Cooper

Opening statement: After last year's loss to them, we definitely want to get back at it again. It's that time of the year. We feel we're a lot tougher mentally than last year, so it's going to an interesting series.

Q: What impact has Latasha Byears had on your team this year?
Cooper: She's been a great addition for us. Obviously in the last regular-season game against Houston, you saw what her value to us is. She's a very physical player, grabbed 16 rebounds that game, and I think with the minutes she's going to get in the playoffs, she can definitely duplicate that again. She's been a very valuable addition for us.

Q: Did you guys want to play Houston?
Cooper: No. We knew we were going to play Houston, Sacramento or Utah, one of the three, and we've had success against all three teams, but this is a new season, a new time of the year. We know that everyone's level is going to go up a few notches. We just want to play well and it just so happens we're playing Houston and we're ready.

Q: What are your thoughts about the 1-2 format and what did you learn from last year's series with Houston?
Cooper: Your intensity has to go up. Your toughness all around, both mentally and physically. As far as the format, it really doesn't matter. We're very fortunate to have the best record in the entire WNBA, which gives us home-court advantage, but the way it's set up. You have to go on the road first. Championships are won on the road and we have to go there and possibly get one. The format doesn't bother us that much. We've had a lot of success this year at home and we still go in to each series knowing we get two at home.

Q: Can you talk about Lisa Leslie's performance over the last few games of the season?

Leslie

Cooper: She's struggled a little bit with her shooting, but that happens to any great player. I though she played a good game against Portland the other night. She fought her way out of it, took 21 shots to get 14 points, but I love the fact that she hasn't stopped shooting. We know she's our go-to player and if the shots are good, we know they're eventually going to fall. We've got some time over the next few days to really work on some things to help her out, get her back to looking at the ball going through the basket on a consistent basis, and you should expect to see the type of performance she's delivered all season.

Q: Any reason Tamecka Dixon didn't play last night?

Dixon

Cooper: Health problems with Tamecka. Her heel was bothering her a little bit and rather than wasting her on that game and possibly damaging it even further, we decided to hold her out.

Q: What else can you say about Latasha Byears and the impact she'll have in the Houston series?

Byears

Cooper: Her success so far has shown exactly why we acquired her. She's a very physical presence down low. You can't move her around. When that ball is up in the air, her nickname is Junkyard Dog, and that's what she does, she has a nose for the basketball. That's been her biggest contribution. We don't really run any plays for her. Everything she usually gets if off the glass.

And the luxury we have with her is that I know if we get the ball into her more, she shoots a high percentage. When we do go to her, she's very productive at putting the ball in the basket. Nine out of 10 times, someone else is going to be taking that shot and she knows where the ball is going to be bouncing off. She's been a pleasant, pleasant, pleasant player to have on our team.