Quotes from the 2005 Women's Basketball Media Day-

Photos

Women's Head Coach Rich Conover

"The players have had a great preseason and have worked very hard so we are very excited to get on the court as a team and get started towards a successful season."

On the senior leadership of the team

"We have three outstanding seniors who have been invaluable for us both on and off the court. They are a very confident group who have set a great example for the rest of the team. They are unquestionably the leaders of the team."

On Shea Kenny, who transferred from St. Louis and sat out last season in accordance with NCAA rules for transfer players

"Shea is a very solid player and is a coach on the floor so to have her looking to win that point guard position is encouraging for us. The year she spent sitting out (due to NCAA transfer rules) helped the team get very familiar with her and her with our system. I think it will be a very smooth transition for her and for us."

On the team's chemistry

"The chemistry on the team has absolutely improved from last season. People on the team have gotten to know each other very well. Last season, it took us a while for us to come together as a team because the leadership had changed and we had a lot of new players. This year, they are very close and hang out together off the court. That is a good sign for our team."

On the importance of getting off to a good start in the non-conference portion of the schedule:

"It is very important to get several wins under our belt before the conference season starts. Last year, we lost (several) close games and hopefully we can turn that around. I think with the chemistry being better this season, we can get some of those close games and go into conference play with a record that reflects how good of a team we are."

On opening up the season at Kansas

"We are excited about playing Kansas. It will give us a chance to find out what we need to work on right away. We beleive that you have to go out and play some very tough teams on the road to test yourself early on."

Senior Forward Jen Haubrich

"I am definitely looking forward to this season. I think we should get off to a much better start than we did last year. We will play at Kansas give it our best shot and go from there."

Senior Guard Jen Blues

"We have had a really good preseason and the chemistry is very good on and off the court so I can tell that this season is going to be a lot different than last year. Everyone on the team has high expectations. We are all excited."

On starting the season in her home state

"Starting at Kansas is a great way to open the season. I am personally excited finally going home and being able to have all my family and friends there to start my senior year."

Senior Guard Rachel Laws

"We have improved a lot from last season. Obviously, we are excited for Shea (Kenny) to be able to play this year. She is a pure point guard. She comes from a Division I school (St. Louis) and played significant minutes there. Laine has gotten better over the summer and Laura had a great freshman season that will carry over to this season. Our freshman are all learning very quickly which is amazing."

Junior Guard Shea Kenny

"Last year was frustrating because I was not able to play but I have gotten a lot of support from the coaches and the team. Knowing that everyone is behind me makes me really confident that I am going go out there and get done what needs to get done."