BYU women's basketball holds its annual Media Day

BYU women's basketball held its annual Media Day at the Marriott Center Monday. Selected players and head coach Jeff Judkins were interviewed by the media.

KEY STORYLINES FOR THE 2019-20 SEASON

• The Cougars return scoring leaders Paisley Johnson (14.5) & Brenna Chase Drollinger (12.8).
• Junior center Sara Hamson returns leading in rebounds (5.9) and blocks (2.8).
• Drollinger leads in assists with 3.9 average and has the team’s best 3-point field goal percentage (.352).
• Senior Jasmine Moody returns with most playing experience (97 total games). 
• With 393 total wins, coach Judkins enters the 2019-20 season as the all-time winningest men’s or women’s BYU basketball head coach.

2018-19 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

• BYU advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Championships for the fourth time in program history.  It was the 13th appearance in the NCAA Championships for the Cougars and the third as a No. 7 seed. The invitation was the ninth under head coach Jeff Judkins.
• The Cougars received the WCC’s automatic bid into the NCAA’s after defeating Gonzaga 82-68 in the WCC championship, recording their third tournament title since joining the conference.
• In the WCC, the team tallied a 15-3 record, finishing in second place
• BYU finished the season with a 26-7 record, picking up the 12th 20+win season under Judkins. The victories were just two games shy of a career-best 28 wins.
• The Cougars had an 11-game win streak during the year that included a win in Provo over then-ranked No. 13/14 Gonzaga, 70-68 on Jan. 17, 2019.
• After the win over Gonzaga, BYU entered the Associated Press Top-25 Poll at No. 25 on Jan. 28. The team fell out of the poll the next week and had 24 votes heading into the NCAA tournament.

PLAYER INTERVIEWS

Senior center Shalae Salmon
What did you do this summer?
I went back to New Zealand twice and tanned a lot.

Do you have a nickname on the team?
Sally or Lele

What’s something most fans don’t know about you?
I did ballroom dancing for all of my high school years.

What’s your favorite BYU basketball memory to date?
My favorite memory is winning the conference tournament. That was by far the best.

What personal goals do you have for the season?
My goals are to be WCC regular champions, win the WCC tournament, make it to the NCAA tournament and to play the best year I’ve ever played.

What are you looking forward to the most this season?
I’m looking forward to everyone coming back and playing together.

How do you see yourself contributing to the team’s success?
I see myself contributing by being a leader and being a force inside.

Sophomore forward Signe Glantz
What did you do this summer?
I was in Europe and played with the Swedish youth national team. We did well, but we also didn’t do super good. But we’re Sweden, so we didn’t expect to win the whole thing.

Do you have a nickname on the team?
Sig

What’s something most fans don’t know about you?
I love cats and I have two of them.

What’s your favorite BYU basketball memory to date?
My favorite memory is our first win against Gonzaga last year, it was an amazing game.

What personal goals do you have for the season?
My personal goal is to work hard and fight for minutes to get on the court.

How do you see yourself contributing to the team’s success?
I always want to leave everything on the court, even if it’s in practice. I want to try to make my teammates better and do whatever it takes to help this team.

Junior center Sara Hamson
What did you do this summer?
In May I got to go to Europe with my sister. We went to Italy and Greece. She was in Germany playing professional volleyball, so I got to visit her and we went vacationing.

What’s your favorite BYU basketball memory to date?
I really enjoyed beating Gonzaga at Gonzaga. The Kennel is such a cool place to play when they fill it up, and they fill it up with so many fans. It was a fun atmosphere and the vibe on the court was so fun and we gelled so well together that game, it was so fun.

What personal goals do you have for the season?
I’m hoping to break some blocking records; my own personal records hopefully and then potentially my mom’s and my sister’s records, so we’ll see if I can get some leeway with that.

What are you looking forward to the most this season?
I'm looking forward to everything. I’m really excited to play with this team. We have a lot of returning players and the new ones are all great too, so I’m excited. The vibe is good this year and hopefully, we can get farther in the NCAA tournament than we did last year.

How do you see yourself contributing to the team’s success?
I see myself doing what I can to work hard in practice, get the tip when we start the game and keep getting better so I can see what I can contribute.

Junior guard Maria Albiero
What did you do this summer?
I went home to Brazil for a month.

Do you have a nickname on the team?
They usually call me Maria, but sometimes some of the girls call me ‘Ri-Ri.

