Press Conference: Q and A with Katie Douglas
“First and foremost let me say that I have the highest respect and regard for the Connecticut Sun, the players, the management and the fans. The fans have been so supportive of me. The fans really know and love their basketball in Connecticut. It’s been an honor to have played in front of them these past years. I want to thank them for all the kindness and spirit they have shown me. As much as I love Connecticut, my home and my family are in Indianapolis. Many people say when they leave a job it is to spend more time with their family. For me, this is literally the truth. I’m excited to for this opportunity to come to Indiana but at the same time I’m very thankful that everyone in the Connecticut Sun, management, players, fans, have done for me and I wish them the best in the future”
Katie Douglas
Q: With Indiana biding farewell to Anna DeForge, Are you looking for pretty much the same or even more opportunity to play there since you guys play similar if not the same positions?
A: “Well, I’m not sure what her status is but I can only comment on my situation. Like I said, I’m excited about the opportunity to come home and play in front of my friends and family and to be apart of this organization.”
Q: When did you decide to do this?
A: “You know, it’s tough to say. The thought’s always been that I was extremely happy and Connecticut did everything they could to make me feel at home and at ease there at Connecticut. It wasn’t something that happened overnight, it was kind of gradual thing that kind of felt like as the years went by that I kind of wanted to get back home. As recently as December I kind of made my decision that I would like to explore the opportunity of coming back home to play and hopefully finish out my career.”
Q: Talk about how hard it was to come to the decision, given that you’ve had a home here and then weighing that against going home to Indiana.
A: “I mean, I think as far as the decision making experience, this is definitely one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make just because like I said Connecticut did everything that they could within their power to keep me at ease there and make me feel welcome and to make me happy. It wasn’t easy by any means, but at the same time I guess the pull of my family wanting me to return home was just too much and I think just kind of the lifestyle I have not just myself but other players to go overseas and then to come back, it was just time for me to come home and have that opportunity and I thank Connecticut for granting me this opportunity because I don’t know that many other players that get a chance to play at home. It definitely wasn’t an easy decision by any means, because I’m leaving behind many friends and great relationships it definitely wasn’t easy or an overnight decision.”
Q: How uplifting will it be for you to be around family and hopefully finishing out a career in Indiana?
A: “I hope its going to be a positive thing. I think it has its pluses. Being at home will hopefully put me at more of an ease and being able to spend more time with my family like you said and being able to experience different things that I haven’t been able to experience before off the court just because I’ve been away so long, I think it won’t be anything but positive for myself.”
Q: Talk a little bit about playing for Coach Dunn?
A: “I’ve known Coach Dunn ever since she was at Purdue – she recruited me when I was a little teenybopper at the sweet age of 16. She’s been in Seattle and obviously been here as a mainstay assistant coach and I’m excited for that opportunity to work with her and to get to know her as a head coach. I expect that we will have a great relationship.”
Q: In the past have you thought about going home and has that weighed on your mind in the past couple of years?
A: “I know that obviously Indiana has had a team here for quite some time and I don’t think that when I first came to Connecticut that was ever my intention. I kind of liked being away from home at that point in my career and liked that challenge. I felt that I was in the perfect situation, having coach Thibault teach me an enormous amount things on the court. I felt I was in the best situation possible for my career at that time. I don’t want to put a time frame on it, last year I was with Connecticut and I was definitely 100% committed to them, but in the off-season I thought maybe it would be a good time career-wise both on and off the court to get back home.”
Q: What are some of the things that you are going to remember most about your time here?
A: “Obviously the basketball. Like I said in my opening statement, the fans were tremendous there, they are so supportive and they know their women’s basketball there. I really appreciated and respected being out there, and it’s definitely one of the things I’ll remember, just the enormous support they have for the team, from the first year when things weren’t so great to the years that we went to the finals. Any time through the ups and downs, the fans were always extremely supportive. I have great relationships with my teammates and obviously am going to miss them a tremendous amount. And just from the franchise and organization as a whole on a personal level. I’ll miss those things, but this is a business. That is definitely one of the things on my list that was a con as to not to leave, but there were just too many other things that were pulling me to want to come home.”
