LOS ANGELES -- It's still a few hours until the Sacramento State women's basketball team "officially" takes the floor for its NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament debut, but that doesn't mean that the Hornets' haven't already experienced their first taste of the "madness" of March.

After arriving in Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon, Sacramento State eased into its business trip with a little free time on Friday, grabbing lunch and doing a little shopping under the Southern California sun at a nearby center before settling in under the bright lights of Pauley Pavilion on the UCLA campus during the team's official practice on Friday night.

Head Coach Mark Campbell, senior guard Kahlaijah Dean, and junior center Isnelle Natabou took questions from the media, then rejoined their teammates to take the floor. Once there, Campbell, Associate Head Coach Xavi Lopez, and assistant coaches Minyon Moore and Nyara Sabally ran the No. 13-seeded Hornets through the paces in preparation for their battle with host and No. 4-seeded UCLA in a nationally-televised battle on ESPN2 at approximately 8:30 p.m. PT (or 30 minutes after the end of the game between No. 5 Oklahoma and No. 12 Portland, which tips off at 6 p.m. PT).

"This is what we came here for," Campbell said during the pre-practice press conference. "We thought Sacramento State had an opportunity to be something special. It's a beautiful campus. 30,000 students; football had been winning; baseball had been winning, and it was a program that needed to be fixed.

"It needed to be rejuvenated and it's why all three of us came here because we thought there was a lot of potential and it's happened quickly. Probably quicker than we all thought. But this, to get to go play in 'March Madness,' is why we came."
 

Built in 1965, Pauley Pavilion has seen its fair share of history, with many of basketball's greats — both men and women — having graced the court of the legendary arena.

It's a perfect venue for Sacramento State to continue making history of its own in this season of firsts that has seen the Hornets post the most wins in school history (25), the first 20-win season in school history, the first Big Sky Conference regular season title in school history, the first trip to the Big Sky Tournament championship game and the first Big Sky Tournament championship by either the men's or women's programs in school history.

"It feels amazing," Natabou said. "I feel blessed to be a part of the Hornet family and Hornet Nation. It's surreal but, at the same time, it feels like all the dreams that all players have. I am very grateful for this opportunity to have a chance to fight alongside with the great schools and great players with my Hornets, my coaching staff, and my great team."

Added Dean, "It's very surreal, very exciting. Truly a blessing being able to make it this far and continue to build history with Sacramento State."

No one on the Sacramento State roster has been in the NCAA Tournament, but they still have a wealth of knowledge to draw from. Campbell and Lopez were members of the coaching staff at the University of Oregon where they helped the Ducks grow from a first-round Pac-12 Tournament showing in 2015 to a WNIT semifinal appearance in 2016, two NCAA "Elite Eight" berths in 2017 and 2018, a spot in the "Sweet 16" in 2021 and a "Final Four" shot in 2019.

Nerves? Probably. However, the Hornets — one of four schools making their NCAA Tournament debuts along with St. Louis, Southeastern Louisiana, and Southern Utah — are entering their first NCAA Tournament appearance on a nine-game winning streak, peaking at the right time and playing their best basketball when they need to the most.

"For me it all comes back to what Coach Campbell started teaching us during the summer," Natabou said. "All players need to find what they feel most comfortable in, find their identity in the game, and Coach has inspired us to help develop our game. From our confidence, from what we know, what we feel comfortable doing on the court, we just help each other carry the game."