They sit there together — the starting five of the North Carolina women’s basketball team — all donning gray sweat suits from head to toe, all looking at each other, hoping that the other four are finding this press conference as funny as they themselves are.
They’ve just finished pool exercises a few hours ago, followed by some time in the jacuzzi, and the air that encompasses the fourth-seeded Tar Heels as they prepare to take on second-seeded Stanford today in the Elite Eight is light. Goofy. Relaxed.
Freshman guard Allisha Gray makes a comment about “getting buckets” to silence what will likely be a raucous crowd in Maples Pavilion tonight as Stanford will enjoy a home-court crowd. Stephanie Mavunga and Xylina McDaniel burst into laughter.
A few minutes later, a reporter sneezes in the middle of McDaniel answering a serious question.
“Bless you,’’ she says without a hitch. The laughter continues.
But it’s not all fun and games. UNC knows that to defeat Stanford and secure a slot in the Final Four is going to be a challenge.
In defending Chiney Ogwumike , an All-American and a three-time USA Basketball gold medalist , UNC will be faced with one of its most daunting tasks yet. Ogwumike averages 26.6 points per game and hauls in 12.2 rebounds. She had 29 and 15 in Stanford’s 25-point snub of Penn State Sunday .
“We have to do a good job on Ogwumike. She is a phenomenal player, and the less she touches the ball, the better,” Mavunga said. “But if she does touch the ball, we have to be prepared, play good defense and stay out of foul trouble whether we are out on the perimeter or in the post.”
