GeorgeofSacramento
Bench
An Interview With:
COACH JOHN WHISENANT
COACH JOHN WHISENANT: We need to win. We just need to play. They're a good team, there's always the possibility we could play hard and well and still lose. They're that good. But we believe we have got them at home with our home crowd, we have slept in our own beds, we know we can beat them, it's just a matter of us getting the job done.
Q. Obviously you had a lot of success this year with all the turnovers you have, has defense surprised you, how big of a discrepancy there's been in the turnover battle in this series so far?
COACH JOHN WHISENANT: Well, it's important that we do. We have always preached to our team that we don't have to shoot well to win. It's a lot harder to shoot poorly or shoot a poor percentage and win. Shooting is what they put on the scoreboard to determine the winner, but we shot 37 percent last night's game and we were still able to win. And one of the reasons is we beat them on the boards, we kept their assists down, because of our defense. We caused turnovers, more than ours, and we got points off of that. And we didn't give them any fastbreak points, which were all part of our defensive system. And that's how you can win and not shoot a good percentage.
If you don't do these things and shoot a poor percentage, we'll be going back to Connecticut.
Q. There was a period in the first half of that game yesterday when I thought their offense was better than your defense. I mean they really, really had it going offensively. They got good shots, they got open shots, they hit their shots. Were you getting a little concerned at that point in the first half?
COACH JOHN WHISENANT: We felt like we offensively hit a lull. And sometimes when we have trouble scoring, we let it affect us on the defensive end. We never feel like we can't get stops with our defense.
They're a good enough offensive team, you're never going to stop them. We have never shut anyone out yet. So we know we're not going to keep them from scoring. They're too good. They're the best in the league. So we have to play the percentages. If we stay with our system, give great intensity and great effort, and I rotate the players properly and don't get the players too tired, we can make it hard for them to score.
So it comes down to us against them. And then we, how well we play on our offensive end makes the difference in how much that factor is. We have to ‑‑ it's a game, but with a good team playing a good team. And we have a chance to close them out on our court. So I consider it our advantage.
An Interview With:
TICHA PENICHEIRO
TICHA PENICHEIRO: We need one more game. And if we keep our focus and we play like we have been playing all season, we can get it done tomorrow and win a championship.
Q. The close‑out game they say is always the toughest game.
TICHA PENICHEIRO: It's true. They have been in this position before. They want a championship as bad as we do. And they know that their backs are against the wall and sometimes teams perform better when their backs are against the wall. They know there is no tomorrow if they lose. So we just have to have that frame of mind of not relaxing and not focusing, because there will be a Game 5 if we do that.
So we have to come ready to play, focused, with the same energy and effort that we had yesterday and in Game 1. And I think if we do that, in front of our fans, I think we'll be okay and we'll get out of here with a W.
Q. Isn't it dangerous to know that if you lose, you have another game, because you really don't want to go back to Connecticut, right?
TICHA PENICHEIRO: No. No, we don't. It's not just the flight and going across country, it's playing in Connecticut. It is a tough place to play. They're very comfortable at home and we don't want to do that. But like I said, we just can't get comfortable, because we know that we have that possibility. And they know that if they lose tomorrow, their season is over. So we just have to continue to play Monarchs basketball, continue to be hungry and know that we have not attained our goal. Because winning two games doesn't give us a championship.
Q. Do you notice a look in Yo's eye like now that she's not going to let you lose?
TICHA PENICHEIRO: I hope so. I think everybody should have that look. Starting with her and all the way down to the 11th player. We all have to be hungry; we can't depend on one person to get the job done. We haven't operated like that the whole season and we are not going to let it happen tomorrow. Because she does a lot for this team, but she can't do it by herself. So we definitely have to help her out.
Q. Is the team having as much fun as it looks like they're having?
TICHA PENICHEIRO: Oh, yeah, this is fun. Sometimes we get so caught up in focusing and getting ready for the game that you don't absorb it all. So I think that if we all win or when we all win tomorrow, then we can celebrate. Now I don't think ‑‑ even winning yesterday, I was happy that we won, but it wasn't like I was overexcited, because we haven't done anything.
An Interview With:
KARA LAWSON
KARA LAWSON: If you were playing on an opponent's court, how would you come out and play? At this point the schemes, the plays, the adjustments, I don't think they mean so much. It's just a matter of the team that wants the ball more, wants the loose balls more and is going to play the hardest.
So to put a gauge on how bad they're going to want this game and in our house and how hard they're going to fight to get loose balls, it will probably be at the highest level.
Q. But having said that, with Game 5 in Connecticut, should they win, does this almost make Game 4 a must‑win game for Sacramento, too?
KARA LAWSON: Well we're looking at it as a must‑win. I think any time you look ahead or you look behind in a series, you miss something that you need to be focusing on in the present. So we're looking at this as the only game left and we certainly hope it is the only game left. We don't want to fall into the trap of saying, you got two to win one. And then you usually end up with having one to win one.
So we know that we have been great on our home court all year. We know that they didn't win 26 games because they laid down and quit and they laid down and died. So I expect it to be, if we are to win, our toughest win of the season.
Q. How does the team stay loose and not tighten up?
KARA LAWSON: Because we have crazy people that joke around and we have players that just have fun. One thing we said at the beginning of the playoffs was just to enjoy the moment, enjoy what we're doing, what we're a part of. And I enjoy being around this team and we enjoy being around each other. So that makes it a lot more fun.
Q. What makes this such a special group?
KARA LAWSON: Well, we don't take ourselves too seriously when we don't have to. We're serious when the game starts and we're serious when we have to be and we're focused on what we need to do. But in practice or off the court we're loose. We have fun. We don't let pressures or anything else get to us.
