THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the 2026 ACC Tip Off Q&A. I am happy to welcome Florida State to the stage. Head Coach Brooke Wyckoff going into her fifth season, as well as Avery Treadwell and Solé Williams.
Ladies, thank you for your time. Brooke, you have five returners who will be joined by six transfers and the No. 12 recruiting class of five freshmen. Word on the street is that this team is going to have more emphasis on defense this season.
Talk to us about this team and how you and your staff went about this systematic change.
BROOKE WYCKOFF: The emphasis is always on defense, as in seasons past, but I think we approached it a little bit differently recruiting-wise and systematically making some changes just so we are able to have most of our energy start on the defensive end.
We're deeper this year, and that's really going to help us be able to turn it up, so to speak, on the defensive end.
THE MODERATOR: Well, you're deeper, but give me a little bit more about the assessment so far in practices and offseason about this team, and what's exciting you the most about this group?
BROOKE WYCKOFF: Yeah. Well, we're very different looking, although we do have five returners, two of which are here. But just, again, the different experience that is we've brought in. We have a lot of kids coming from winning programs and post-season play. That was a huge emphasis in our recruiting process as well.
Just people that are here and hungry, want to win, and want to be a great teammate. So we're seeing that already, and I really love who this group is becoming.
THE MODERATOR: Avery, you almost doubled your minutes per game in rebounding from a season ago. What should fans expect or what have you added to your game for this upcoming season?
AVERY TREADWELL: I've definitely just -- I've been working on my defensive ability and being able to guard and limit my fouls per game.
I want to be more of an offensive threat this year than I was last year, and honestly, I just want to help the team win however I can.
THE MODERATOR: Sole, physically you improved in all areas and you led the team in scoring. Can you talk about the mental as well as emotional -- not the physical part -- of how you enhanced your game, but the physical and mental and how that led to the physical development of your game?
SOLÉ WILLIAMS: Yeah. I mean, I take a lot of time and effort on to the mental, because I know that was one of my biggest issues. I just make sure I stay in contact with my coaches, my staff, and even my parents. They always instill good positivity into me to just continue to keep going, and I think that's been helping a lot.
Q. Which returning players have taken on bigger leadership roles this season, influenced the team beyond what the statistics are showing?
BROOKE WYCKOFF: Yeah, all five of them have in their own ways.
Avery Treadwell is one of our captains as a returner.
Sole is obviously coming back as our leading scorer, but that doesn't mean she can just stay on that same track. She's got to increase what she does and her leadership as well as our point guard.
And the other three, just understanding our culture. It's Emma, Tatum, and Mari. Just understanding Florida State, how we operate, how we work. They've been really instrumental in bringing all of these new players together in that aspect.
Q. Just building off of that, you have Aga coming in from Vanderbilt, and she also has some experience in European play. You yourself have experience in European play. How is that element going to add -- because European play is different than American style -- add positively to the season's play?
BROOKE WYCKOFF: We are really excited to have Aga on our team. Yeah, she's an international, so she comes with a very special skill set. She's a taller player, but she has guard skills. She's a great shooter from the 3-point line, but also, her experience at Vanderbilt and what that program has done. She's bringing that kind of mindset and that winning experience to our team having played with great players there as well.
We love everything that she's brought, and, yes, it's from international and here, that experience at the college level, has been really, really helpful so far.
THE MODERATOR: Brooke, let's expand on that a little bit. You just brought up Aga. A number of new faces for your team. Can you talk about each of these players and how they can contribute to this program?
BROOKE WYCKOFF: Oh, gosh, there's a lot of them, but just a couple that right away we're really looking to help us. Aga, Savannah Henderson from Georgia, Timaya Lewis-Eutsey from Marshall. They won the NIT Tournament.
And two freshmen that really stood out so far, Morgan Stewart and Missy Odom. They're doing a phenomenal job. They come from very successful high school programs.
We recruit everybody. Talking about how they can impact. Sometimes that's on the floor with a lot of minutes or a big role, and other times it's in other ways, developing, being a great teammate. We really need all of them to contribute to being a winning program.
Q. This is for the players. How do you stay composed during close games or difficult stretches?
SOLÉ WILLIAMS: I think that us just all coming to a common ground and huddling. I think we take pride in that as well, just coming to complete ground and just making sure we're on the same page and taking a deep breath to tackle the next obstacle that we have.
