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Chat Reel: Irish's Muffet McGraw Notre Dame coach talks of battle with UConn
Posted: Friday February 11, 2000 01:37 PM
CNNSI Host: Hello everyone. Welcome to today's chat with Notre Dame women's basketball coach Muffet McGraw. Hi coach. Thanks for joining us. Muffet McGraw: Thanks for having me. From Guest: Alicia Ratay really stepped up against Pittsburgh... how crucial is she to the long-term success of the team? Muffet McGraw: I think she's an integral part of our offense. She's a tremendous three-point shooter. As good as she plays, it helps open up things in the middle for Ruth Riley. She's made a major impact on our program. From Guest: Who is the best player you've coached? Seems like Ruth Riley has to be right up there. Muffet McGraw: She's definitely one of the best I've coached. Beth Morgan and Katryna Gaither are Nos. 1 and 2 on the all-time scoring list. I think Ruth is definitely in that category. From Kelli: Kelley Siemon is my favorite ND player, and I'm so impressed with her last 4-5 games. After the Providence game, Kelley said that the team needed somebody to step up and she decided to do so herself. Can you talk a little about Kelley and what it takes for a player to do what she's done the past month? Muffet McGraw: I think it takes a change in attitude, and it takes a lot of confidence. Our team has been built around Ruth Riley and our other post players are playing in her shadow. Kelley came out and decided that she was going to make a real difference in our team. She, I think, made more of an effort to look for her shot. She's averaging about 13 points per game, I believe, and she was only averaging five before... so she's really stepped up. From Julie: Coach McGraw, as a long time Irish fan congratulations on a great season so far! However, do you feel your team gets the respect they deserve even though they are not televised nationally once during the year? Muffet McGraw: *Laughs* -- I think we're getting a lot of respect. The fact that we've been in the top ten all year means that people are noticing us nationally. We've been on television a few times, but mostly just on the east coast. I'm hoping that when we get to the Big East tournament that we will be on ESPN. From Guest: As a ND graduate living in New York, I find myself following your program with great interest. It appears to me despite your great success, Connecticut still has a mental edge over the Irish. Why is that and how do you overcome it? Muffet McGraw: I think Connecticutt is a great team, and they're having another great season. This year, we feel a lot more confident going into the game. In the past, we've been a bit intimidated, but I think we're ready this year. This time, we're ready for them. From Guest: Has UConn's success affected the rest of the Big East conference? Muffet McGraw: No question about it. Connecticut has built the Big East into the power it is today -- we're ranked No. 2 in terms of RPI. Since joining the Big East, we've become more of a national power, and I think they gave us the credibility. Boston College, Rutgers and Notre Dame have all benefited from their success. From Guest: With the team ranked in the top 10, have you seen an increase in support or excitement? What kind of crowds does the women's team draw? Muffet McGraw: I think there's definitely been an increase in excitement in South Bend. We get a lot of coverage from the TV stations here and from the local paper. We get a lot of local support and we're hoping for our first sellout this weekend. We're averaging about 3,500 every game, and that's growing every game. From Kelli: It seemed to me that during last night's game one official was making the majority (75% or more) of the calls. Do coaches notice things like that? Also, without naming names, is there an official that makes you feel comfortable when you see them on the floor and any that make you want to go back to the locker room? Muffet McGraw: *Laughs* -- I think we have a lot more that make me feel comfortable. I think we've had great crews this year... the officiating has really improved this year. I think the games have been very well officiated this year. The Big East has been great about getting good officials to work our games I'm guessing that question was sent in by an official. *Laughs* From Guest: Do you think that giving the team time off after the B.C. win hurt them? Muffet McGraw: Yes, I do. I felt like they really needed a rest. That was a big win and they've been working really hard. I wanted them to settle down emotionally. But we came out really sluggish last night and had a bad practice the day before, so I feel that was a bad decision on my part. From Guest: When you became head coach in 1987 did you set out a timeline of when you wanted to get to the Final Four or contend for a national championship? Muffet McGraw: Well, I wanted to be in the Top 25 within five years. I had hoped to get to the Final Four sooner than we did. We were having trouble for a time getting into the NCAA tournament, so my timeline was a little shorter than what actually happened. From Guest: Has the woman's team ever scrimmaged against the ND men's team? Also, do you have any interaction with Coach Doherty? Muffet McGraw: I think Matt Doherty is a great coach and he's going to turn the program around very quickly. I've seen a lot of his practices and I think he's going to do great things. We talk a lot and we help each other a lot. I think that's going to be great. Our men's and women's teams do a lot together during the summer, but during the season we have a lot of things going on with our respective teams, so we don't really have the time to be scrimmaging against them. From Guest: The team's performance against Pittsburgh was spotty. Can you address that? Muffet McGraw: Definitely... I thought we played a pretty good ten minutes during that game. We came out with a lack of intensity and focus. We had beaten them during the season, but after getting up from the BC game, it was hard for them mentally to get ready for the next challenge. That's something we're going to address at practice today, because that's something I don't think we can afford to do again. From Justin: Do you foresee Wadsworth's departure having an impact on the Women's Basketball program? Muffet McGraw: No, I don't. We were disappointed to see him go. He was a great supporter of our program and did great things for gender equity. I've worked for three athletic directors during my time at Notre Dame and they've all been class individuals and I have confidence that the school will hire another good person to replace him. From Guest: Women's basketball seems to be on the rise. Where do you see the sport going in the next 10 years? Muffet McGraw: I think it's going to become even bigger with the WNBA. It's getting people out to games and attendance is increasing across the country. It gives people the opportunity to see women's basketball at an elite level, and I think that's going to continue. We're going to see growth at the professional and the college level as a result of that, and I think it's going to get us closer to where the men's game is. From Guest: Do you think women will start leaving early for the WNBA? If they do, what do you think about that? Muffet McGraw: I think it's a definite possibility. Right now there's a rule against it, but that will only happen, I think, until somebody sues them. I think it's a mistake, though, because a college degree is the most important thing. A professional basketball career will last maybe nine years, and then you're 30 and will need to get a job. That's when you're going to rely on that college degree. From Guest: What has been your most rewarding moment as a coach? Muffet McGraw: I'd say probably the game that got us to the Final Four. That was probably the biggest accomplishment of our program. And probably being in the Final Four... hearing our band and seeing our cheerleaders... that was a moment I'll always remember. From Guest: What is your mindset going into the final stretch of the season? Does it differ from early in the season? Muffet McGraw: Yeah, I think it does. I think we've become more focused and our schedule becomes tougher. We look at it as preparation for the Big East tournament... games against Villanova, Rutgers... It makes you see how good you really are... as you approach March, you really have to step up. I sleep a lot less, too, and I think that's a big factor. CNNSI Host: Thanks for joining us today coach. Good luck the rest if the season! Muffet McGraw: Thanks everyone! Appreciate it!
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