What’s something most fans don’t know about you?
A lot of people think I’m pretty quiet and serious because I guess that’s kind of how I am with people I don’t know. But, I’m actually one of the biggest jokesters on the team.

What’s your favorite BYU basketball memory to date?
My favorite memory is beating Gonzaga last year at home.

What personal goals do you have for the season?
I have a couple, but the biggest thing is just to help the team in any way I can to win. I just want to be present and reliable.

What are you looking forward to the most this season and how do you see yourself contributing to the team's success?
I’m looking forward to winning. We have another good team this year and we just continue to get better. I’m looking forward to winning the conference again. I think I can be a good leader, just leading by example and being reliable and consistent and helping my teammates and especially the freshmen.

Sophomore forward Babalu Ugwu
What did you do this summer?
This summer my best friend came from Southern Utah so we hung out a lot. We went to the pool a lot.  

Do you have a nickname on the team?
Babs, or Babalu

What’s something most fans don’t know about you?
I don’t know how to swim.

What’s your favorite BYU basketball memory to date?
My favorite memory is beating Gonzaga three times last season.

What personal goals do you have for the season?
Win the conference, win the WCC Tournament, go to the NCAA Tournament and make it at least to the Sweet 16.

What are you looking forward to the most this season and how do you see yourself contributing to the team's success?
I’m going to help the team in any way I can, rebounds, defense, offense. I want to be as useful to the team as I can.

Redshirt freshman guard Kaylee Smiler
What did you do this summer?
My parents live in Japan, so I went to Japan and visited them for a month.

Do you have a nickname on the team?
People call me ‘K’ during the game just because it’s super quick but besides that nothing major.

What’s something most fans don’t know about you?
I guess most people don’t know that I’m from New Zealand. When they first see me they’re like, ‘Oh, she must be from somewhere close to here,’ but as soon as I start talking they’re like, ‘Oh, no she’s definitely from somewhere else.

What’s your favorite BYU basketball memory to date?
I would say the Europe trip that we went on my freshman year is my favorite memory.

What personal goals do you have for the season?
My personal goals are to get on the court. I was recently injured in a boating accident, so the goal is to just get back on the court.

What are you looking forward to the most this season and how do you see yourself contributing to the team's success?
I want to get out on the court. I want to contribute in any way I can, whatever the coaches or players need me to do that’s what I’m going to do.

Freshman guard Leilani Otuafi
What did you do this summer?
I came straight to BYU for summer workouts and camps. I got to work on all of that and I spent time with my family.

What personal goals do you have for the season?
I’m looking to get a lot of playing time, improve my skills, work on things I didn’t work on in high school.

What are you looking forward to the most this season and how do you see yourself contributing to the team's success?
I'm looking forward to playing my hardest in games and learn how college ball works. I want to try to contribute by helping everybody on and off the court. Also, playing really hard in the games.

Junior guard Paisley Johnson
Do you have a nickname on the team?
Paiz and P

What’s something most fans don’t know about you?
I really love dogs!

What did you do this summer?
I went home to Washington for the month where I worked out a lot and spent a lot of time with my family.

What’s your favorite BYU basketball memory to date?
My favorite memory is beating Gonzaga in the conference tournament.

What personal goals do you have for the season?
I want to continue elevating my game and I’d like to be in the running for the WCC Player of the Year.

What are you looking forward to the most this season and how do you see yourself contributing to the team's success?
I’m looking forward to the games and competing. I want to be an energy bunny on the team and do what’s expected of me every game.

Sophomore forward Lauren Gustin
Do you have a nickname on the team?
Some people call me Lo or LG.

What’s something most fans don’t know about you?
I transferred from the University of Idaho and SLCC.

What personal goals do you have for the season?
Since I’m redshirting, I can’t play in games, but my personal goal is to really learn the system well. That way next season I’ll be ready to get right into it.

What are you most looking forward to being here at BYU?
The team and the coaches here make this a great environment. I’m looking forward to being able to learn and grow from everyone.

Sophomore forward Malli Valgardson Perri
Do you have a nickname on the team?
Barbie. I think it’s because of my blonde hair.

What did you do this summer?
I got married and went to California for a week. 

What’s your favorite BYU basketball memory to date?
My favorite memory is winning the WCC Championship in Las Vegas in March.

What personal goals do you have for the season?
My personal goals are to get better every day and help my team get better. I want to win the WCC Championship again.

What are you looking forward to the most this season and how do you see yourself contributing to the team's success?
I’m most excited for the games to start. I see myself contributing defensively and being more aggressive on offense.