AVERY TREADWELL: Yeah, I think the trust that we have as teammates is really important and knowing that in those stressful moments, like I know Solé is going to play good defense, and she's going to go and get a bucket. So being able to have teammates that you trust, and we just build that trust in practice every day is really important.
THE MODERATOR: Avery, I want to piggyback what Brooke just talked about with the newcomers. What's a newcomer that has stood out to you and come ACC play everybody will be talking about?
AVERY TREADWELL: I definitely have to say Aga. She's very, very talented. A really great shooter and also just a really competitive player. I can see her really just wanting to attack the ACC this year.
THE MODERATOR: Solé, what is your personal and team goal for this season?
SOLÉ WILLIAMS: Personal goal would probably still be my leadership, being more vocal. I know that this is a team that values me and my voice, so just continuing to be way more vocal than I am.
Then my personal goal is really to just try to be better than who I was last year, but honestly, to continue to keep getting my conditioning better and getting in shape and being consistent in my shooting as well.
THE MODERATOR: Brooke, you played in this league. With so much change in college athletics, I think a constant has been ACC women's basketball has been one of the premiere leagues. Why?
BROOKE WYCKOFF: Well, I think it's built on great history. There's a legacy there of just the programs that year after year, decade after decade regardless of coach or players have just been successful and represent us on the national level.
Just the caliber of players that come out of here, the competition that, you know, night in and night out that they face and then they go on to do great things professionally. So I'm really proud to still be a part of it.
Q. We've talked a lot about the newcomers that are coming, because there's quite a few of them, but one that sticks out for me is Missy Odom. How important is it to be a multi-sport athlete, and what does that bring to basketball?
BROOKE WYCKOFF: Yeah, Missy, we're so excited that she's going to be playing basketball and softball at Florida State. Being a multi-sport athlete is so rare, but I think it really is something that allows a broader experience and is good for your body as well. When you are doing different things physically with two different sports your body gets to recover in a different way.
Also, just that experience of being with different teams, teammates is really, really special.
We're happy to share Missy with the softball team. We love our softball team. They're phenomenal and coached by a phenomenal coach, Lanni Alameda.
THE MODERATOR: Avery, you're unique in that you're a four-year player at an institution. Tell me why staying at Florida State has made you not just a better player, but a better person?
AVERY TREADWELL: It definitely just forced me to honor the commitment that I made when I was a senior in high school. I mean, I think it's just displayed my loyalty for Florida State as an institution and also Brooke as a coach. I mean, I really just love it there.
I couldn't imagine myself anywhere else, despite all of the hardships and whatever and maybe not getting all the things that I've wanted. It's just forced me to put my head down and work for all the things that I've gotten in my career.
Q. The NCAA is expanding this year just in terms of how many teams will be let in. What does that mean to this team? Players can answer this question as well. Does that bring more hope for you guys?
BROOKE WYCKOFF: We're super excited about it. I think it's a great opportunity just to have the ability for more teams to participate in post-season. As the depth of women's basketball nationally becomes, you know, greater, that's a good thing for our sport. I really believe that.
So our goal at Florida State is always to get to the NCAA Tournament. It will still be a very competitive road especially coming out of the ACC, but I'm excited for those opportunities for Florida State and for ACC as a conference.
THE MODERATOR: I'll put you on the spot. Nine teams in the tournament a year ago. With the expanded field, what's the expectation do you think for the ACC? How many do you think we will get in?
BROOKE WYCKOFF: Oh, gosh. I mean, at least ten. I would say at least ten. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, you know, with the selection committee. But, yeah, at least the top half of the conference, I would say. That is not -- that's good competition. Those are strong teams. So I think that's really, really good for the tournament.
THE MODERATOR: Solé, can you talk about what it's like to play for Brooke and how she's made you better just as a woman?
SOLÉ WILLIAMS: It's been great honestly. This is going to be my second year, but I feel like me and Brooke's relationship has grew more and more. I feel like her and the staff, they do nothing but give us good advice, good feedback, and just having a staff that has a bunch of experience, have a bunch of resources and everything, it just helps us want to go to them and use those resources and create that relationship with them to have a longer relationship outside of college with them, so it's been great.
THE MODERATOR: This question is for all three of you. Sole, I'll ask you to start. Give me one word to describe Florida State women's basketball this season.
SOLÉ WILLIAMS: I would say determined.
AVERY TREADWELL: I'd say hungry.
BROOKE WYCKOFF: That's what I was going to say. I love that. I love determined too.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports