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Boxscore Recap Live From Press Row

TONIGHT'S NOTES

The Storm defeated New York at KeyArena for the fourth straight year. Yolanda Griffith's first steal of the game was the 500th of her WNBA career. Griffith joins teammate Sheryl Swoopes and Ticha Penicheiro as the only players with 500 career steals. She finished with a season-high four. Lauren Jackson scored a season-high 33 points on 12-of-20 shooting. Jackson scored 23 in the first half, one shy of the WNBA season high for a half (24 by Deanna Nolan and Cappie Pondexter). Sue Bird's 23 points were a season high. Bird made 10 field goals, one shy of her career high of 11 (done July 5, 2003 at Los Angeles). Bird topped the 20-point mark for the second time this season. The Storm had two 20-plus scorers in a game for the first time in 2008. Swin Cash grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds. Sheryl Swoopes handed out a season-high six assists. Tiffani Jackson grabbed a career-high-tying nine rebounds (previously June 8 vs. Sacramento). The Storm forced 20 turnovers, the second straight game and fourth time this season with 20-plus. The Storm is 4-0 in those games. The Storm's 11 steals were the team's fifth time in double-figures, with a 5-0 record in those games. Seattle scored 51 points in the first half, a high for any half (previously 50 twice) and for the first half (previously 42 June 20 vs. Indiana). The Storm outscored New York 48-16 in the paint, a season high for paint scoring (previously 42) and low for points allowed (previously 20).

July 3, 2008

STORM HEAD COACH BRIAN AGLER:

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On Lauren Jackson's performance:
About 10 days ago we talked about getting more of a balance from Lauren Jackson inside and out. She's a great three-point shooter, but she's also awfully tough with her back to the basket. She's starting to buy into that. Let's just face facts: She's one of the best.

On Sue Bird's game:
Sue had a great night. I was waiting for a night like this. She's really been shooting the ball a lot better. We like it when the ball is in her hands and she is making the decisions. It's not easy for her to play against teams like New York that are going to press because she's getting constant pressure for the whole game. She is so smart and she shows that she has the ability to score. She's a tough guard. It's not easy when she's put in a pick-and-roll in the middle of the floor.

On playing against New York's press:
We knew we were going to get pressed tonight, and New York really sold it hard during the second half. We coughed it up a couple times, but over the course of the game, we scored more than we turned it over. When people extend their defense against us, we really have to attack on the backside or you defeat the purpose of breaking the press.

On Kristen O'Neill's WNBA debut:
She did a solid job out there tonight, though I'm sure she's a little nervous.

On Sheryl Swoopes playing well despite a sore right knee:
Sheryl came out and played well in the first half. We may have set her down for too long, cooling off. She was solid not just offensively, but she was really going to the boards too. She asserted herself. I was very pleased. She hadn't practiced in two days, but she looked pretty fresh to me.

On splitting the season series with the Liberty:
We didn't play very well (in New York). They probably had something to do with it. They are a very good team. I don't know that it was retaliation. We're just focusing on playing well right now.

GUARD SUE BIRD:

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On her scoring:
The more shots I can hit, the more Lauren will get open. It works both ways. If she gets going early, that's going to spark everyone else.

On the KeyArena crowd:
Whether there is 4,000 people or 17,000, it is so loud in there. The fans were amazing and very supportive. When they cut into our lead, we needed them on our side to get the win.

FORWARD LAUREN JACKSON:

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On her scoring:
I didn't look at the scoreboard. It was fun tonight. I just played hard. I didn't think I was shooting really well. I just shot a lot. We're trying to get the ball inside. Brian's really been stressing that. The shot was falling, so hopefully that will continue.

On Bird:
Sue Bird is unbelievable. I'm so proud of her. She's playing great right now.

NEW YORK HEAD COACH PAT COYLE:

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On the game:
I thought Seattle came out and played really well. They set the tone early and we didn't match the intensity.

On Bird and Jackson:
You're talking about two great players and that's what you expect from great players. I thought they were terrific tonight.

On whether fatigue was a factor:
No, everybody makes this trip so I'm not going to blame it on that.

On positives from the game:
Yeah, I thought the rookies played well tonight - all three of them. Shameka (Christon) has also been playing great for us. (Janel) McCarville getting hurt early didn't help any. She hurt her finger and is probably game-to-game.

FORWARD SHAMEKA CHRISTON:

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On the game:
I don't think we came out and played as a team. There was a lot of individual basketball tonight and that's not in our best interests as a team. We did a lot of one-on-one on the offensive end and not enough one-on-one defense.

On falling behind early:
That's been our Achilles' heel the whole season thus far - getting down and trying to fight back. We also knew that Seattle was 8-1 at home coming into this game. It's tough when you are down 12, 13 early and you have to fight back.

On Bird and Jackson:
I see that as defense. Defense is all about you wanting to stop the player more than they want to score and I think they wanted to score more than we wanted to stop them tonight. They're great players - I'm not going to take anything away from them - but I think that we could've been a lot better on defense. We just were not there.

2008 Postgame Quotes/Notes Archive