Postgame Quotes/Notes - Storm 74, Tulsa 57

Aug. 25, 2011

STORM HEAD COACH BRIAN AGLER:


On resting Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson:
That wasn't the plan. The plan was we're playing to win; we're going to do whatever we have to do to win games. We sat them out at the end of the third quarter and the game was, I shouldn't say in the balance, but it was 10 points. Our team played pretty well, especially defensively. It sort of kept us afloat and then we had a chance to extend it there at the end.

On the Storm's execution in the third quarter:
We executed with the ball well and it's getting to be that time of the year. I think that's what Tulsa is doing right now. Tulsa is playing with a purpose. Offensively they're executing and, as you've seen in scores against other people, they're knocking on the door. They're playing better.

On Jackson:
With Lauren, everyone understands how great of a player she is. She has to really want to be around the basket. Coming off injury that is not something that she has a great desire to do, although she's very effective doing it. My rule with Lauren is sort of 50/50 � 50 percent of her time around the rim and 50 percent of her time playing naturally. She likes to pick-and-pop, play facing the basket. She's very accepting of that and if fact she's probably more difficult to defend that way when she's moving around. Obviously she didn't play a whole lot tonight, which was probably good. She's been recovering well after each game so we'll see.

On Jackson's scoring efficiency:
She can ring them up. If you get the ball to her in the right spots she has the ability to do that. We just didn't shoot the ball well in the first half and she didn't shoot the ball well in the first half. She got the ball in a little more of a rhythm in the second half.

STORM GUARD TANISHA WRIGHT:


On the first half:
We missed a lot of shots. We had some opportunities to knock down shots; we just didn't knock them down. Our defense really held strong tonight. Even when we weren't knocking down shots, we were able to get stops. We'll get in the gym, shoot the shots that we normally take, and we'll knock them down.

On tying Phoenix for second in the West:
There is still a lot of season left to play. We just need to take care of ourselves and make a strong playoff push.

On the Storm's defense on Tiffany Jackson after halftime:
Tiff is a good player. I think we did a good job of congesting her and making her play against more than just one player. It helped.

TULSA INTERIM HEAD COACH TERESA EDWARDS:
On the game:
I thought it was a very aggressive game. I thought the officials let that game be very, very aggressive. The disparity in free throws pisses me off. This is a playoff, championship-contending team and we have to give them the respect for who they are, but we went, played hard and fought. I'm a little upset about (the fouls). I'm not even mad at my team, I'm just mad about the dynamics of the game and the discrepancies with some of those fouls.

On the Storm containing Tiffany Jackson after halftime:
They didn't shut any of our players down. It was just one of those physical games where (Jackson) was getting fouled, but she wasn't getting the calls yet they were calling it on the other end. That's how I saw it.

On keeping the team's spirits up:
They're doing a great job of it themselves. We're warriors, we're fighting, but it's a test of character for us. We have a lot of young ladies with a lot of pride. Sheryl (Swoopes) is doing a great job being a leader. That's coming to the forefront and showing off more than anything. She's not going to let us die and sit around and accept where we are. It shows every day.

TULSA FORWARD TIFFANY JACKSON:
On the game:
I just think they came out with more intensity in the second half and we really didn't match it. We never could match it in the second half.

On staying positive:
We have a really positive coach that really believes in us so if our leader is positive, it's easier for us to stay positive and to look for the good.

On the difference in getting a win:
We feel like we work hard, so we know that isn't the problem. We have to play a little smarter. The fact that we put them at the free throw line 20-something times and we only went eight ... those are things we have to recognize - to go harder and to not foul.

2011 Postgame Quotes/Notes Archive

Comments
blog comments powered by Disqus