Taylor & Co. set for biggest test yet against No. 1 South Carolina

The Texas A&M women's basketball team is 14-3 overall and 2-2 in the SEC after falling at No. 7 LSU before beating Tennessee at home on Sunday, 71-56. On Tuesday, head coach Joni Taylor joined TexAgs Radio to chat about the state of the Aggies on the hardwood.

Key notes from Joni Taylor interview

• If we have a tight game again, and you don't feel it going our way, let's test it out, David. Walk away, get some popcorn, and we'll see how it works out when you come back.
   
• Before LSU, we had the No. 1 defense in the country. One of our goals was to establish ourselves on defense, and we felt we could be elite. It allows us to get everybody involved because it's just heart and effort. Our defense also led to some easy buckets in transition on Sunday.
   
• We talk a lot about defending home court in conference play. It's so tough in this league. Playing at home and winning at home is something we have to do every single time. Sunday, we knew the weather was going to be bad, but to see the crowd we had and to see it continue to grow... That makes us want to play hard for our fans.
   
• A lot of the conversation we get is about our new players, and rightfully so. They're elite players. I always want to mention our returners. Look at Sahara Jones and the offensive outbreak she had vs. Tennessee. For her to have that game, I was super happy for her. Kay Kay Green was a starter last year, and Sydney Bowles led us in minutes. They're both coming off the bench now. We don't have continuity and success if those players are bought in and accept the new role they've been given.
   
• Aicha Coulibaly is so fun to watch. She can shoot the 3-pointer, she can get to the rim, and she has a great pull-up game. She's a nightmare on both ends. She has always had that offensive skillset, but we asked about what other categories on the stat sheet can fill up.
   
• We have a bye, which means we don't have a game on Thursday. Toward the end of the week, we'll focus on a team that's really, really good in No. 1 South Carolina. You have to tip your cap to how Dawn Staley has been able to reload and compete for a national championship each year. We have to stop them in transition and then force them into a half-court game. We have to do a good job of boxing them out. You have to figure out how to pull Kamilla Cardoso away from the basket to give you opportunities at the rim. One of the areas we've been successful in is paint points, so we have to find a way to do that.