Notes and Quotes: June 30-July 6, 2008

"We didn't want to be the first team to lose to them. I don't think we took them for granted. They played hard the entire game and they deserved to win."
- Sky guard Dominique Canty after losing to the Dream Saturday, Atlanta's first ever franchise win

"We got out to a good start, but they're a veteran team. They've got Olympians, they've got Hall of Famers, they've got a great starting lineup, so we knew they were going to get back in the game. You just tip your cap. Some nights you're going to get it handed to you and we did."
- Lynx coach Don Zierden after Saturday's 96-71 loss to the Storm

"When we play on the road, everything is against us so we have to go out there and execute 10 times better than we would at home. The most important thing is to go out , play your hardest, and let each person do what they do best."
- Liberty forward Shameka Christon after beating the Mercury 93-83 on Saturday on the tough West Coast road trips in the WNBA

"There is always a team that gives you trouble and this year they seem to be that team. We just don't match up well with them."
- Mercury star Diana Taurasi after the Mercury's loss to the Liberty on Saturday on New York sweeping the season series between the two teams

"This time it was a little different being home, my home, and being comfortable. The first time we played (at Connecticut), it was obviously emotional for me to go back just because I didn't get to say (goodbye) to anybody. More so this time, it was a businesslike approach."
- Katie Douglas on returning to play in Connecticut for the second time, to the Indianapolis Star

"All of them have been playing well and hard. Different people are getting an opportunity to play a lot more. Sancho (Lyttle) managed to play really good but that was not necessarily a surprise. She did everything that she does but just in a longer period of time. I think that it was really great. I was really happy that we continued to get wins to allow us to now be at .500."
- Comets star Tina Thompson on the team's play while she was injured, after Saturday's win over the Monarchs

"I don't even want to think about last year. It was so terrible. But this is a new season, and we are out of that hole."
- Comets center Michelle Snow on her team's improvement over the disappointing 2007 campaign, to the Houston Chronicle

"About ten days ago we talked about getting more of a balance from Lauren Jackson inside and out. She's a great three point shooter, but she's also awfully tough with her back to the basket. She's starting to buy into that. Let's just face facts: she's one of the best."
- Seattle head coach Brian Agler after the Storm's win Thursday over New York in which LJ had 33 points

"It was a bit of a relief. You know, I shed a tear when I finally got the nod of approval. For me, it was never a done deal. I was always fighting for my spot. Now it's excitement."
- Tully Bevilaqua about the moment she found out she had been named a member of Australia's Olympic team

"All kinds of good things happen when you win. You get covered in the sports pages, you get to be on TV, people want to come. Los Angeles is a city that supports winning sports teams and all of that is good and makes everything easier, but it doesn't make anything easy."
- Sparks owner Kathy Goodman on her team's success in 2008, to the L.A. Downtown News

"When you're going from the jaws of defeat and you get a win, it's a little different, because I think we were staring the jaws of defeat right square in the eye. With a team that thinks that they're never out of a game, you get a little bit excited about that."
- Silver Stars coach Dan Hughes on his team mounting a late charge that saw them erase a five-point deficit in the final 40 seconds against the Monarchs and win the game, to the San Antonio Express-News

"I think we are a true team meaning that we need everyone to contribute to be successful and when we are successful we have a lot of different people contributing in a lot of different ways."
- Monarchs head coach Jenny Boucek on the team play of the Monarchs after they defeated the Mystics on Tuesday

''I definitely feel like I'm getting back. Every day is a process. It's one step closer to where I want to be."
- Tamika Catchings after scoring a season-high 18 points as her Indiana Fever beat the Sky, to the Chicago Sun-Times

"I think today I had a mental breakdown. I was just overwhelmed and tired of doing the same thing. Game days come and it's tough. I didn't cry, I was just mad. It's just aggravation. Why does it have to happen to me?"
- Chicago rookie Sylvia Fowles on the frustrations of being sidelined by injury, to the Chicago Tribune