Pat Summitt Team Quotations

If this team doesn't understand that is has to rebound, then someone is going to drill them and they'll figure it out.

She has more poise and more composure than any of us, and it shows up on the court. She has really matured as a leader and understands how to impact and communicate with her team in a way that does bring calmness. She even calms me down.

She has played a key role for us this season. Now, it's time for this team to step up and find out what they are made of.

She gives our basketball team a lot of energy. She helps us improve our early offense, our transition, with her ability to push tempo. From that standpoint, it was good. I thought she tried to do a little too much (Tuesday) night. I think she?s still trying to get back in the groove.

I think this team deserves a No. 1. Now, whether we're going to get it or not, that's up to the committee.

I think this team has had two tough lessons. We'll see if we learn from it.

I think this team knows what they have to bring.

Our team respects Texas. They have beaten us four in a row and beat us by 10 last year in Knoxville. We were not surprised.

Our team responded coming out of halftime. I never even imagined coaching 900 games and it is just wonderful.

I think it inspired the team so much. You could feel it in the gym.

I think we're a better basketball team now than when we played them. I feel good that we can go inside against them.

We know it's going to be a pretty hostile environment, but our team has been exposed to that. All the players that have played here understand that we go on the road.

When a team takes ownership, good things happen.

We remembered that. They had the ball and every opportunity to beat us in the last seconds. You want your team to respect every opponent regardless of record. Our team really respected this team.

We've just been a very poor defensive team in a lot of games.

I've watched her build this team and this program over the last three years and I think she's done a remarkable job. She had her team ready.

I've talked to her about our team. (I talked to her) when I wasn't really happy with them and she's talked to me about her team and we probably figured we'd see each other in the end.

Emotionally, this is a great boost for Alexis and our entire team going into the NCAA tournament. We recognize what Alexis has meant to our team this year.

This Georgia basketball team statistically is very impressive. They shoot the ball well from the floor as well as the free throw line. I'm impressed with their speed and quickness overall as a team and they're not at all shy at putting up the three-ball and that extends and challenges your defense.

I'm really proud of what this team has accomplished this year. They have faced tremendous adversity and come through it. They have great character and have been a great group to coach.

It took me back to our first day of official team practice.

They are one impressive basketball team. If they play like they did tonight, it'll be hard for this team to lose.

I really couldn't have been serious about that (but) it is frustrating when you have a team that is as talented as this team, and they're not committed to both ends of the floor.

You could put our entire basketball team and our entire coaching staff in one room, and she has more poise and more composure than any of us. It shows up on the court. I could be about to lose my mind and she's just calm.

As a great long-range shooter, she has drawn the best defender, usually the most athletic, sometimes players with a lot of size. In essence, with her ability to shoot the ball the way she can, she has become a target for every team we play.

They know as a team they have to get better. We've been talking about this now for four games going into the Duke game as a staff and just basically trying to send out a warning signal to this team.

I told her I was really proud of her. And I am. I've watched her build this program. And she had her team really ready. But what bothers me, they were more inspired for 40 minutes than we were.

I told her I was really proud of her. Obviously, I worked with her for 18 years and I have watched her build this team and this program. I think she has done a remarkable job.

We have a different agenda. But she's a very dear friend of mine. I'm really proud of the year she's had. She's done a great job with her basketball team and with the North Carolina program.

This team should not have lost back-to-back games. Kentucky was better tonight. This team has to understand that they just can't go out there and play. They have to execute a game plan and be mindful of one possession at a time on offense and defense.

We were on defense, and I heard 'Defense' so loud, it was like a home game. I can't believe they're yelling 'Defense,' so obviously they feel the way I do about the weakness of our team right now.

Accountability is essential to personal growth, as well as team growth. How can you improve if you're never wrong? If you don't admit a mistake and take responsibility for it, you're bound to make the same one again.

The absolute heart of loyalty is to value those people who tell you the truth, not just those people who tell you what you want to hear. In fact, you should value them most. Because they have paid you the compliment of leveling with you and assuming you can handle it.

Responsibility equals accountability equals ownership. And a sense of ownership is the most powerful weapon a team or organization can have.

To me, teamwork is a lot like being part of a family. It comes with obligations, entanglements, headaches, and quarrels. But the rewards are worth the cost.

I think the only thing that I really thought about, I am always every year thinking about how I can get better, how my stuff can get better, how our team can improve.

Bringing together disparate personalities to form a team is like a jigsaw puzzle. You have to ask yourself: what is the whole picture here? We want to make sure our players all fit together properly and complement each other, so that we don't have a big piece, a little piece, an oblong piece, and a round piece. If personalities work against each other, as a team you'll find yourselves spinning your wheels.

A competitor continually sets new goals. He feels the need to keep raising the bar. If the fist goal is to make the team, and he achieves it, he immediately resets the goal to: I want to be a starter.

Teamwork does not come naturally. Let's face it. We are born with certain inclinations, but sharing isn't one of them.

Put the Team Before Yourself.

I think that it was a great feeling and probably a little bit more special because of the length of time that had passed before we won, but I think more importantly, it was just a great feeling because this team had such strong leadership and they had great chemistry.

I just think they were just a team that really enjoyed the process and allowed our coaching staff to enjoy the process.

I am about helping each and every student athlete that selects to wear the orange, you know, be successful at Tennessee individually and as a team. That type of record is certainly not anything that I have aspirations to reach.

I never ask Candace Parker if she was thinking about leaving because I never had any reason to believe she would. I just kept the focus on the team and on Candace and the role she played for us.

(The loss to Florida) hopefully will make us refocus on our defense. We have been a poor defensive team all year. That is our biggest concern -- defense and turnovers.