Postgame Quotes/Notes - Storm 83, Phoenix 77
RELATED CONTENT | |||
| |||
TONIGHT'S NOTES | |||
|
|
|
BRIAN AGLER:
On the game:
That was a hard one there. We didn't shoot the ball real well from three, but we did some other things that we've been lacking and one thing that we were hoping to get better at and that's going to the offensive glass. We moved the ball pretty well. And it's good to see someone like
Yolanda (Griffith) and 
Sheryl (Swoopes) step up and come through for us when we needed them.
On Swoopes' late buckets:
The one from the corner and the one in the lane going left is a sign that she's starting to come back. Because that's what she used to be able to do, hit those deep threes and then go left and pull up. They were boxing-and-one on 
Lauren (Jackson) a lot and that's tough on her, but she still hung in there. She got to the free-throw line and helped ourselves.
I give (Swoopes) credit. You don't see this all the time - some of you that come in after practice see the extra work that she does, but she's doing an hour and a half before practice too. And it's starting to pay off. Not only did she do a good job offensively, but she did a good job defensively on some people.
On Diana Taurasi's performance:
I thought we did a decent job on her; she just hit some incredible shots. She just has that ability to separate herself and get away from the defense and get shots off. She's strong enough that if you hit her she can still finish. She has great skills where she can finish around the basket. She's as good as there is. She's a great player and it's just a matter sometimes of if she's going to make or miss shots.
|
SUE BIRD:
On her off shooting night:
It was just one of those days. You know it's bad when the free throws don't go in and then the crowd starts cheering for you - the pity cheer. That's life. Sometimes they go in and sometimes they don't. I definitely wanted to do other things tonight, whether it was assists or just running the offense, and making sure everyone knew what they were doing.
On the Storm's defense:
As a team I thought we did great. People are going to talk about how they were missing Tangela (Smith). But it's a team that has Diana and Cappie (Pondexter) and I've always said when you have players like that, anything's possible. This is a big night tonight. It just pushes us up the standings a little bit.
On Taurasi:
You don't go into the game thinking you're going to shut this person down. It's way too hard. It's got to be a team effort. At times you have to be willing to let the other players have open shots, but more than anything you have to make it was hard as possible for them. I'm going to make them make tough shots. Unfortunately for us, Diana made some crazy shots for them tonight. But that's what she can do when she gets hot like that. You just have to try to get the ball out of her hands.
|
On Taurasi's game:
That's fine. She can go off but we still won.
On the Storm:
We've been playing really well at home and hopefully we can take it on the road. Just getting any win at the moment is huge for us. I'm just happy we got the win. We played as a team and really came together.
|
COREY GAINES:
On the rebound differential:
That's the first game we've had that problem. Tangela is averaging around 10 and she didn't play, so that didn't help. We just got outrebounded.
On the game:
We just couldn't rebound. Let's see, we probably shot eight free throws? [looks at stat sheet] Oh, 10 and they shot? 32 … hmmmm, well, can't win that game. We're a running team and when you shoot free throws like that you can't run.
On Taurasi:
She plays like that every night.
|
On her performance:
It really means nothing. It really doesn't. When you don't win a game you think you should win or are close to winning, it really doesn't matter what you do individually. I could care less.
On the free-throw differential:
I mean that's just ridiculous. That's ridiculous. We have some of the best offensive players in the league and we can't get a call? That's ridiculous.
On the Storm:
We've played a lot of teams and I think Seattle is the best in the West. They're balanced and tough. That was by far the best team we've played so far.
On Bird's off shooting night:
That's how good of a player she is - she's one of the few players in this league that can go the whole game without taking a shot and affect the game more than anyone else. That's why she's the best point guard in the league, hands down.
On playing in Seattle:
It's a rockin' arena every time we come here. The fans get after you and get loud. They go on a five-point run and the building is going crazy. It's fun to play here.
