we just believed. Even last year, the belief started, like, the second I got the job. That's when it really started of like you have to believe you can do it before really you can ever do it. So then it's just kind of trusting that and having, like you said, really good people around you, great administration, awesome assistant coaches. And then you do need some talented players. So to be able to get them in recruiting, our freshman class has been critical. Obviously the transfers were really huge, and having a little bit of success last year helped us get the right ones because they could already kind of feel what was going on here.”
No. 14 UT Arlington
Who said it? Coach Shereka Wright, after the Lady Mavs earned their first NCAA Tournament bid in 15 years:
"All those emotions, all the hard work, all the bumps in the road, the highs and lows, it all paid off. To see everybody jump, tears just kind of fell. But they were tears of joy. I'm just so happy for this program."
No. 15 Illinois State
Who said it? Coach Kristen Gillespie to the Cedar Rapids Gazette in advance of their matchup with 2-seed Iowa:
“We know we have a tough task. But we’re not conceding; we’re preparing for this game with the intention of winning. Either way, this is a great opportunity to showcase our players. Not long ago, we were the worst team in The Valley. To get this program to where it needs to be, to get to play in the national spotlight for two hours Friday, it’s every kid’s dream.”
No. 16 Howard (First Four)
Who said it? Guard Destiny Howell, after being named MEAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player:
“My teammates kept trying to feed me the ball in positions where I could be effective. It was a team victory, for sure. We all felt that pain when they were celebrating after we got so close. We were determined to not let that happen this time.”
No. 16 UIW (First Four)
Who said it? Leading scorer Jaaucklyn Moore on advancing to the NCAA Tournament:
“This whole thing is surreal. We used to talk about this all the time, we knew anything was possible and like everyone has said it just feels great. I’ve told people before, my dream is to go to the NCAA Tournament, so to be able to do that, to win this conference and have that chance, it feels great.”
