Oct. 11, 2016
Penn State Women's Basketball Media Day
Player Quotes
October 11, 2016
Amari Carter | G | So. | #2
Q: What was it like coming back from injury and how has it been getting back on the floor in the pre-season?
A: It has been a process -- a long one -- but it's great. Every part of [the journey] has been a great experience; from getting back on the court with the team, to getting back in drills and practice and, getting ready for the season. We're all really excited.
Q: How do you think practice has been going?
A: I feel like we look great. We're playing a lot faster and it's a different feel [from last year]. I am not sitting back and watching like I did last year. I am actually on the court and it's a whole different experience and I love it.
Q: How have you grown as a team?
A: Our leadership has grown a lot. Shout out to our captains, Kaliyah [Mitchell], Peyton [Whitted] and Sarah [McMurtry] they've done a great job with leading our program and everyone else is able to follow their lead and get our culture back to where we want it to be.
Q: Coming back from the injury what have you personally been trying to work on?
A: Strength, I have definitely been working on getting stronger. And my shot, I have just been trying to get back into the flow of things and get back to being comfortable playing on the floor.
Q: Have you guys talked about the Big Ten and how competitive the conference is as a whole?
A: Definitely, the Big Ten is going to be a fight every night. All the teams have their strengths and each of us thinks they are going to finish at the top. When we do the things that we are supposed to do; like come out and play hard, play fast and play our game, I think we have a chance against anyone.
Siyeh Frazier | G. | Fr. | #4
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about the transition from high school basketball to college basketball?
A: It has been really good for me. I didn't have any specific expectations for it, but my teammates and coaches made the transition a lot easier for me. Playing and studying has been easy, because everybody is really supportive. There are lot of people that I can go to for support that will help me achieve my goals.
Q: How is practice been going?
A: Practice has been going really well, actually. I am actually really excited to see how we do this year because everyone is doing well. We have been focusing on having a lot of energy and supporting each other. Most important is support, so that makes practice go well.
Q: What are some of your personal expectations?
A: To play as hard as I can and to play good defense, and being able to complete the tasks that coach wants me to. I want to be able to live up to Coquese's standards and do what is needed of me to help the team win.
Q: So Coach Washington said that she wants the freshmen to make an immediate impact this year. Are you ready to do that? Do you think you have learned enough over the summer?
A: I feel like as far as doing what the team needs me to do, I always give my best. I'm very competitive, so whatever I need to do, I feel like I am ready. I'm probably not game ready at this point, but I feel that I can do whatever is needed of me if I am called upon.
Lindsey Spann | G | Jr. | #12
Q: What is it that you've been working on personally in preseason and practice so far?
A: Definitely my defense and my three-point shot. I mainly have just been trying to be more consistent.
Q: What is it about your three-point shot that you're really trying to key in on this year?
A: I really just want to be more of a consistent shooter. Some games I have been really hot, and then some nights I will hit one here and one there. I want my percentage to go up, so I have to take higher quality shots. It is just reading the defense and little things like that regarding three-point shooting. Even just thinking and understanding when to pull up. That is what I've been working on.
Q: How important is team chemistry and what has been the focus in terms of working on that chemistry during the offense season?
A: Team chemistry with this team is extremely important and that is something that we've been working on in the off-season and in the preseason. It's something that has really improved, as well. We communicate a lot better as a team; we're talking defensively, offensively, and understanding one another. People are stepping into leadership roles and that's something that we've been focusing on and I think we've done a really great job at getting better at it.
Q: What have you identified as some of your expectations this off-season?
A: We definitely want to get back to the top of the Big Ten; we definitely want to make it back to the NCAA Tournament, so that's something that we've really been honing in on. Kind of the big picture within is taking it day by day. We have to get better every day with incremental improvement. You don't want to go backward, you always want to go forward.
