Connecticut: Mike Thibault | Nykesha Sales
Shock Head Coach Bill Laimbeer
(On another tough win against Connecticut): "It would have been easier if we played better. The lack of effort, or intensity, or just having 'it,' to turn the ball over 21 times and missing all those free throws, we gave them every chance to win, but we won."
(On having a veteran team that is able to close games): "I believe we know how to close games. I believe we turned up our defense when it was necessary. This is the first game that I was a little disappointed in how we came into the game. When the game started I thought we were ready to play. We weren't running offensively, we weren't getting back on defense.”
Shock Guard Deanna Nolan
(On winning despite the turnovers): "We were only beating ourselves, especially with those turnovers, you take away those, we're up by ten or fifteen points."
Shock Guard Katie Smith
(On the game): "We didn't play really smart, at periods we didn't play really hard, whether it was running back on defense or running back on offense. It wasn't our best effort, it wasn't our best game, a lot of those things are correctable, like turnovers, especially myself, I had a lot I could take back and just understand what's going on throughout the game. The good thing is that we get on the floor tomorrow night, we correct the wrongs and hopefully play a little better."
Sun Head Coach Mike Thibault
(On the loss) - “We had some chances. We missed some shots that we needed to make, some turnovers that were killer turnovers, but Detroit got a little help tonight. They hurt us on the boards in the second half and we turned the ball over. You can’t give them that many chances.”
(On not having Margo Dydek in the game) - Erika De Souza is not very experienced and I really didn’t want to throw her out there against Ford and then Braxton. I think that hurt us on the boards, getting Margo off the court, she was getting defensive boards and blocking shots.”
Suns Forward Nykesha Sales
(On the Shock’s third quarter play) - “I think with the game being so close it might of got a fire lit under them. They’re a good team, we’re a good team, but we’re not going to roll over and die. We’ve played them plenty of times in tough situations and we both fight ‘til the end. I think they realized that we were here to play today and they had to come out and do something and do it quick.”
(On the end of the game) - “I think they got a lot more offensive rebounds in the second half than they did in the first. I think that really, really helped them gain momentum. I think that really determined the outcome of the game, those little things really put them over the edge.”