Postgame Quotes/Notes: Storm 65, Minnesota 62

June 17, 2012

STORM HEAD COACH BRIAN AGLER:


On the game:
Keeping them out of the paint was good. I just think that some of the intangible things were more important - some of the loose balls and long rebounds, just staying in some rotations defensively. That's stuff you don't see in the stat sheet. That's sort of Storm basketball is. When you asked me before the game where we've improved, I said some of those things - the effort and concentration. Obviously this wasn't a very high-scoring game, but we stayed competitive defensively.

On Tina Thompson making key plays:
She's the all-time leading scorer in the league, but she's also one of the all-time competitors in the league. She and Katie (Smith) just are major league competitors. You saw two of the rebounds she came down with in the guts of the game. Obviously the one on the free throw was huge. She just outworks people and we have to have that. And for the most part we did do that.

On the Storm developing an identity:
We obviously want to be a great defensive team. We also want to be looked at as a team that plays together at both ends of the floor and does the little things on the floor. Gets the intangible things done. Because there are so many plays during the course of the game - a loose ball here, a rebound there. Just smart-type plays. Minnesota has an excellent team and they're going to win a lot of games this year. They're the best team in the league. All the teams are going to get better. We want to stay on that path.

STORM GUARD SUE BIRD:


On the game:
I think tonight it started with our defense and being able to run with them. We generated offense from it and put them on their heels a little bit. That's really what we've been about the last couple of years. It felt good being out there and playing our game.

On getting going on offense:
Sometimes shots don't fall and you just have to play through it. Everyone in this league has been through something like that. The worst thing you can do is think about it and dwell on it. Of course, it's frustrating. You can't dwell on it and you have to keep moving. I'm just trying to think about the next game.

On the Lynx:
They're a very good team and a very difficult team to play against. You have to be ready for a lot and they can hurt you in a lot of ways. For us it was a great sign that we were able to get a win like that. And it is a little disappointing to give up the big lead, but a win is a win. It got a little crazy at the end, but in this league you just have to find a way to win no matter what it looks like.

STORM FORWARD TINA THOMPSON:


On the game:
We've had to decide what kind of team we were going to be. I think up to this point we've been showing it in spurts, but today our true personality came together. It was a good result.

On the Storm's identity:
Just not backing down. We have some good players in this room. Some of it early was just unfamiliarity. Our schedule has been pretty crazy and in between games we've had the opportunity to get to know one another and be more comfortable and that's definitely helped. Attitude, too. Especially on film. We watch a lot of it and see things that during the game you think you're doing, but you watch it on film and film is pretty honest, and you see things that you're not doing. There are moments where we kind of have a flash of greatness.

On rebounding Bird's missed free throw in the final seconds:
It was just effort. I kind of saw it coming off and I saw Rebekkah (Brunson) step in and the ball went back. I just tapped the ball trying to get it to myself and it was one of things. I was trying to get it, but it was a little luck in bouncing my way.

MINNESOTA HEAD COACH CHERYL REEVE:
On the game:
I thought Seattle played really hard and were far more determined than we were to win the game. We didn't show up until the second half and that was a little bit disappointing. But Seattle earned it. They played really, really hard and they hung their hat on their defense tonight and that gave them a chance to win the game.

On falling behind early:
It was a matter of us not responding in the first half. In that first five minutes, when a team is punching you in the face, punching you in the face, it doesn't usually take us that long to respond. It took us 20 minutes before we decided to respond. I never felt like the hole was too big. You see it all the time ... we're up by 20 often and we lose leads. It happens so we didn't think we were out of the game. It just came down to we didn't make plays at the end. We missed two free throws and then don't get a rebound. We just shot ourselves in the foot repeatedly. And we didn't get any help here. You're playing against 8,000 people, a great crowd and the officials go with the momentum on that sort of thing. You've got no allies in this environment. I was happy in the second half, but disappointed we didn't respond in the first half.

MINNESOTA FORWARD MAYA MOORE:
On the game:
We didn't bring what we needed to in the first half. The second half is who we want to be and who we are. For whatever reason, we couldn't get connected in the first half enough for a very hungry and motivated Seattle team. But that's what happens when we don't bring everything that we have for 40 minutes. We're disappointed in ourselves, but much respect to Seattle for coming in and doing what they needed to do.

On her tying attempt at the buzzer:
I felt like it was on target, just a little short. With one second, having to inbound it and catch and shoot, I thought it was a great look. But it shouldn't have come down to that. We felt like there were so many opportunities ... giving up an offensive rebound on a free throw, I mean there were so many things in the entire game that could've changed things. But lesson learned. I think this team will definitely take this one, remember it and use it to help us to be better in the future.

2012 Postgame Quotes/Notes Archive

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