Teniya Page | G | So. | #11
Q: Coach [Washington] talked about how well you played last year, and this year you could be one of the best players in the league, to hear a compliment from your coach what does that mean to you?
A: I'm honored for it, especially this being my second year. Obviously I want to make a big improvement from last year, so for her to say that is a big compliment, but I have to back it up by actually playing well.
Q: Coach Washington was also talking about how she wanted some of the returning players to step up into a leadership role, for you what helps that?
A: Last year I didn't talk much. I'm not a vocal person but I think this year so far I've been pretty vocal on and off the court. For me to step into a leadership role the biggest thing was definitely being more vocal and explaining things that go through my head to help people understand exactly what I was doing and why I was doing it.
Q: Finding personal success in your first year in college, what can you build upon for this year and what do you personally want to do to see yourself grow this year?
A: I actually haven't thought a lot about personal goals, but [I want] to build on what I was able to do last year. I know that I need to just keep working hard and stay focused. Basketball is a team sport, but I have to help my teammates in the best way that I possibly can. This summer I put in a lot of work to improve free throw shooting, get in better shape and improve my ball handling. Basically add on to what I had last year and make sure I'm not as predictable this year. I want to give [the opposition] a different look and find different ways to help my team. That's pretty much what I've been doing.
Q: What's the focus for this team, what do you want to see this team do or accomplish this season?
A: I want us to finish at least top four in the Big Ten and make the [NCAA] Tournament. That's what is in my mind right now but we have to think of the season one game at a time. We cannot get too far ahead in thinking about the end of the season when we haven't taken care of game one.
Q: For all the new players joining the squad this year, what can you say about what you have been able to see from them already?
A: Siyeh [Frazier] and Jaida [Travascio-Green] are fun to be around, they both embrace the fact that this is their first year. They, like everyone, try to be perfect about everything but they both learned to have fun with it. Being around them is great and as far as De'Janae [Boykin] and Amari [Carter] go, they were both here last year and for them to actually be able to practice and do everything with us, it's great, It's fun playing with all four of them.
Jaylen Williams | F. | So. | #23
Q: What have you been working on personally to prepare you for the season?
A: I have been working a lot on my shot, trying to work on my touch around the basket. I feel like what I was consistent at last year was my defense, but not so much on offense. I have really been trying to work on becoming more of an offensive threat.
Q: What areas have you seen the team grow in?
A: A lot of areas. We have been working really hard on everything. We have gotten faster, we are working on getting up and down the floor. We are communicating better, so that has helped a lot on offense and defense.
Q: Who in your mind has stepped up on the team?
A: I feel like our captains have been really great leaders: Sarah [McMurtry], Kaliyah [Mitchell] and Peyton [Whitted]. I feel like they have been doing a really good job at keeping the team together, keeping our chemistry going on and off the court. I feel like they have been doing an awesome job.
Ashanti Thomas | C | So. | #24
Q: How's preseason going so far? What have you guys been working on?
A: Preseason is going pretty well. We've been practicing a lot and really working on defensive techniques, trying to learn how to better contain the ball and working on being faster and more efficient on offense than we were last year. We are just trying to get better each day.
Q: Anything that you have been working on personally?
A: Yes, I've been working on my free throws. My free throw percentage was terrible last year. I've also been working on being more aggressive in the post and finishing with both hand. If I can get better in the paint and at the free throw line I will be able to help the team more.
Q: How does it feel to play basketball in the Big Ten?
A: It's a blessing; it's definitely a blessing and an amazing feeling. It's a dream come true, a lot of people in my family are proud of me and look up to me for that so it's a great feeling. It's also very nerve racking because you are playing against great players every night.
Peyton Whitted | F. | Sr. | #25
Q: This year is Coach Tamika Jeter's first year with the program. Talk a little bit about how she has been adapting and what she brings to the team.
