May 3, 2011

Opening Statement:

"Thanks for being here. If you have not heard, I am going to take a nine-month leave of absence, starting July 1. I get to do this, right now, because I have an amazing staff. Joseph Anders, who is going to be our head coach next season, and Meg Sanders is going to continue her roll as Associate Head Coach. They are unbelievable people; and we have a great team in place. On top of that, I hope everyone in the country is impressed with our administration. To allow me the opportunity to do this is obviously unprecedented. After 23 years of straight coaching, I am going to take some time for personal growth, definitely for professional growth, and some time to reconnect with my family."

On how the seniors feel about the leave:

"I can't speak for our seniors, but I think it was hard on all of us, because we love each other, and we do want to be together. I think the players were amazingly understanding. I am not going to be coaching them, but I will be watching them. I am sure they will represent this program and ASU very, very well."

On how long she has been thinking about this:

"I think that when the season ends, you always evaluate where you are. Over the last few years, as seasons ended--this job has changed a lot. I really feel like, when you step back I noticed that I was kind of losing my balance. I wasn't as centered. I used to be able to have the family and coaching thing. In coaching, any coach in the country will tell you that you can be just all consumed. I was there. I needed to step back. After this past season I met with Don Bocchi and Lisa Love and they were unbelievable."

On if she feels burned out:

"I am not burned out. "

"I just think it's an opportunity for me. I am definitely not going to stay home and cook and clean. I am going to take full advantage of the opportunity. I already have one conference set up to learn from other people. After 23 years of grinding, grinding, grinding...(its time) just to unwind a little bit. Just to have enough time to step back, and gain perspective when you're not just charging ahead everyday in this profession, I think that alone despite all the other developments, is going to help me be a better coach."

On incoming class, and reaction to her decision:

"They were unbelievable. They were fantastic. I don't know if there has been any year that it has been easy. This is my life, they are my family. I don't think there would ever be a time where it would be easy to do this. I do feel like with Joseph's leadership, and with Meg here with him, and such a strong group coming in, with a good experienced group coming back it was an opportune time." On if she will come to games: "The players asked that. I told them if they want me to. I will be at games--if they want me to."

On if it will be hard not being on the bench during the season:

"Yeah this is really tough. This is one of the toughest things I've ever done in my entire life. To step away from something that's been a part of everything you do, everyday for fifteen years, it's tough."

On how much time she took off during her pregnancy and if it's a cumulative effect that led her to take time off now:

"I didn't take any time off. I haven't taken a lot of time off, to be honest. I thought I was really good at balancing everything. It's easy in this profession just to lose it, because there's always so much just tending to your player's needs and all of the things that you can do in the community and with your program. I'm not very good at saying `no.' I'm always like, `I'll do it, I'll do it, I'll do it.' I think that's caught up with me a little bit, in the sense that I haven't really had any time left for my family. And maybe even just for myself a little bit."

On the conversations with her family about taking time off:

"My family, they did not ask me to do this. I did this because I thought it was the right thing to do. I'll just leave it at that. We'll find out if they like having me around or not. It's going to be an adjustment for all of us, I know that for sure."

On if it's been more challenging to balance work and personal as her kids have gotten older:

"As a parent, as they get older, sure, it becomes less physical and more emotional and mental. They're definitely getting into those ages where I want to make sure I can do my job, that I'm not just their coach but I'm their mom and I'm connecting with them. I want to be able to do that. That's what I'll be working on in this time off, just being able to balance that and manage it, because it's not easy. You don't have a lot of time. If I got back into coaching I'm not going to have a lot of time, I need to be really able to unplug and just be with them. For some reason, I was able to unplug, and now I'm not. I just need to figure that out. Fortunately, President Crow and Lisa (Love) and Don Bocchi have given me this opportunity to do that. And with Joseph's leadership, and Meg, the program is going to move forward. It's got great leadership, it's got great people, got great staff. Shay and Diana there in the back. The voice, Jeff Munn. Steve Rodriguez our sports information director. So we're in great shape. That's where I feel at peace."

On if she anticipates Joseph keeping same philosophy and same styles of play:

"We haven't talked about that. That truly is up to Joseph. We talk about doing things differently every year, and every year there's an evaluation and you look at the players coming in. I think that will be up to he and his staff to do this offseason, and decide where they want to go from here, because you do adjust to your team. We're pretty kindred souls in terms of Sun Devil basketball and the high standards and what we want our young ladies to get out of this experience. In that light, we'll be the same."

On if there will be difficulties or issues between their coaching styles when she gets back:

"It's going to be seamless. We work together, we think alike, we make all decisions together. It will be his team and his decision. No, I don't anticipate any of that. We've worked together a long time. I think that whatever he would want to do would probably be the same conclusion that I would come to, and we just work really well together like that. I would say the same with Meg."

On the effect her absence will have on recruiting:

"Hopefully none. Obviously this one year there is an adjustment for people. But after that, I'll be back. I will go off the clock, and I won't be able to help in recruiting, but I think that we have great leadership that's going to do a great job. With the 2012 class, you're pretty far along at this point. A lot of these kids are close to making their decisions. Then it will just be a matter of me catching up with the `13s and beyond when I come back."

On if she feels confident that she's coming back:

"My plan is to come back. I do not want to retire and I do plan to come back."