This is from a WNBA head coaches call transcript May 19:
"John Whisenant – Sacramento Monarchs
Opening Statement: We are starting off a fresh year, like everyone is. We’ve tried to get a younger squad. We were one of, if not the oldest team in the WNBA last year. We have a number of new faces in our camp and we’ve made a couple of trades and have a few of the elder statesman who are not with us any longer. I like our energy and enthusiasm of our team. We have veterans like Yolanda Griffith, DeMya Walker, Kara Lawson along with players like Rebekkah Brunson who are back in camp. Ticha Penicheiro just arrived this morning. Whether she’ll be ready for our season opener or not, we’re still not sure. Some of the other veterans have been in camp for just a few days. I think we’ll get better as we go along and we’re anxious to get started
Q: With Kara Lawson starting this year, do you think this is going to be her breakout season?
Whisenant: Kara really wasn’t a started the last few years, but really she was. She actually played more minutes than any other guard, but Ticha (Penicheiro) and was our go to perimeter shooter, but we didn’t start her. The reason was because she was our backup point guard and we felt like any time we used her at point guard it restricted her ability to score and we need scoring these past years. Unfortunately, in this preseason camp, we’ve had to use Kara Lawson the same way because Ticha’s been in Europe and our number one draft pick, Kristin Haynie, has had an ankle sprain. Haynie missed most of our preseason with a reoccurring bone bruise in her ankle, but I wouldn’t be surprised with anything Kara did. She great young lady, she’s smart and understands the game. She gives it her max effort. Works out, lifts and runs, so she gets the maximum out of her ability.
Q: With your two Chinese players, Sui Fei Fei and Miao Li jie, how do you thing they’re going to match up against the WNBA?
Whisenant: They’re both skilled offensively, Miao has done better in our preseason then Fei Fei, partly because Fei Fei injured a knee and has missed practice time. Both have difficulty defending. It will take some time to get to the defensive side right. We’ve got to use Miao early, she’s a potential scorer. I expect to see her get some minutes Saturday night in Phoenix.
Q: Did you feel like a change of scenery for Nicole Powell would do good for her and how do you feel she’s done so far?
Whisenant: I think as a basketball coach and general manager you have to make judgments how certain players fit into your system and your needs. I honestly believe in most leagues and certainly in the WNBA there are a few stars who are difference makers no matter where they go, but for the most part the majority of the players need to get into the right system at the right time and gain the confidence and security to deliver their talents. That’s what we felt about Nicole (Powell) and we watched her play at Stanford near here in Sacramento and she went down in Charlotte were there were veteran players at her position. She had difficulty with their defensive system and she never got into a rhythm and never got comfortable. We felt like Nicole will be an outstanding player in the WNBA. We had to give up an outstanding proven WNBA player to get Nicole. Trudi Lacey down there (Charlotte) felt similar things about Nicole, but we gave up Tangela Smith who has proved she’s a double-figure scorer over a number of years in the WNBA and we had to take a gamble. Last year we did not score a single three-pointer from our three position and we averaged almost six turnovers a game from our three position. It was not the player’s faults, it was the coach and general managers fault for playing them out of position. Since I’m the coach and GM, the fault was mine. If I allowed it to continue to remain that way, than I certainly deserve criticism. I had to make moves and I felt like anyone with logic could see that we were playing non-wing players and we had to find somebody to improve that position and that’s what we’ve tried to do. Only time will tell if it works out for the better because we’ve made it to the finals of the Western championship three times and we’ve done it the last two years. We took a certain gamble to do that.
Q: Can you talk about how Yolanda Griffith has maintained her ability and actually improved as she’s gotten older? Whisenant: Yolanda is a pro. She’s a professional player. You can’t tell it sometimes through her expressions, but she is always in the game and very competitive. She wants to win and she wants to do well. And she takes great care of herself. She doesn’t do bad things. She doesn’t eat bad, she doesn’t drink, she doesn’t stay up late at night. She takes care of herself like all of us should. She may go on for ever, I don’t know. We gave her a two-year guaranteed contract and she’s 35 and she came back here last week and I can’t see one bit of difference. In fact, she might be better than when she left here. She amazes me and I’m impressed. I’m certainly on board that she’s an all-star and an Olympian."
