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POSTGAME QUOTES
JULY 30, 2002
COMETS COACH VAN CHANCELLOR
On the game:
"I’m really pleased, but my first question is where has this team been all year? I thought we did well passing the ball tonight and let me tell you, when you get the production we did tonight from the '5' hole, you’ll always be a better basketball team."
On the Comets:
"I’ve been really concerned about us until right now. I’ve been concerned about us all year. We moved the ball better tonight, shared the ball better, scored at the end of multiple passes instead of making one-on-one moves. I am really struggling to get us out of that."
On getting ready for the postseason:
"We’ve had two teams here that turned it on in the playoffs, but I just don’t like to trust that. I think you have to be doing certain things to play good playoff ball. We beat a playoff team tonight by 30 points and played a lot of players. It was a great win for us tonight."
SHERYL SWOOPES
On the game:
"I was very happy and proud and hopefully we are heading in the right direction. The last time we played Portland up there they beat us and celebrated like thy won a championship and we just felt like we owed them something. We might have to meet them again in the playoffs and hopefully we sent them a message that 'yes, you guys beat us there, but that wasn’t the real Comets team.' I thought we came out tonight, offensively, defensively, and played incredibly well. That’s what we need, we need that type of performance from every single person regardless of how many minutes we’re playing. We have that confidence in each other and I thought we played very well tonight as a team. In the final seven minutes play, the Comets reserves showed us that they have the confidence and that they were capable of getting the job done."
TINA THOMPSON
On the game:
"Tonight we wanted to set a tone going into the playoffs. It’s time that we turn up another level. It’s possible that we could see Portland in the playoffs. Not necessarily like put some fear in the back of their minds, but have them think a little about having to face us again."
On the Comets reserves:
"I think they showed tonight, not only our fans, but also our coaching staff the ability they have when given the opportunity."
MICHELLE SNOW
On the opportunity to dunk:
"Whenever God says it’s time, he has given me plenty of opportunities. He continues to give me opportunities, one time or another he will allow me to dunk. I just believe that, I have the faith. Tonight’s game, we played together, moved the ball, and had six players in double figures, 11 assists at halftime. We are playing together and looking good. It was a great rebounding game after New York. We played so well, we looked like a playoff team. Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson were looking good. We feel good right now. We go to practice tomorrow, hopefuly have a nice practice and take the day off."
FIRE COACH LINDA HARGROVE
On the game:
"I’m very disappointed in how we played. I thought they played aggressively and we didn’t match their intensity. They had fast break points, inside points, outscored us by 22 in the paint and we got beat in virtually every area of the game. Our transition defense wasn’t good, our post defense wasn’t good. They did an extremely good job of really taking it to us I thought. They had a lot of confidence against us, we had some key players out significant minutes with Burras and Bevilaqua that hurt us early on. But I thought they did just a really great job of attacking us and I don’t think it mattered who was in the game for them."
DEMYA WALKER
On defending Swoopes and Thompson:
"I tried to take away the things that they like to do. They’re such great players that you can’t just focus on any one thing. Plus they’re really good readers and they read what you give them, so I just concentrate on playing them straight up and making them work for everything they get."
TAMICHA JACKSON
On the game:
"They outplayed us. It’s as simple as that. Defensively they outplayed us, offensively they outplayed us on both ends of the court. They outplayed us and their subs came off the bench and outplayed us. First of all, they were getting offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, and they were running and they outplayed us in the paint."
UKARI FIGGS
On the game:
"I think they came out and played us very aggressively. A lot of different than when we played them at home and unfortunately, we didn’t respond to the challenge. They hit a bunch of tough shots and once they got rolling, it’s hard to stop them from there."
On the difference between last game and this game:
"We shot a better shooting percentage at home and sometimes when you’re not hitting shots it gives people a chance to get out in the transition and they were able to do that. Our defense wasn’t what it was when we played in Portland. There are some nights when it’s not there for you offensively or defensively and you just have to keep your head up. We have a long road trip ahead of us and we just need to focus on Washington."
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