‘Last year, our motto was ‘becoming, ’This year it’s ‘tough.’” Joni Taylor previews Texas A&M’s upcoming basketball season at SEC Media Days

“All right, so last year our motto was becoming, this year it’s tough. I think we have a level of toughness that is much better than last year, but it’s still not exactly where we want to be. Our motto is TOUGH: Trust, Ownership, Unity, Gratefulness, and Humility. I think we became last year resilient. We learned how to win some games in the second tournament. We put together a string of three games. I think we’re coming into this year with a new confidence, with a new sense of understanding about what it takes day in and day out. Consistency and toughness are the things we’re really looking to have in everything we do day in and day out to move the needle”

“Thanks for asking that. I think in terms of convincing, who we are as a staff speaks to itself. I think we have enough longevity in this game, in the SEC, playing on a national stage. Obviously when we were at the University of Georgia, now here at Texas A&M, those young ladies know who we are, what we’re about, know what they’re going to get day in and day out when they come to our program. It’s about being a part of something bigger than themselves. They were intentional about wanting to come, for different reasons, but it was to be better human beings, better players, make sure they have a chance to be prepared when they get drafted and play overseas. It didn’t take a lot of convincing. That wouldn’t be the word I would use to describe it. It’s more like I’ve seen, I’ve watched, I’ve heard, and I want a piece of it. “

“Obviously for Janiah, she’s someone that is very, very talented. One of the country’s best players. I think for her, our conversation is about just the consistency she has in everything that she does. She always shows up in a great way with a great posture to lead, to serve, to be better today than she was yesterday. How do we knock that up even more? Because she has high goals for herself and for our team, so that comes with great responsibility. We’re working with making sure that she understands the responsibility and expectations she has when she steps onto the floor day in, day out. With Endyia, it is about using her voice and being our leader as a point guard. She obviously shoots the ball well, passes it well. Her stat line is ridiculous if you take a look at what she did at the University of Oregon. It’s again preparing her for the draft, preparing her to play professionally, what that takes, looks like. We spend a lot of time talking about the habits you have to have as a person. Who you are one place is who you are everywhere. She wants to make sure she’s ready for that opportunity. But it’s communication. It’s knowing our offense. It’s putting people in the right positions, obviously knowing how to score for yourself and others. “

“Any time you have a chance to represent your country, it’s something that you approach with great humility and honor. It’s a privilege. As always, I learned that nothing happens by accident. There’s no place for your habits to hide when you’re on that stage. So the 12 young ladies that we had on our roster, the way they approached their business every single day in order to bring back a gold medal for this country was something that was just remarkable to watch and see. When you think about the fact we had seven days of practice before we got on the plane and went to Madrid, Spain, to compete for a gold medal, when other countries are with each other year-round, year after year after year, it takes tremendous trust, sacrifice, it takes a level of coming together and willingness to take your personal ego and put it to the side for the umbrella and ego of USA Basketball. Those young ladies carried that weight very, very well. But your habits have no place to hide. We were fortunate to have a group of young women who understood that. Obviously USA Basketball and how they carry themselves, prepare, you’re just around the best of the best.”

“Obviously she’s the one we know well, having played against her when she was at Auburn. High motor. Another three level scorer. Really, really has attacked her game and worked on her game. A.C. was great coming to Texas A&M for Janiah Barker, to see what it looks like to show up every day with a high motor, be consistent in the things she does, to have someone to go against every single day. They push each other and make each other better. Same thing with Lauren Ware and Maliyah Johnson. That group of forwards has pushed each other well. When she went into the portal, she called us, said, Hey, obviously I know you very well, have liked the demeanor, the camaraderie you have with your players, the way you coach them, the way it looks on the sidelines. Can we have a conversation about what that looks like? I want to stay in the SEC, because it does mean more, it is the best conference. My list is very small, but I will be staying in this league. Can we just get to know each other a little better and figure some things out. That’s how the conversation went. She came on a visit. Absolutely confirmed for her what she already thought from the outside looking in, the process was pretty simple after that. “

“I think it starts with knowing who you are. In order to lead others, you have to lead yourself well. Fortunate to have people around me who modeled that behavior, have spent a ton of time knowing not only who I am, but who I can coach and who we want to coach as a staff. I think that is the first thing, we are intentional about who we bring into our program. Because we have that intentionality, the rest of it is pretty easy. We start at a really young age evaluating talent. We get to know who they are as people. That relationship starts eighth, ninth grade. It is consistent. So by the time they get on campus, you have four years of a relationship that’s built. So the sweat equity in our relationship is long-standing. That allows us to get to the hard things fast. There’s trust in that relationship. There is blind faith in that relationship. You look at Janiah, signed with us at Georgia, came with us to Texas A&M with no hesitation. There’s a blind faith that comes with that. Sydney Bowles and Tineya Hylton did the same thing. I think it’s because we are genuine as people. We’re very honest. We’re very blue-collar in our approach. We’re not going to jump out of balloons when you come to visit. We’re going to make sure you see what you need to see. It’s going to be who you are every day when you show up at our campus. I think that resonates with people. We want it to resonate with people that are meant to be at Texas A&M. What we do is not for everybody, but it’s for the people we have identified that we think can represent us on and off the court in a first-class manner.”