A: Tamika works with the posts, so I have spent a lot of time with her since she has arrived. She brings a lot of energy to our team and encouragement on the sideline. She has been a great addition to the posts development. She is another person you can talk to outside the game and practice. She is someone you can go to and talk to one-on-one and she is like your biggest cheerleader.
Q: You guys have Sierra [Moore] and Amari [Carter] back this season from injuries. What has it been like getting to work with them again?
A: It has been very exciting to get back and work with them. They are really competitive players and they are going to help us in a lot of areas. Amari is really aggressive on offense and that is one thing that I am really excited about is her ability to score the basketball. She is going to bring a lot of that for us this year. Sierra can do it all. She is a rebounder. She is a defensive player. She is just competitive, and she wants to win. So those are two key components to our team that are going to make us really strong this year.
Q: Coach Washington says she expects to see an immediate impact from the freshman, what have you seen from them? Do you agree with that?
A: I definitely agree with that statement. Our freshmen have come along very well. I am very surprised because usually it takes freshman a little longer to adjust to the college game, but I think they have adjusted stronger than I thought. They work really hard, and they are very good defensively, and they like to play fast, which is what we want to do. I think they are getting better every day and they are going to help us a lot
Q: So, Bri Banks was obviously a huge part of the offense last year. Who have you seen that you think is going to step in and fill her role this year?
A: Bri did a lot of things for us. You could really notice her from the defensive end and her ability to score. I think you will definitely see those things from multiple people on this year's team. Sierra Moore is just as good of a defender as Bri was, and offensively scoring you will get a lot of that from Amari. I would say a lot of guards can do a lot of things that Bri did well, so that is something that is really special about our team is that we have a lot of threats.
Jaida Travascio-Green | G | Fr. | #31
Q: Being from the Midwest, why did you decide to come to Penn State?
A: Something I loved about Penn State is that [head coach] Coquese Washington is really big on academics before athletics, which I didn't see at a lot of places. Penn State felt like it would be a good fit for me and that the team would fit the way I play.
Q: What's the overall transition been like, going from high school to college in a new environment?
A: Obviously, it wasn't an easy transition, but it definitely wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Everyone was very helpful with easing us into everything and making sure we knew where we were going and had a way to get there. [The freshmen] lifting started at a different place than everyone else, so we were able to get acclimated and that was really helpful. It was hard but it definitely wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.
Q: What would you say the best aspect of your game is?
A: I really love playing defense. I think that's one of my strengths, and I am a tall outside shooter, so I can create matchup problems.
Q: What kind of things do you hope to bring to the team in terms of helping them have success this season?
A: I hope to help the team on the perimeter. I want to be another three-point shooter that can stretch the defense. If I can do that it will really help open up areas for others to drive and or post up. I just want to really being able help us on the perimiter.
Q: Do any of the ladies stick out to you as role models or on court captains?
A: Each girl impacts our team in different ways. I call Sierra [Moore] the grandma of the team because she's the oldest. Kaliyah [Mitchell] is very supportive, and Peyton [Whitted] is always checking up on everyone. All of the upper classmen make sure that we are doing alright, especially the freshmen. All the underclassmen, even though they are only a year older are good to have around because they just got out of the struggles of being a freshman.
De'Janae Boykin | F | So. | #35
Q: So you joined the team halfway through last year, how do you think being here for that half the season helped you to get into it more seamlessly this summer?
A: I just think that it brought me closer to my teammates. I know every team is a little bit different, but this year's team is like a totally new and different team. It is a different feel from last season, but this is a great team to be a part of.
Q: What are your emotions heading into the season?
A: I'm excited to play with this group of girls. I'm excited for myself because it's my second year out [of high school] and I get to play this year so I'm just looking forward to being on the court again.
Q: Who has helped you the most, getting acclimated with the team, and working out with the team?
A: Coach Washington, of course, she's the one that has been here for me the whole time. Teniya [Page] and I are really close, too. And then Amari [Carter] and Lindsey [Spann], we are all from the same area so they helped me out as well.