Here's the link: http://oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3164255
"John Whisenant – Sacramento Monarchs
Opening Statement: We are starting off a fresh year, like everyone is. We’ve tried to get a younger squad. We were one of, if not the oldest team in the WNBA last year. We have a number of new faces in our camp and we’ve made a couple of trades and have a few of the elder statesman who are not with us any longer. I like our energy and enthusiasm of our team. We have veterans like Yolanda Griffith, DeMya Walker, Kara Lawson along with players like Rebekkah Brunson who are back in camp. Ticha Penicheiro just arrived this morning. Whether she’ll be ready for our season opener or not, we’re still not sure. Some of the other veterans have been in camp for just a few days. I think we’ll get better as we go along and we’re anxious to get started
Q: With Kara Lawson starting this year, do you think this is going to be her breakout season?
Whisenant: Kara really wasn’t a started the last few years, but really she was. She actually played more minutes than any other guard, but Ticha (Penicheiro) and was our go to perimeter shooter, but we didn’t start her. The reason was because she was our backup point guard and we felt like any time we used her at point guard it restricted her ability to score and we need scoring these past years. Unfortunately, in this preseason camp, we’ve had to use Kara Lawson the same way because Ticha’s been in Europe and our number one draft pick, Kristin Haynie, has had an ankle sprain. Haynie missed most of our preseason with a reoccurring bone bruise in her ankle, but I wouldn’t be surprised with anything Kara did. She great young lady, she’s smart and understands the game. She gives it her max effort. Works out, lifts and runs, so she gets the maximum out of her ability.
Q: With your two Chinese players, Sui Fei Fei and Miao Li jie, how do you thing they’re going to match up against the WNBA?
Whisenant: They’re both skilled offensively, Miao has done better in our preseason then Fei Fei, partly because Fei Fei injured a knee and has missed practice time. Both have difficulty defending. It will take some time to get to the defensive side right. We’ve got to use Miao early, she’s a potential scorer. I expect to see her get some minutes Saturday night in Phoenix.
Q: Did you feel like a change of scenery for Nicole Powell would do good for her and how do you feel she’s done so far?
Whisenant: I think as a basketball coach and general manager you have to make judgments how certain players fit into your system and your needs. I honestly believe in most leagues and certainly in the WNBA there are a few stars who are difference makers no matter where they go, but for the most part the majority of the players need to get into the right system at the right time and gain the confidence and security to deliver their talents. That’s what we felt about Nicole (Powell) and we watched her play at Stanford near here in Sacramento and she went down in Charlotte were there were veteran players at her position. She had difficulty with their defensive system and she never got into a rhythm and never got comfortable. We felt like Nicole will be an outstanding player in the WNBA. We had to give up an outstanding proven WNBA player to get Nicole. Trudi Lacey down there (Charlotte) felt similar things about Nicole, but we gave up Tangela Smith who has proved she’s a double-figure scorer over a number of years in the WNBA and we had to take a gamble. Last year we did not score a single three-pointer from our three position and we averaged almost six turnovers a game from our three position. It was not the player’s faults, it was the coach and general managers fault for playing them out of position. Since I’m the coach and GM, the fault was mine. If I allowed it to continue to remain that way, than I certainly deserve criticism. I had to make moves and I felt like anyone with logic could see that we were playing non-wing players and we had to find somebody to improve that position and that’s what we’ve tried to do. Only time will tell if it works out for the better because we’ve made it to the finals of the Western championship three times and we’ve done it the last two years. We took a certain gamble to do that.
Q: Can you talk about how Yolanda Griffith has maintained her ability and actually improved as she’s gotten older? Whisenant: Yolanda is a pro. She’s a professional player. You can’t tell it sometimes through her expressions, but she is always in the game and very competitive. She wants to win and she wants to do well. And she takes great care of herself. She doesn’t do bad things. She doesn’t eat bad, she doesn’t drink, she doesn’t stay up late at night. She takes care of herself like all of us should. She may go on for ever, I don’t know. We gave her a two-year guaranteed contract and she’s 35 and she came back here last week and I can’t see one bit of difference. In fact, she might be better than when she left here. She amazes me and I’m impressed. I’m certainly on board that she’s an all-star and an Olympian."
Here's the link: http://oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3164255