"(The Sparks) are the two-time defending champs. They are a team that has so many weapons – inside, outside. We have to respect everyone. We’re an underdog and we’re gonna go in and try to play our best basketball against them. We’re excited about being in the playoffs. We’re gonna play our hearts out and leave everything on the floor and see what happens."
What concerns you the most about playing the Sparks?
"That they have so many weapons. They have Lisa Leslie, DeLisha Milton inside who are so effective. They have great shooters in [Mwadi] Mabika, [Tamecka] Dixon, and [Nikki] Teasley on the perimeter. Even though we’ll try to minimize Lisa’s effectiveness, we have to be aware of everyone. They’re very dangerous – every player (is dangerous) with the ball in their hands."
What do you feel your strengths are as a team heading in to the playoffs?
"I think our chemistry. I think when we work together, we’re a much better team than when we start standing around offensively or we try to do too many things one on one. When we work together as a unit offensively and defensively we’re a much better team and that’s what we need to concentrate on."
Who needs to step up for the Lynx to be successful?
"Everyone. This is the first time this team is in the playoffs, but we have players who have had experiences outside of the Minnesota Lynx. We have players who have played on USA teams and have been in the Olympics, who’ve played in national championship games, and we need to draw from those experiences at playoff time. Everyone needs to step up their game for us to be successful."
