The two Hoosiers addressed the media on Thursday ahead of Friday’s matchup against Utah.
9-seed Indiana women’s basketball’s Yarden Garzon and Shay Ciezki were made available to the media ahead of Friday’s game against 8-seed Utah in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Here’s everything the two had to say:
Q: This year has been streaky for you guys as you got on some win streaks, losing streaks. Coming off the loss to USC in the Big10 tournament, how do you just get your mind right and just focus on Utah tomorrow?
GARZON: Yeah, I feel like this year we had a lot of ups and downs. We learned to know each other. I feel like we come tomorrow very confident. We have great game plan and I feel like our preparation was great.
We really want to go out there and play and I think that’s the main thing.
Q: Shay, obviously you transferred from Penn State. How have you meshed with some of the veteran forwards and guards on the team and established yourself with the players?
CIEZKI: Yeah, I think I meshed really well with them. When I first got here they kind of taught me the culture and what it means to be a Hoosier. Very grateful for that.
They’re great players, so it’s easy to play with great players, especially this one up here. Kind of showed me the ropes.
Yeah, so I’m just grateful to be here with them and especially with Syd and Chloe, with their last years here, you know, it’s a cool moment for all of us.
Q: Yarden, first time you’ve gone on the road in a couple years on the first weekend. Does that change your approach going into the first round?
GARZON: I don’t think it really change our approach. Every game we go to the game and we want to win the game. I feel like we’re ready.
And March is different. Every game is one and done, and we come in to win the game, no matter where we are.
Q: Shay, I have a question. First NCAA tournament appearance.
CIEZKI: Yeah.
Q. How are you feeling before obviously it’s less than 24 hours now. Are you nervous?
CIEZKI: Yeah, I would say more grateful and blessed to be here. Such a surreal moment. When you’re a kid you dream of playing in March, and the last two seasons I wasn’t able to get there.
So with this group, just forever grateful that we made it here, and we’re going to keep on winning and shock the world.
Q: Shay, you touched on it earlier about learning to be a Hoosier. What have you learned about Indiana, about Bloomington?
CIEZKI: I would just say the culture here is amazing. Everyone’s family. That comes down to the players, coaches, the fans, the environment. They really make you feel like you’re meant to be here. It’s such a cool feeling coming in. We have so many great fans and people that support us. You don’t see that everywhere else.
So I think that’s really a cool thing about Bloomington and this program in general.
Q: Yarden, have you talked to your sister at all about playing against Utah in her career and any advice?
GARZON: I did talk with her a little bit. I will keep that advice between us. (Smiling.) But, yeah, I did talk with her a little bit.
I talk with her a lot all the time, so I feel like she gave me really good insight how to approach this game.
Q: Couple of other players have expressed that it’s just really exciting and interesting to be in an environment like this. Has it been that way for you guys, or just another place to play at?
CIEZKI: South Carolina is a great program. Great players have come in and out of this school. To us, it’s just another game, right? It’s a basketball floor and we’re here to win. But it is awesome to see all the greats that came out of here.
So it’s cool both ways.
Q: Shay, you’re one of a long list of transfers that have really worked out at Indiana. What about the culture that Coach Moren has established and the team allows transfers to come in and be so successful?
CIEZKI: Comes down to the work we put in every day. We want to work hard. That comes from the players, and the coaches help us with that. You can’t force us to get in the gym. We’re there before practice, after practice. It shows when we play.
That just speaks volumes of the people that Coach Moren brings in and the staff that she surround herself with.
Q: Yarden, you spoke last year about this time about the difficulties of playing in America during the conflict in your home of Israel is going on. About a year has passed. I’m sure you still have a lot of emotions. How are you feeling going into this year’s tournament?
GARZON: I feel like I’m trying to use my platform to raise the awareness about my country and the situation. I do everything I can to put it on the biggest stage possible.
I feel like basketball helped me to be there for my country, so I feel like it’s great that I have this stage to do it.
Q: Shay, just with the prep going into Utah, what stands out with the matchup? What are some big keys for the game. Are there any similarities?
CIEZKI: I think the biggest similarity is honestly us. We said this before prepping for them we have to make sure we keep them off the three-point line. They’re great three point shooters.
They have great players. So making sure that we win the rebound and honestly just stay on them fast and make sure we’re the aggressors this game.