A little more than a week after tearing her ACL, Seimone Augustus returned to the Target Center to address the media before Minnesota's game against Phoenix on Saturday night.
Seimone Augustus Audio
Augustus on how she physically feels after the injury:
“I'm feeling good. I haven’t had to take any pain killers yet so that’s good. I'm still down about not playing, but I’m excited to be watching the ladies and how hard they’re playing.”
Augustus on surgery information:
"Monday I'll go in to make those decision. Hopefully I'll know something by Monday afternoon."
Augustus on how the injury occurred:
“I just remember a transition break, I got past Diana (Taurasi) and I just felt a bump. And after the bump, I just felt my leg shift. It felt more like a dislocation. I was hoping it was a dislocation.”
Augustus on what teammates have said to her:
“I’ve talked to everybody. Right here on record, I just want to say thank you for all your support and prayers. I’ve talked to players like Katie Smith and she told me about her experiences with the ACL and how she came back from it. I’m just thankful that I’ve had a lot of people in this league who have been very supportive and helped me understand what to expect over the next couple months. If I didn’t have any motivation, they’ve given me enough to get through it.”
Augustus on watching and not being able to play:
"It's tough. I think I probably cried more the first two days after the injury more than I ever cried in my life. For the longest it was tough even to watch a game. After the New York win, I'm happy to be back. I know they're out there playing for me and just trying to make me happy, but it's still tough. You see spots in the game where it's like, 'Man, I could have been there. I could have shot the ball. I could have done this.' But I have great teammates they're doing a wonderful job."
Augustus on how long recovery may take:
"Six months, I believe. I'm just taking it day-by-day. I just want to get back and be at 100 percent so I'll be able to help my team out next year and be ready for the World Championships."
Augustus on what practice has been like since the injury:
"It's still been fun. I'm still there and they kind of joke with me from time to time. I try to be out there with them when they're stretching and stuff, but they're intense and they're focused. They know expectations are still high. Especially me, I'm still on them saying it's not over, playoffs is still our goal."
Augustus on who can fill her spot on the team:
"I think it's going to be a team effort. The way (Candice) Wiggins played last game, I think she's going to step into that role and do a great job leading this team and taking over the scoring load that she has to. But great team basketball all around is going to help us get over that hump and win games."
Augustus on this being her last year on contract:
"Right now I'm on the Lynx. I'm not thinking about going anywhere else. Of course the door is open to team's offers. My agent and I may or may not entertain. But right now, I'm looking at being in Minneapolis for years to come."
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