Freshman forward Kyra Beckman
Do you have a nickname on the team?
Leilani calls me Keeks because of the way I laugh.

What’s something most fans don’t know about you?
When I was little I was really into quad racing.

What personal goals do you have for the season?
I’m recovering from an injury right now so my goal is to just get stronger and get healthy.

What are you looking forward to the most this season and how do you see yourself contributing to the team's success?
I’m most excited about the games and being able to encourage those around me. I want to watch and see what I can do to improve.

Senior guard Brenna Chase Drollinger
Do you have a nickname on the team?
B.

What did you do this summer?
I went home to Colorado and got married.

What’s something most fans don’t know about you?
I like to cook.

What’s your favorite BYU basketball memory to date?
Playing in the NCAA tournament this past spring is my favorite memory.

What personal goals do you have for the season?
I want our team to make it to the NCAA tournament and go further than in past years.

What are you looking forward to the most this season and how do you see yourself contributing to the team's success?
I want to build memories with my teammates. I want to contribute defensively in every game and I want to make my shots.

Sophomore guard Shaylee Gonzales
Do you have a nickname on the team?
Shay

What’s something most fans don’t know about you?
I love to go to the lake and wakeboard.

What did you do this summer?
I spent time at home with my family in Arizona and we went on a family trip to Hawaii. In July I was invited to try out for the 2019 USA Women’s U19 World Cup Team. I was one of six alternates selected.  I tore my ACL in practice and will not be able to play this season.

What’s your favorite BYU basketball memory to date?
Winning the WCC tournament in Las Vegas and going to the NCAA tournament are my favorite BYU memories so far.

What personal goals do you have for the season?
Since I won't be able to play this year, I want to become a better vocal leader and teach the girls what I know.

Senior forward Jasmine Moody
Do you have a nickname on the team?
Jaz

What’s something most fans don’t know about you?
I can play the tenor saxophone.

What did you do this summer?
I went home to Florida to spend time with my family. Then we went to the Tennessee football game and saw all of the sites there. We saw the Grand Ole Pry and the Gatlinburg Sky Bridge.

What’s your favorite BYU basketball memory to date?
My favorite memory is beating Gonzaga on their home floor. It was the first time in my BYU career that we were able to do that.

What personal goals do you have for the season?
I want to be a really good rebounder and be more involved offensively as well.

What are you looking forward to the most this season and how do you see yourself contributing to the team's success?
I'm really looking forward to our road trip to Hawaii. We get to play Oregon State there and they have three players that are 6-7. They will be the best team we'll play all year. I want to contribute more defensively and do whatever the team needs the most from me.

Senior guard Khaedin Taito
Do you have a nickname on the team?
Khadez

What’s something most fans don’t know about you?
I can make the sound of a raindrop with my mouth.

What did you do this summer?
I spent the summer at home in New Zealand with my family. We went to the beach a lot.

What’s your favorite BYU basketball memory to date?
Winning the WCC tournament in Las Vegas last March is my favorite memory so far.

What are you looking forward to the most this season?
I want our team to make it to the NCAA tournament and to go further than in the past.

What personal goals do you have for the season?
I want to be healthy.

Freshman guard Devry Millett
Do you have a nickname on the team?
Dev.

What's something that fans don't know about you?
I'm the youngest of five siblings and my sister played softball at BYU.

What did you do this summer?
I worked. This was my first summer off from travel basketball. I worked in a doctor's office as a receptionist.

What personal goals do you have for this season?
I want to bring as much positive energy as I can to the team and help support the team in our games.

What are you looking forward to most this season and how do you see yourself contributing to the team?
I'm looking forward to winning the conference again. I think we could definitely do that and my role would be to do my best to get the players ready for games and practicing hard.

Freshman guard Lucille Stewart
Do you have a nickname on the team?
Lucy. That's what I go by.

What's something that fans don't know about you?
I'm from a super small town in Washington call Issaquah and people normally can't pronounce it.

What did you do this summer?
I worked a lot. I did a finance internship.

What personal goals do you have for this season?
I want to contribute a lot to the team in any way I can, whether that's by having a lot of energy and spirit or by pushing my teammates in practice. 

What are you looking forward to the most this season?
I want to build relationships with the girls and of course getting the opportunity to play basketball.

How do you see yourself contributing to the team's success?
I can contribute to the team success by pushing the girls in practice and having a lot of positive energy.