Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — When Lynne Roberts' team walked off the court at Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, following a loss to the Longhorns in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2022, the finality of the season and how Utah ended the year stung.
The budding program had made immense progress in the lead up to its first NCAA Tournament run since 2011, which included an unsuspecting run to the Pac-12 championship game, but losing hurt.
"We got beat at Texas," Roberts said on Thursday morning, reflecting on the game a year ago. "I mean, it was close for awhile — I don't remember the final score — but they controlled it from tip to finish. We didn't want that feeling again."
The young team recognized how far it had come since its five-win season the year prior and was appreciative of the significant improvement, but the loss only made the fire within them burn hotter. The Utes, almost immediately after its loss, came together to collectively put in the work to be better the next season.
Now a year removed from that loss in Texas, Utah enters the NCAA Tournament again, but with confidence, experience, and a renewed outlook to the postseason. Utah topped Stanford in its final game to claim a regular season co-championship with the Cardinal and enter this year's NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed and a host to the first two rounds of the tournament.
"I think we've earned the seed that we got as a 2 seed. I think we've earned it," Roberts said. "We've won a lot of close games against some really good teams. We don't have a single bad loss on our schedule, so we've earned it. I think there's no better way to gain confidence than feeling like you earned something — you worked for it, you commit to it, you dedicate to it."
But Roberts knows that a high ranking means nothing in March; if anything, it just adds more pressure to the program as it looks to go deeper into the tournament. That loss to Texas a year ago, however, pushed Utah to be better and to recognize the little things that separate teams that go far in March.
"That game specifically, we didn't learn anything specifically, other than we don't want to be in that situation again," Roberts said. "This tournament, if we're fortunate enough to move on, every game, no matter who we're playing — and I think Friday's the same thing, it's going to be hard, they're going to be hard — but you've got to have your fists up ready to fight, and you can't just walk in because you'll get your tail beat."
Whether it's Utah's opening opponent, No. 15 Gardner-Webb (Friday, 5:30 p.m. MDT, ESPNU), or a potential matchup with No. 7 NC State or No. 10 Princeton in the second round, no game will come easy in a pursuit for an NCAA championship.
That point was underscored by Utah's early exit this year from the Pac-12 Tournament. Coming off its high of winning a share of the Pac-12 regular season title, Utah entered the tournament as the second-best team and looked destined for another championship game appearance — likely to meet up with Stanford.
But a red-hot Washington State team, who peaked at the end of the season and went on to win the Pac-12 championship, beat Utah in the quarterfinal round to end its tournament run before it ever really started.
"I think that kind of motivated us more to just put in that work in practice and just stay focused and locked in for the tournament," Pac-12 Player of the Year Alissa Pili said on Thursday.
"Just not to take anything for granted and just knowing we have to be sharp every single game," Pili added. "Just take care of business when it comes down to it. We've been talking a lot about it in practice, but just every possession is important, and we've been stressing that in practice. These games are — it's one and done, so once we lose, we're out, and this is the final go round, so I think we're all taking it pretty seriously and we're just, like I said, locked in and ready to go."
But Roberts has a strong belief in this year's squad, who she described as having no ego.
Last season, Utah relied heavily on Pac-12 Freshman Player of the Year Gianna Kneepkens and an assortment of mostly young players around her. This season, Pili has taken much of the load to help Utah win at a high rate, but Kneepkens has remained a central focus of the team.
While just a small sample size of a team that has several players that can — and have — lifted Utah to new heights, it's a team that doesn't need individual praise or credit to keep the drive going, Roberts said. It's a team that is motivated by each other and one that wants to see everyone succeed in their own right — whether that's Pili, Kneepkens, or any other player on the roster.
"They don't — they really don't care who gets the ink, who gets the points," Roberts said. "When you have a team that legitimately wants everyone else — other people to succeed and be great — then you have a chance to have something special. I think that's what it is."
But it doesn't hurt to have dynamic players like Pili and Kneepkens, either. Nor does it to be able to start an NCAA Tournament run on Utah's home floor with a fan base fully on its side to help lift the team to its first Sweet 16 appearance since 2006 and first in the Pac-12 era.
"I think it's huge for us, especially with the fan base that's been built over here," Pili said. "Just the energy we feel from the crowd and everybody who supports us, it's boosted our performances and our energy on the court as well. So, yeah, it feels good to be at home, play at our own court. And I think we play well here, so it's definitely an advantage."
