(On the win) That’s how I knew we could play all along. That’s the Sting. The ladies came out and did everything we asked them to do tonight. They executed the game plan to the fullest. The turnovers were still a little much, but I think we were able to control the game for the most part. We came out, we did the job, boxed out, and we out rebounded them 42-25. Normally, it’s the other way around. They came out and played aggressive basketball. The heart was there, the rotation was there, and we executed on the offensive end as well. That’s what we have to continue to have for the rest of the season.
(On Tangela Smith) The All-Star came up big. She is starting to get healthy. Early in the season, she was getting her strength. Now in the last two weeks, she has really come on. This is what I saw from Tangela last year. She can play both ends of the floor. She is a prolific scorer, and if you get her the ball in her areas, she can be very effective. The ladies understood what the roles were tonight, and they really came out and played well together.
(On this win giving the team momentum) It was huge. We have to start defending our home court. On the road you take chances, but at home you have to take advantage of that. We did that tonight from the tip off. We have to start making people feel a presence when they walk into our arena, and not wait until the second or third quarter to try to get into the ball game and make them fear you. This is a great win for us. They went out there and were determined to turn this thing around. We have been talking about it for quite sometime. We had three good ball games on the road, and that’s something that they kept with them. They fed off of it, came in with the right attitude, were willing to work, and got the job done tonight.
(On keys to winning the rebounding battle) It was the will. We wanted the ball more than they did. That’s what rebounding is about. It’s not so much the technique, but the will. They had that will tonight. Tammy (Sutton-Brown) came up huge. It seemed like she grabbed everything that came off the rim, plus she blocked shots. The help was there and we understood the shooters that were out there and were able to get out on them. The ladies really stayed in tune with the game plan tonight.
(On if this win showed the best team effort) It was the best 40 minutes of basketball from start to finish. You could probably put New York up with this game as well. This game was because of the way we have been playing, and the way we having been losing and giving games away. Tonight, we stayed focused the entire 40 minutes. The bench came up and gave us a great lift. (San Antonio) made a run, but we were able to keep our composure and make a run at them and continue that run. That’s something that you have to build. When you have a team down, you have to take the air out of them. You can’t allow them to have confidence to think they can come back, especially at home. You feel like you have the fans on your side, and you try to take them out of the game as much as possible.
INSIDE THE LOCKER ROOM
TANGELA SMITH
(On how important it was to start the second half of the season with a win) It was extremely important .We just wanted to go out there and play aggressive and look at it as a fresh start. We need to go out there and get some wins. Our main focus is to win games. This was a good start for us.
(On being an All-Star) I was really honored I was so excited to be a part of the All-Star Game. It was a great atmosphere. It was good to play against all of the great players. It was exciting
TAMMY SUTTON-BROWN
(On outscoring them 21-12 in the first quarter and setting the tempo of the game early) Looking at the second half of the season that is one of our focuses is jump on teams right away. Even though they scored the first seven points, by making stops on defense we were able to feed off of that.
(On being aggressive in the post on both ends of the floor) It's definitely important. I think the game of basketball is an inside and outside game. I think Tangela and I both had great games. We were able to establish our inside games and open it up outside for our shooters.
