Everything SMU's Chantae Embry, T.K. Pitts said at ACC Basketball Tip-Off

As SMU’s women’s basketball season is rapidly approaching, Chantae Embry and T.K. Pitts travelled to Charlotte, North Carolina for ACC basketball media days. Here’s everything they said:

On the reaction to joining the ACC:

Chantae Embry: I’m, like, let’s go. It’s just an exciting feeling getting to this high level of play with an amazing conference. Yeah, that was just in my mind, let’s go, we ready.

T.K. Pitts: Yeah, I think definitely it was a lot of excitement in the locker room and just on campus. A lot of hype about it. I know even students were excited, and they’re not even playing in it. They just to be watching. It’s the best conference I think to be in, so we’re super excited to go and fight and compete every game.

On what Chantae learned about the team during their trips to Croatia and Greece:

Chantae Embry: I learned that we are a fun group to be around. Our tour guide, he actually said in all of his years doing his tours and everything, like, this was — you can see how much we love each other, how much we connected.

To be fair, this was a completely new group. We’re just learning each other, and we’re going to go off to a whole new country. So just hearing that from him and just being able to witness, it’s just really a testament to this program how much you can bring together a group of individuals and a group of people and how much we care for each other.

Just seeing that was amazing, and I’m just so grateful and so blessed to be a part of this group.

On what T.K. learned about the staff during the trip:

T.K. Pitts: They really, really care for us. They care for us off the court, especially. I think that showed in Croatia. We had one game, one scrimmage. Outside of that it was just vibes and fun. They can vibe and they want us to have fun. It was like a big family trip, honestly, like a family vacation. That’s what I think about it as.

On what T.K. Pitts’ role on the team is:

T.K. Pitts: Right, yeah. I don’t think I’m the best offensive player that’s out there, and I’m definitely okay with that. I worked very hard on defense, and I pride myself on defense. Defense wins championships. It gets the game going. It gets your team going. Deflections, tips, steals, rebounding. Coach T, she harps on me every day at practice for stuff like that just because she knows how capable I am with doing stuff like that.

You know, I love that. I take pride in it, and I know that’s where I can show up every single day for my team. Just being a blue collar, working on the offensive glass, defensive glass. Put me on the best player. I want to guard the next player. Next team. I love it. It’s competitive. It’s my nature. So I’m definitely down for every game.

On what they worked on over the offseason:

Chantae Embry: For myself I was actually dealing with an injury for this past offseason in the summer. I had a stress fracture. For me I’ve really just been working hard on getting in the best shape as possible so I can be able to last through the fourth quarter, the overtimes, everything and that’s not a reason for me to come out the game.

I will just say that and being able to see things for me being out on the sidelines even though it’s just the offseason, it’s gist a summer. There are no games going on right now.

Just being able for me to see, like, the little things, what I need to do. Passes off a screen, just open plays that I can make, I think was just a big thing that I have been growing in my game.

T.K. Pitts: Yeah, I think me obviously it’s built on being a defensive player, and I think opening the offensive side as well is definitely a big factor. Being able to score, being out for the kick-out for the three I think will be a big impact. Especially just being able — coach T told me, I need you to be able to knock down a three. I just need you to be able to knock down a three.

Just getting that respect as well will also make it that much harder for the next team to scout us and play us and just give us that advantage.

On what it means to Chantae to receive the Ambassador Award in y’all’s final year of the AAC:

Chantae Embry: It’s just an overwhelming feeling honestly with the community service aspect of it, I feel like I can give back to others, and that’s what I need to do. God brought me this gift in my life, so I need to pour back into other people with that.

Then when it comes to sportsmanship, I just let my game speak for itself. I don’t really want to be the type of player that’s really a trash talker to other teams or other players. You know, if you get me there — it’s a difference between being competitive and just really trash talking. I think both is great for the game, but just for me personally I’m just going to let my game speak for itself.

I think a lot of people and a lot of teams have seen that about me, so I was honored to receive that award.

On who fans should be looking out for this season:

T.K. Pitts: Z, she’s — I call her my little Kyrie. She’s, like, just like Kyrie. When you watch her in the game you’re going to be, like, Wow. She’s very poised. She can handle the ball. She has amazing IQ.

Nya, she can shoot the ball as far as Caitlin Clark, and she will. She’s not going to hesitate. But she will also take you off the dribble. What are you going to do?

Chantae Embry: I would say the same with both Z and Nya as well. I also want to mention Jess, Jessica Peterson. She wasn’t playing with us last year. She had just her own story going on, whatever, but I think this season I’ve seen her grow so much, and it’s really just been a testimony for her.

[Jessica] can speak on that for herself. It’s not my story to tell, but I’ve seen her just grow so much and her game has grown so much since our first season here. For her not to be able to play last year and her coming back the way that she has, it’s just been amazing to watch.

I think teams definitely need to be on the lookout for her and fans need to be on the lookout for her.

One word to describe the upcoming season:

Chantae Embry: Faith

T.K. Pitts: That was good. I would say — this is a good question. Yeah, growth. Growth probably, yeah.