GG (Golden Guardians- Golden State Warriors) became the first payout team in the 2022 LCS Spring Playoffs. As the sixth seed, they needed to start from the loser group, and as soon as they came up, they were swept by C9 and ended up in a round. In an interview with Inven Global, GG Licorice shared some of her thoughts on the team's elimination at C9, GG's progress since she joined last summer, and her personal record of facing C9 at 0-10.
Q: I feel that GG's thinking on the tactical layout of C9 is quite clear. Can you talk about your strategy and what you think is wrong?
Licorice: Honestly I think we BP are doing a great job. Our goal was to get a solid 5v5 lineup – each inning had a front row, team battles were layered, and maybe those responsible for cutting in from the side. The lineup we choose will make sure we're comfortable competing for resources, because that's usually the point of the playoff version. That's what we're after, but I think our resource group is completely beaten. That's pretty much it.
Q: Can you talk about the main points of the 5v5 team battle lineup being the playoff version?
Licorice: I think in the playoffs almost everybody would acquiesce to that. There are usually some exceptions, but when you often need to work with the team throughout the game, most people will unconsciously lean towards the 5v5 lineup.
Q: C9 single Summit was madly targeted by the 100T as a breakthrough last week, and it feels like you are more inclined to mix with the opposite side when dealing with the opposite side of the road. What was the reason for this tactic, especially considering that your BP in the spring game was more inclined to compete with Summit?
Licorice: I don't know, I mean... Honestly, my original idea for this series was to let Summit take the hero at will and then try to win the match. For example, if he takes Jace first, then I will lock the knife sister and finish it.
But after the 100T, seeing that the C9 was so tired, we thought that this set might be a good way to beat them, so we practiced it like this. I think this decision is perfectly okay, it will be more boring for myself.
It's hard to understand the version by watching other teams play, because most other leagues don't get four bans per ban, so when you do, the version ecology will change a lot, and the priority of the hero will be different. It's a bit of a cliché, but by and large, I think this strategy is fine.
Q: So if you get a chance to play this series again, would you let Summit take the hero and try to solve him one-on-one?
LICORICE: Absolutely. It's very appetizing to me.
Q: Unlike last year, this spring season you can play a full season at GG. How do you see how you're doing and improving in 2022, and do you think it's good for you to keep your surroundings the same?
Licorice: As a player, most of the difficulties I face come from the psychological level rather than the game itself. Since I joined GG, I feel that a lot of things have become clearer, and I think this is a very important reason for my rapid improvement. I love the GG team and I'm very happy here.
The aspect I feel like I've been working on is mentality and something like that. It seems to me that some of them are also reflected today – when I was behind, I still didn't operate well despite the conditions. For example, several times TP I was not very decisive. This kind of thing is also the direction I have been working on, because honestly there is nothing that needs special efforts for me in the line period. Today Summit is the better one to place on the order. His opposition is outrageously strong, so this style of play doesn't always work.
Q: How do you think GG's lineup in 2022 differs from last year's?
Licorice: I think the lineup is now more intense and capable. Honestly the biggest difference is that we're handling the line period better than last year. I think that's an important point, because when you play against a strong team in the league or abroad, it's like a hard standard for the line period, and if you don't reach the result, it's 20 minutes. Playing C9 in the 2021 LCS Summer Playoffs is pretty much what it feels like.
This time, although the big score is still the same, the actual feeling is completely different. This time we were really wrestling with them, and every game had a chance. We've been actively competing in the game and had a chance to win, but we didn't catch them very well.
Q: What are your plans for this offseason before the summer games start? Will you give yourself a break before resuming your daily training routine, and where do you think the team needs to improve in order to get ahead in the summer?
Licorice: I usually stay away from League of Legends. I'll stay out of the game for a long time – at least for a week or two – and try to live a normal life: get up in the morning, have a cup of tea, bask in the sun, walk around... (Laughs) In short, it's something you don't have a chance to do when you're playing professionally.
I might take at least a few weeks off, and I don't know if I'll start reviewing right away as soon as I get back or if it will take a while. I'm a bit of a feeling in these respects. Like I said before, I think the psychological part is a very important factor for me, so I might read a lot of books and then check to see if there is something to remember.
As the team progresses, it's hard to pinpoint any points. I think it would be better if we could play more flexibly or something like that, but I think we're generally thinking about the game. We weren't as good as people today, so we lost the game. You should ask our coach about this.
Q: It's really great to be able to have such insight after such a big defeat. Is there anything you'd like to say to GG fans or your own fans?
Licorice: I'm not retreating; I'm still fighting. I'm not going to retire. Someday I will win the C9. It's not today, but I swear to God... Even if I had to play until I was 50, I wouldn't retire until I beat C9. At least once.
Thank you all for your support. I know my career has a little bit of a big ups and downs (laughs) but hopefully it's just a little bit of a setback before heading higher.