Monday, April 26, 2004 at The Palace of Auburn Hills
2004 Detroit Shock Media Day
On Monday, April 26, 2004, the 2003 WNBA Champs returned to the floor. There was the same core group of players from last year's championship run, along with some new determined faces, ready to prove that the 2004 version of the Detroit Shock will be even better than the squad that led the franchise to the top of the league last season.
2003 WNBA Finals MVP Ruth Riley
“I'm expecting us to come out hungry (this year)...We're ready to play and we have all five of our starters coming back...We also have a lot of new faces that are going to be able to fill in and it's going to be a fun year."
On her off-season:
"I was able to go home to Miami and spend some time there which was nice. Then I went to Colorado to play in the NWBL for the Colorado Chill and I was there from January through March. I left twice to go to Cuba and Europe with USA Basketball. Playing at the highest level of competition, representing your nation, just watching the veteran players who have won gold medals and watching how they train and prepare is a great experience."
"Everyone in the offseason was just trying to get better and raise their level so that what they're bringing back to the team is going to make our team better. I think as a team, we want to continue on the pace we were on last year. Winning the Eastern Conference was our goal last year and it is something we've talked about again as our main goal. I’m just very excited about this season. What made us successful last year was our chemistry both on and off the court and we’re just going to be fun to watch. It should be a great year.”
2004 First Round Draft Pick (8th overall) Chandi Jones:
“I’m expecting a great season with all of the athletes that we have here in Detroit. It will be a learning process for me; it’s my first year here and I’m just going to feed off of the veterans that were here before and try and contribute."
"I feel like I bring a great defensive presence and eventually I can bring more points to the table. We had a team meeting yesterday and the focus is to repeat as Eastern Conference Champions to get back and have a shot at defending the title."
"I want to continue to learn the process of how to play and learn the level of play here. Once I do all those things squared away, then everything else will just come naturally for me.”
2003 WNBA Finals MVP Ruth Riley
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Deanna Nolan, Cheryl Ford, Ruth Riley and Swin Cash pose with the Championship Trophy at Media Day. Click here to view more photos! Photo by: Allen Einstein/NBAE/Getty Images |
“I'm expecting us to come out hungry (this year)...We're ready to play and we have all five of our starters coming back...We also have a lot of new faces that are going to be able to fill in and it's going to be a fun year."
On her off-season:
"I was able to go home to Miami and spend some time there which was nice. Then I went to Colorado to play in the NWBL for the Colorado Chill and I was there from January through March. I left twice to go to Cuba and Europe with USA Basketball. Playing at the highest level of competition, representing your nation, just watching the veteran players who have won gold medals and watching how they train and prepare is a great experience."
"Everyone in the offseason was just trying to get better and raise their level so that what they're bringing back to the team is going to make our team better. I think as a team, we want to continue on the pace we were on last year. Winning the Eastern Conference was our goal last year and it is something we've talked about again as our main goal. I’m just very excited about this season. What made us successful last year was our chemistry both on and off the court and we’re just going to be fun to watch. It should be a great year.”
2004 First Round Draft Pick (8th overall) Chandi Jones:
“I’m expecting a great season with all of the athletes that we have here in Detroit. It will be a learning process for me; it’s my first year here and I’m just going to feed off of the veterans that were here before and try and contribute."
"I feel like I bring a great defensive presence and eventually I can bring more points to the table. We had a team meeting yesterday and the focus is to repeat as Eastern Conference Champions to get back and have a shot at defending the title."
"I want to continue to learn the process of how to play and learn the level of play here. Once I do all those things squared away, then everything else will just come naturally for me.”