Towel Talk – Michelle Clark-Heard: “Bigger, Faster, Stronger”

WTRT: You said at WKU-specific media day that, even though Alexis Govan didn’t play during conference play, she was able to see the game a different way from the bench. What exactly did she learn from watching the game from the bench that will translate onto the court this year.
MCH: I think she became more of a coach. I think she became a different, basically a coach/player. She’s always been a very vocal player, but I think what she’s done now is take the freshman and help them on the court. Really teach them and show them what she saw while sitting on the bench. That’s the part I’m really excited about, because she’s taken those newcomers under her wing.

WTRT: WKU has a big-three now. Hopefully they’ll stay healthy – Gooch, Govan and Kendall Noble, who stepped up huge in Govan’s absence. Should WKU fans stay cautiously optimistic about having those three players on the court at the same time?
MCH: Oh, definitely. It’s an opportunity that we’re really excited about, for the same reason that I think Kendall and Alexis got preseason All-Conference. I think there are a lot of people anticipating them on the floor together and doing great things, we sure are. We’re excited every day when we go to practice and watch them practice, because they’re continuing to get better and better.

WTRT: What’s it like to coach a game know you’re going into a game with 30 points already on the floor. Because a game in which one of those three doesn’t score double digits are few and far between.
MCH: I believe at the end of the day, the great teams, and the teams that have the opportunity to win the big games – I’ve always heard this, and I believe it as a coach, you have to have three offensive weapons. And it’s because of what you said – there might be a day in which someone isn’t as scoring as much, but consistency, and I think that’s what Gooch and Kendall Noble brought all through conference play, and I think that’s what we’re looking forward to now. Having those three – and not just those three, but you put Micah Jones in the mix too, who has really carried our team over the past couple of years. Micah wasn’t recruited to be a point guard, and when I came in, that was something I moved her to the role, and she’s been phenomenal at it. So, we’re excited about those things, and adding our new players in with that.

WTRT: Final question, and I feel I already know the answer, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask it – Is it out of the question for WKU to win the Conference USA championship? Either regular season or tournament?
MCH: I wouldn’t say never – I’d never say out of the question, because I think that’s what everyone’s ultimate goal is. I think it’s something that you strive for each and every day, and it’s something we work hard for each and every day. When you get a taste of championships, you want to make sure you can put yourself in position each and every year to have an opportunity to do that. And, ever since we won the Sun Belt tournament and went to compete against Baylor and our season ended, then the things started to look up for us and we knew we were moving to C-USA, and that we had to over the summer work really hard to get bigger, faster, stronger to be the best that we can be.