Less than 24 hours after Washington’s Game 1 win, the Mystics and Sun were back on the court to begin making their adjustments for Tuesday’s Game 2. In addition to the work on the court and in the film room, both teams also spoke with the media. Here is what they had to say.

Mystics Head Coach Mike Thibault

Q: What can you improve on as a team to get better to win Game 2?

A: I think the first thing is the turnovers we had in the second quarter and the few that we had in the second half. I thought we made some mistakes defensively in our game plan on a couple people, those are correctable things. Like I said yesterday, when we win a game like that you hope that you can say to yourself there’s things that are still fixable. If that was as good as we could do, I would be a bit concerned. There were things that were fixable and that’s what we will do today. That’s what I took from it, we played well but we can play better.

Q: What do you see defensively that broke down which allowed them to get back within four points?

A: I think it was a couple things, part of it was our turnovers, part of it was the ball sticking to one side of the floor more than normal, their defense was aggressive during that time and we helped them out with some defensive mistakes on the other end. They made plays but they have great shooters, who made plays. I thought Courtney Williams was really, really good. Alyssa Thomas was really good. I know they’re trying to get JJ more touches but we made her work yesterday too. We did a pretty good job on the boards of keeping her from getting extra shots and free throws, a lot of things that helps her with her game.

Q: What are some of the differences from going into the Finals this year compared to last year?

A: Just calmness more than anything else. I think that we were excited to be there last year. We had to comeback in the series against Atlanta, so there’s almost that giddy feeling when you finally breakthrough and get there, and you have to re-focus quickly. And the other difference is we’re a better basketball team all the way around, basketball wise. Better shooting team, on the same page in everything we do because last year was the first experience for the majority of our team and now we know what to expect.

Elena Delle Donne

Q: How does it feel to win your first Finals game in team history yesterday?

A: It always feels great to get win number one. We know the importance of protecting home court and needing to come away with a win tomorrow because both teams are very good on their home court. We saw last year in the playoffs when Seattle secured home court, it was tough to turn around. We’re focusing in, fixing some things and locking in for tomorrow.

Q: How comfortable were you out there as it seemed like the defenders they threw on you were much smaller?

A: At this point of the season, I think we all are comfortable in our offenses so it’s about how we can lock in on the defensive end and get stops. We still need to work on our spacing a little bit. There were a couple times we were creeping in too much but it felt good.

Q: How much did the crowd fuel you all in yesterday’s win?

A: It’s great to have this home court now. Last playoffs it was the complete opposite. We were just trying to find a gym to play in to this year having this advantage. It was huge having them. The crowd was crazy! Super loud and it makes a difference.

Ariel Atkins

Q: Did you anticipate having the type of scoring output you had in Game 1 (21 points)?

A: It just kind of depends on the matchup. We have the staples that usually do what they do. As far as the other players on the team, there’s different nights where different people have different matchups that step up and do different things.

Q: What was the biggest difference between the semifinals (scored 18 points in total) and Game 1?

A: I don’t feel like there was anything completely different. We just have to keep the focus and the mindset, really. I wasn’t shooting well, but it’s basketball. Games come and go. Just try and stay level-headed mentally.

Q: What led to the first quarter burst that gave you the big lead early on and forced the Sun to play catch-up the rest of the game?

A: I think a big piece of it was how excited we were to play. This is where we want to be. We’ve talked about it all season long from the beginning. It wasn’t just hoping to make the playoffs or anything like that. We wanted to be on this stage. We were extremely excited to be here. Part of it too was what we learned last year, at least me personally. Knowing what it would be like to be on a stage like this. We know they have a very high-energy team, so if we didn’t match that from the jump, we could have been in trouble.

Q: What can you say about the crowd energy in the arena during Game 1?

A: They’re awesome. I love it so much. I love having a home. It feels like home. Not only for us, but for our fans. They know that they can come here and we’re going to our best put the best product on the floor, and they can enjoy it.

Emma Meesseman

Q: On Game 1 and how the Mystics feel going into Game 2.

A: It’s good that we won and the good thing is that we know what we have to do better. I think we have to communicate a little better on defense and close the paint a little bit more. Off of our defense, then our offense is going to get better too so, just overall we can improve.

Q: On how the demeanor of the team now.

A: It’s 1-0 but I don’t think there’s any feelings to celebrate. It’s just another series that we want to win.

Q: On having played for a team that wants to adjust even after a win.

A: Yes, and that’s my luck. I’m lucky to play for those teams that are not just content with winning. We just want to get better every single time. Even if it’s the Finals, we know what we can do better. Just little details. That makes us all better.

Kristi Toliver

Q: As a team what were the biggest takeaways after Game 1?

A: It’s going to be a heck of a series. It’s going to be a game of runs. They’re going to make their plays. We are going to make ours. It’s going to be very high-paced. It’s going to be high scoring and it’s going to be a physical series.

Q: Both teams are very confident, how is your team responding to outside comments and comments from their team?

A: I don’t know. I don’t know what they’re saying. I don’t read or tune in to what the opponent thinks or feels or what they have to say. I think that’s when you get clouded by a lot of things that aren’t very important. All we are focused on is ourselves and improving every game and that’s it. We know if we handle our business and do what we are capable of, then it doesn’t matter who the opponent is.

Natasha Cloud

Q: One game at a time. What are your thoughts going into Game 2?

A: Just like you said, one game at a time. We took care of the first one and now we have to try and take care of the second one. We came in this morning and did some film work and talked about what adjustments need to be made on both ends of the floor just to be more effective and efficient. We’ll get in today, practice and just work on some things. I like where we are, we put ourselves into a good position to get two wins at home and that’s super important when you’re talking about Connecticut, who is phenomenal at their home court. Just trying to take it one game at a time.

Q: You guys answered a lot of their runs with a couple of stops and answers here and there. How big is that you can come back and respond to their runs?

A: I think it just shows the experience of our team. We’ve been here before. We have been in this position and we’re prepared both mentally and physically. Again, the series verse Vegas prepared us for this series. They challenged us, and we had to come up with some big stops in that series to come out victorious, so Vegas did us the due diligence by preparing us for these types of moments.