Last week Arkansas State beat JMU 86-79 in OT in the Sun Belt women’s tourney to earned an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Red Wolves had a losing season for 6 straight but are now heading to the NCAA tourney for the 1st time in school history. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Arkansas State SR SG/SF Anna Griffin about being a good rebounder and making the NCAA tourney.
You were born/raised in Illinois and started your college career at Virginia: why did you decide to transfer, and what made you choose Arkansas State? Virginia was not the place for me and I felt like I could find a better fit somewhere else. Arkansas State was always a school I had in mind, and I believe that Virginia not working out was a sign for me to go to A-State. The family atmosphere/coaches were great.
What is the biggest difference between the ACC and the Sun Belt? The biggest difference for me is that the ACC felt more like a business both on and off the court. In the Sun Belt I feel like part of a family all the time and can just play my game.
You play for Coach Destinee Rogers: what makes her such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from her so far? Coach Dezz never gives up: she is always willing to do the work to make her players successful. The most important thing I have learned is that when life knocks you down you must get back up no matter what and always work hard.
In 2023 you scored a career-high 24 PTS in a loss at JMU: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? I always played well against JMU and just had an “underdog” mentality. Nobody believed in us whenever we played them, and my mentality was always to work even harder.
You led A-State with 7.7 RPG as a sophomore: what is the secret to being a good rebounder? I believe that good rebounding is all about technique: reading where the ball lands while also making sure you hold off your opponent is key.
Your former teammate Izzy Higginbottom was named Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year in 2023, 1st-Team All-Sun Belt in 2014, and led the SEC in scoring with 24.4 PPG for Arkansas this year: was it weird to face her last November in Fayetteville? It was not weird for me: just another game against somebody I know. I have played against a lot of former teammates before and there is no bad blood…but once you cross those lines and step onto that court, I no longer know you.
You lost back-to-back road games in late-February: how was you team able to turn things around at the right time? Coach Dezz has always told us that we were made to battle. We have crossed paths with adversity before and beat it. It was nothing to hang our heads about and obviously we did not because the result was even greater.
Last Monday you scored 13 PTS in a 7-PT OT win over JMU to clinch a spot in the NCAA tourney for the 1st time in school history: how on earth were you able to overcome a 17-PT 1st half deficit, and what did it mean to you to win a title? We are battle-tested: we have been down before and came back. It is all about how you get up rather than how hard you get knocked down. My teammates and I were not fazed and kept pushing to get the results we have worked all year for. We were made for this moment: it was all within God’s plan.
Your team’s 10.6 3PM this year is #1 in the nation: how crucial is the 3-PT shot to your team’s offensive philosophy? It is very crucial. When you are leading the nation in an offensive category, most people would say it is their “#1 thing” or “only offense”, but to be honest we have many weapons. So yes, it is our best weapon…but it is not the only 1 we have.
How do you feel about being a #15 seed facing UConn? For me the seeding does not matter. We have been doubted all year, from being ranked 13th in the preseason poll to playing our Sun Belt opponents, but none of that matters. In the end, the ones who are doubted hold the prize.
