Rock Hill, S.C. – This week, Alyssa Sconzo of WinthropEagles.com had a chance to catch up with Semeka Randall Lay, interim head coach of the women's basketball program. The two talk about quarantine, the G.O.A.T.s of the game and so much more!
 
AS: "How have you been spending your time while being quarantined?"
SRL: "I've actually been pretty busy. Every morning I get up about 7:30, walk the dog four miles. I try to do that about 3-4 times a week. From that point, it's a lot of Zoom calls. I feel like they're on the hour, every hour. Then I try to have conversations with our current student athletes and touch base with a lot of people."

AS: "Have you been binge watching any movies or shows during this time?"
SRL: "Why did I know you were going to ask me that? So, Money Heist, Tiger King – I had to watch it just because of all the information on social media so I'm a Tiger King person now – The Banker, C.J. Madam Walker (Self Made) … I have to watch my Grey's Anatomy and 9-1-1."

AS: "Looking back on your career to this point, you have a long list of incredible accomplishments. What would you say is the most memorable?"
SRL: "I often talk about this with our student athletes and most recruits that I end up recruiting. My most memorable moment was being at Michigan State in 2004-05 where we played in the National Championship. I'll even take it a step further. In the semifinals game, we played against Tennessee, down by 17 and we come out at halftime and I watch a bunch of young ladies – who no one knew anything about – decide to come together and literally come back from 17, win that game and get into the national championship game. I say that is my most fond memory because when I won a national championship and went 39-0, it was expected of us. We were beating people like crazy. But to watch a group of young ladies just pull together – by far the greatest memory ever."

AS: "Who would you say are your biggest influences as a coach?"
SRL: "Well, I've had, in my opinion, some great coaches starting with my high school coach, Pat Diulus. We went on to win many championships and he has coached over a hundred kids that went on to earn D1 scholarships. Pat Summitt; I probably drove her crazy all the time but that's mama. I appreciate everything that she's done for the women's game. Mickie DeMoss, who is currently at Georgia Tech. Al Brown, who actually got me started in the game of basketball. He is now retired from coaching but still finds a way to be a part of it. I have a collective group of everybody. I always say it's a village that has helped grow me and groom me into the woman that I am today."

AS: "What are some of your takeaways from your first season on the bench at Winthrop?"
SRL: "There's always room for improvement. We're going to be different now just because the whole makeup of our team, but I love the community, I love the people within the athletics department and I just love our current kids that are all-in and invested. So I look forward to coaching them and helping them grow on and off the court."

AS: "What are you most looking forward to in your new role as head coach?"
SRL: "Just leading this program, changing the culture and getting it back those 2014 days, when we were really excelling and doing well as a program."

AS: "I know this is a crazy time but how are you and your staff preparing for the upcoming season?"
SRL: "One of the biggest things when I accepted this position was going back and having conversations with our current student-athletes and their parents and deciding what my vision is for this program. Then, taking another step forward and breaking down everything I saw from this past season, with our student-athletes performance and help groom them so we can move in a new direction. And then obviously, no-brainer here, recruiting every single day, nonstop! I love all of those things, I love being a part of it and the biggest thing – I love giving back to the game that has been so good to me."

AS: "With The Last Dance on television right now, I wanted to get into a Greatest Of All Time debate. Of course, the first one – Michael Jordan or LeBron James?"
SRL: "Who am I going with? Now, I'm from Cleveland, OH and LeBron is from Akron, OH. We're like family here! Tough question, I'm going with Michael Jordan."

AS: "Geno Auriemma or Pat Summitt?"
SRL: "Pat Summitt all day long! No disrespect to Geno, either."

AS: "Magic Johnson or Larry Bird?"
SRL: "Oh, Magic."

AS: "Coach K or John Wooden?"
SRL: "Coach K."

AS: "And in your opinion who is the greatest women's basketball player of all time?"
SRL: "Can I say myself? I'm going to go with Cheryl Miller."

AS: "Why?"
SRL: "I think being that dominant at that size. She literally can play 1-5, her charisma on the court, her energy, the confidence that she showed was special. And the fact that she beat her brother all the time, Reggie Miller, in 1-on-1. That says a lot about that type of player that she was."

AS: "Thank you so much! This was super fun!"
SRL: "Oh thank you for having me!"