California vs. UCLA (nonconference)

Dec. 21, 2015 | Haas Pavilion | Berkeley, Calif.

California Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb

Opening statement:

“I've been here for eight years as an assistant and head coach and that's the most exciting game I've ever been a part of. I think it was great for women's basketball. I do want to talk about the UCLA Bruins for a second. I thought for them to travel up here for a nonconference game they could have bowed out a couple of times but they're fighters. They kept coming. Jordin Canada was video-game hero status and that's good for the game of women's basketball. But I also get to look at these young women in gold jerseys and whatever UCLA came with — and it was good — I'm just in awe of the toughness of this team. We have a young team. I think that's what we've been asking from them, 'Do we have it?' I've never been a part of a team where all the parts in their different ways said 'I refuse to give anything but my all.' And it was incredible. I mean Courtney (Range) was a monster and we expect so much of her and Teezy's (Asha Thomas) three…but the collective will is what I'm most proud of.”

On what she told the team going into double overtime:

“It was the same message as going into the first overtime. Any time we have a down face we have to check it. You know, this is women's basketball. This is what we do. Just kind of get a reset. But the second time they were the ones saying it. Not the first one, because Jordin (Canada) hit such a spectacular shot and we had to tell them 'Ok let's go.' But the second one they were saying it, which is huge. And not only were we saying it but we came out and I think Mikayla (Cowling) hit a big shot to start each overtime, which set that tone. We just never backed down…it was next person up. MaAne' Mosley's minutes were huge. It's not easy to step up in a game you haven't played much in and do well. And then there's Gabby (Green) who sprained her ankle but said she could do it—playing 45 to 50 minutes. I've just never seen anything like it.”

On playing a long game and through injuries:

“I did put a quote on the board before the game. A Muhammad Ali quote. And it said 'I don't start counting my pushups until it starts to burn. Then I start counting.' So I said the toughness factor is a given and then we start after that. So in that first quarter when there were no media timeouts and at halftime I told them 'We haven't started counting yet.' So it was just tremendous. I don't think we're going to have a conditioning workout tomorrow. I think that's off the game plan.”

California Junior Forward Courtney Range

On playing double overtime:

"The whole game was a battle, but we knew it was going to be a battle going into it. We just had to keep playing through it all, and really have each other's backs: if someone fell, we picked them up."

California Freshman Guard Asha Thomas

On how to contribute if her shot's not falling:

"I have to always find ways to help the team, whether it's offensively or defensively, I always have to contribute somehow. I'm starting to enjoy the little things, like diving on the floor, because I always have to contribute."