Postgame Notes & Quotes: Balanced Sun Get Past Wings, 101-92

Thu, Aug 9, 2018, 4:14 AM
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Official Release

Dallas Wings Team Notes

 The Wings played their 16th home game of the season.

 At home the Wings are 9-7, which stands as the best record when playing at College Park Center

 Today’s contest marks as the second time the Wings and the Sun have played this season. The 2018 series is now tied with a 0-2 record.

 Overall the Wings are 14-15 with an 8-7 record against the East  The Wings out rebounded the Sun 34-32.

 Four players scored double figures for the night.

Dallas Wings Player Notes

 Liz Cambage led the Wings for the night for the ninth consecutive game and 15th overall with 29 points.

 The 29 points also marks as her 29th consecutive double figure game and 17th 20-plus point game.

 The 29 games in a row marks as the most for a Wings player to high double figures consecutively this season.

 Skylar Diggins-Smith also hit double figures for the 19th time this season with 18 points.

 Off the bench Azurá Stevens led all reserves for the fourth consecutive game with 15 points. It is also the 13th time she has hit double digits in a game this season.

 Theresa Plaisance recorded a season high with 13 points. She also registered new season highs in three categories, rebounds (6) assists (2) and blocked shots (2) in just 16 minutes played.

 

Dallas Wings head coach Fred Williams

(On tonight’s game) “Tonight we had a slow start in that second quarter. We had a gallant effort from (Wings forward Theresa) Plaisance. She gave us a spark in that third and fourth. We had a chance to get back in the game and pull something out. Connecticut played well. Pretty much everything they shot went up and went in. My hat is off to them. They shot the ball well.”

(On defending Connecticut) “It’s hard to defend their inside out game, especially when they are shooting the three. You talk about that in scouting reports and you show it on film. It’s just a matter of getting on the court and making it happen.”

(On Wings center Liz Cambage) “That was a hard fall. I heard that collision all the way on my side of the bench. She was a little dizzy but they are taking a look at her right now and we should get some more information after this.”

(On Wings last six games) “It’s just a matter of making big shots, hitting shots. We have to make the money shots when the game is tied. Defensively, you just have to bear down in the paint. It’s just the will to get down and do it. Those players know it. They are trying, but trying and doing is too different things. We’re all in this together, we talked about it in the locker room many times. Just bear down and get one. Once you get one, then you try to get another. We’ve been there as far as winning streaks, and we’re there right now in this losing streak. You just have to get down and play together.”

Dallas Wings guard Skylar Diggins-Smith

(On tonight’s game) “Second quarter. Fastbreak points. Points in the paint. We gave up too many.”

(On their team meeting) “That’s between the team. It’s positive.”

Dallas Wings forward Theresa Plaisance

(On tonight’s game) “I think that ever since my last surgery, I’ve been trying so hard to get back out there and be able to be on the court with my teammates again. Tonight was just me doing what I do…I just try to do my part and try to do my best to help get this team to where it needs to be.”

(On second half comeback) “It doesn’t come down to the last few seconds, it comes down to the whole game. We’re such a talented and capable team and we have so much to offer. These last five games, you’re going to see a team that has some fire under it’s butts….That’s what we’re going to come to practice and try to do tomorrow. As far as the rest of the season goes, you’re not going to see any quit from the Dallas Wings.”

Head Coach Curt Miller

Thoughts on the Game “Big win for us as we secure a playoff berth tonight, really excited about that. I thought we were really efficient offensively all night long, did a lot of good things. [We] disrupted them in the first half, the second quarter was key for us, only holding them to 10 [points]. Keeping a very foul-line dominant team off the foul line was huge. Now, they scored 60 second-half points, killed us on the glass. So, we’re going to see each other again very shortly, so, a lot to learn from that. But so excited to be back in the playoffs, and another series win for us. A big win on the road tonight.”

On balanced offensive approach ( five players in double digits, two players with nine) “I thought we did a really good job of sharing the basketball and continuing to move. When one action didn’t lead to anything good for us, the ball didn’t stick a lot tonight, so we got to another action, and they shared the basketball. We don’t play through one person, so we’re best when you have that kind of shot distribution, and that kind of balanced scoring is when we’re at our best.”

On if the team is peaking at the right time “Well, we certainly had that tough stretch in the middle with Alyssa Thomas out injured. She’s such a warrior, our toughness, a leader behind the scenes. So, we played good basketball, lost a couple of close games when she came back, but ultimately, have played good basketball this season with her in the lineup. Five in a row, we’re excited about that, but still a lot to get better at. We can’t give up 60 points in a half and expect to go where we want to go.”

On Shekinna Stricklen now shooting 11 – 15 from three at College Park Center “She just loves it here, she’s from the south, she gets all kinds of family and friends in the stands which motivates her. I didn’t even play her much late in the second half, but she’s had a great series so far this year, hopefully we can keep it up when we play them back at home.”

Guard, Jasmine Thomas

On clinching a playoff berth “It means a lot, just to not play around with getting into the playoffs, with how tight the standings gave been this season. So we definitely wanted to focus on sealing that win, but just following our momentum – just focusing on the next game and not looking too far ahead. We play them again soon at home, so we’ve got to still watch film and make some adjustments.”

Jasmine Thomas, cont. On five – game win streak and if the team is peaking “I feel like we are, but there’s still so much we can do better. So, it’s good to get these wins and to feel like the chemistry and the rhythm is there, but still know that we can be even better.”

On tale of two defensive halves after giving up 60 second – half points “Our emphasis was to not foul, keep them off the offensive glass, and it’s tough. They’re a good team, they’re capable of shooting the ball really well. It’s really hard to guard Liz [Cambage] down there. So, when they’re staying aggressive and attacking, getting the outside shot and getting offensive rebounds, they’re a really tough team to defend.”

On personal performance ( 1 7 pts 9 ast ) “I mean, my teammates were feeling good, so we were all playing off of each other. I was being aggressive, and when I’m being aggressive and looking to get in the paint, good things happed for us. So, I was just trying to attack, and when I could find open players, get them the ball.”

Forward, Alyssa Thomas

On the game “We came out strong, got a early lead on them, but second half defensively, we gave up a lot of rebounds. But luckily we were able to pull that one out.”

On team points in the paint vs Liz Cambage “It’s hard to guard them, they’re so much taller than us. But it’s just about trying to get them to turn it over and securing the defensive rebounds. We know when we can secure rebounds, we can get out and run on them.”

On team resiliency holding off Dallas’ fourth – quarter rally “We built a good cushion in the first half, but we’ve got to do better on the boards and not give up 60 [second-half] points. We do see them again, but the biggest thing for us was just hitting shots and getting out and running.”