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On the game:
That was the first time we really got down and played well. You’d have to go back and look for the last time we played that well for 40 minutes. The first half at San Antonio we played very well, the second half we did not. This has been a long time coming. We were one man down, so it was great to see others stepping up.
On the Storm's defense:
I think defensively we stayed aggressive while safeguarding for quickness. By taking a half a step off of (Marie) Ferdinand and a half a step off of (Adrienne) Goodson, you wondered if they were going to get really aggressive and go after us. We just did a great job and stuck with our game plan.
On where the team is at:
I have so much confidence is this team. There is no doubt we’re capable of games like this night in and night out. We’ve had good practices and, typical coach, I’ll tell you good practices translate into good games. It had been several weeks since we’ve really practiced as well as we have this week. I think one thing leads to another.
On Sue Bird's play:
We were really aware of how they play ball screens and we were looking to take advantage of that if they continued to play that way, going behind on the screens, and they did. I thought Sue played extremely well. She was very aggressive and very confident. Sue can knock down that shot.
On what the Storm did different on defense:
I don’t think we gave them anything easy. We pushed them out beyond the NBA line. We were very aggressive defensively. And then we didn’t give them penetration early. When they did receive (the ball), we didn’t let them penetrate to the basket.
On the Storm's bench:
Maybe this is a good lesson for me that our bench can play more than I give them credit for. They all stepped in and did a great job. Alicia Thompson did a great job. (Michelle) Greco played some good minutes until she sprained his ankle, Janell (Burse) struggled a little bit, but Simone (Edwards) got in there and a chance to play. It’s a good reminder to me that we have a good bench and maybe I should play them a little more than I do.
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On teammate Adia Barnes:
I think Adia did a great job for us at the beginning of the game. She really set the tone for us. She got some steals, she got a basket here and there. I thought Sheri (Sam), on the boards, really made up for Betty.
On looking for her shot:
I came into this game wanting to be aggressive, regardless. The last few games I haven’t been as aggressive as I should be, so I wanted to come in and do that. I’m working on having a more balanced game. If my team wants me to pass more, that’s what I’ll do. If they want me to shoot more, that’s what I need to do. I should be aggressive regardless. Being aggressive doesn’t mean shooting, especially for me.
On her mom calling because of the Storm's slump:
It was a joke. She was joking when she said it to me. My mom has no idea. She called and said, 'What’s wrong? Your team has lost two in a row.' I said, 'We’ll be okay.' She was like, 'Are you guys in a slump?' I said, 'No, we’ll be fine.' She said, 'Are you in a slump?' She doesn’t know. It’s just a nice mom calling and asking how I’m doing.
On the bench:
When our bench plays well, we win games easily. Sometimes it’s hard to stay focused when you’re coming off the bench because you don’t know when or if your team will need you.
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On San Antonio's slow start:
That’s what’s been killing us - the way we start games. Playing a team like this, where they’d already lost two in a row at home. … (Seattle) came out and was more aggressive, more focused than we were. Our starters just aren’t giving it to us early in the game. We fall behind and expect our bench players to come in and win the game - that’s not going to happen. There’s a reason why you have starters and those who play reserve minutes. As a coaching staff, we have to look and make some hard decisions. We need players who are going to compete hard every night, no matter who they are.
On the starting five's effort:
When you’re playing a team like Seattle, who definitely has the best starting five in the league, and don’t play your hardest - you’re going to get beat like that. The game was over in the first five minutes. Our starters just dropped their heads and said, 'Hey, we’re beat'. The second unit came in and played hard. They played the majority of the minutes in the second half. They kept fighting. It’s disappointing to see because (the starters) are better players, All-Star type players. That’s the disheartening part because you think you have a group of five players who start the game that can compete with everybody, but we haven’t done that.
It frustrates anybody who watches. As a fan, you watch that … people don’t want to see that crap, you know?
On Bird and Lauren Jackson:
Bird hurt us. That’s why they’re the big money players and they do what they do every night. Sometimes your shot doesn’t fall or you make mistakes here and there, but they still always play hard. All you want is your players to play hard, give yourself a chance to win, compete and give effort. Lauren and Sue are both great. It was a combination of us just not playing good … they’ll hurt you and make you pay for it. And they did - they made us pay for it early and often.
On where the Silver Stars go from here:
You can’t win against a good team like this whose ultimate goal is winning a championship. That’s everybody’s goal when the season starts and we’ve got to figure out what our ultimate goal is - is it to play a game or win a championship? As a coach, you want your team to compete and leave it on the floor for 40 minutes. You’re professionals - you’re getting paid to do a job. I know worse jobs - you’re not getting shot at, you’re not digging a ditch. You’re playing basketball and have 8-9,000 fans watching you. Right now, I think we’re just going through the motions … hopefully it’ll turn around.
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