An Interview With:
NICOLE POWELL
Q. How do you feel about being this close to a championship? How confident are you? This is your second year, but...
NICOLE POWELL: Yeah, it is my second year. I just try not to think about it. I think that it's an incredible opportunity. Obviously Yo's played a long time, we were just talking about it, and she's never gotten to this point. And it's really incredible and I feel fortunate to be a part of the league and to be here as a team.
Yeah, it is only my second year, but you never know when you're going to be able to get back here. So I'm trying to take it in. I think it will really hit me when it's over and done. Because right now I'm just worried about the next game. Because really we haven't accomplished anything. And we have had a great season but I think really when it's over I'll be able to reflect on what a great season it was.
Q. Can you talk about the run they made yesterday? Was that complacency on your part or did they just make some adjustments?
NICOLE POWELL: I think it's a little bit of both. Good teams are going to make runs. And Connecticut is a very, very good team. We're not going to shut that team out. They're going to fight and come back. And I think that we kind of got away from our game plan a little bit. I think it's a little bit of both.
Q. How important was it for DeMya to play so well yesterday?
NICOLE POWELL: Oh, it's huge. She was huge. Having her out there playing well was just huge.
COACH JOHN WHISENANT
COACH JOHN WHISENANT: We need to win. We just need to play. They're a good team, there's always the possibility we could play hard and well and still lose. They're that good. But we believe we have got them at home with our home crowd, we have slept in our own beds, we know we can beat them, it's just a matter of us getting the job done.
Q. Obviously you had a lot of success this year with all the turnovers you have, has defense surprised you, how big of a discrepancy there's been in the turnover battle in this series so far?
COACH JOHN WHISENANT: Well, it's important that we do. We have always preached to our team that we don't have to shoot well to win. It's a lot harder to shoot poorly or shoot a poor percentage and win. Shooting is what they put on the scoreboard to determine the winner, but we shot 37 percent last night's game and we were still able to win. And one of the reasons is we beat them on the boards, we kept their assists down, because of our defense. We caused turnovers, more than ours, and we got points off of that. And we didn't give them any fastbreak points, which were all part of our defensive system. And that's how you can win and not shoot a good percentage.
If you don't do these things and shoot a poor percentage, we'll be going back to Connecticut.
Q. There was a period in the first half of that game yesterday when I thought their offense was better than your defense. I mean they really, really had it going offensively. They got good shots, they got open shots, they hit their shots. Were you getting a little concerned at that point in the first half?
COACH JOHN WHISENANT: We felt like we offensively hit a lull. And sometimes when we have trouble scoring, we let it affect us on the defensive end. We never feel like we can't get stops with our defense.
They're a good enough offensive team, you're never going to stop them. We have never shut anyone out yet. So we know we're not going to keep them from scoring. They're too good. They're the best in the league. So we have to play the percentages. If we stay with our system, give great intensity and great effort, and I rotate the players properly and don't get the players too tired, we can make it hard for them to score.
So it comes down to us against them. And then we, how well we play on our offensive end makes the difference in how much that factor is. We have to ‑‑ it's a game, but with a good team playing a good team. And we have a chance to close them out on our court. So I consider it our advantage.
An Interview With:
TICHA PENICHEIRO
TICHA PENICHEIRO: We need one more game. And if we keep our focus and we play like we have been playing all season, we can get it done tomorrow and win a championship.
Q. The close‑out game they say is always the toughest game.
TICHA PENICHEIRO: It's true. They have been in this position before. They want a championship as bad as we do. And they know that their backs are against the wall and sometimes teams perform better when their backs are against the wall. They know there is no tomorrow if they lose. So we just have to have that frame of mind of not relaxing and not focusing, because there will be a Game 5 if we do that.
So we have to come ready to play, focused, with the same energy and effort that we had yesterday and in Game 1. And I think if we do that, in front of our fans, I think we'll be okay and we'll get out of here with a W.
Q. Isn't it dangerous to know that if you lose, you have another game, because you really don't want to go back to Connecticut, right?
TICHA PENICHEIRO: No. No, we don't. It's not just the flight and going across country, it's playing in Connecticut. It is a tough place to play. They're very comfortable at home and we don't want to do that. But like I said, we just can't get comfortable, because we know that we have that possibility. And they know that if they lose tomorrow, their season is over. So we just have to continue to play Monarchs basketball, continue to be hungry and know that we have not attained our goal. Because winning two games doesn't give us a championship.
Q. Do you notice a look in Yo's eye like now that she's not going to let you lose?
TICHA PENICHEIRO: I hope so. I think everybody should have that look. Starting with her and all the way down to the 11th player. We all have to be hungry; we can't depend on one person to get the job done. We haven't operated like that the whole season and we are not going to let it happen tomorrow. Because she does a lot for this team, but she can't do it by herself. So we definitely have to help her out.
Q. Is the team having as much fun as it looks like they're having?
TICHA PENICHEIRO: Oh, yeah, this is fun. Sometimes we get so caught up in focusing and getting ready for the game that you don't absorb it all. So I think that if we all win or when we all win tomorrow, then we can celebrate. Now I don't think ‑‑ even winning yesterday, I was happy that we won, but it wasn't like I was overexcited, because we haven't done anything.
An Interview With:
KARA LAWSON
KARA LAWSON: If you were playing on an opponent's court, how would you come out and play? At this point the schemes, the plays, the adjustments, I don't think they mean so much. It's just a matter of the team that wants the ball more, wants the loose balls more and is going to play the hardest.
So to put a gauge on how bad they're going to want this game and in our house and how hard they're going to fight to get loose balls, it will probably be at the highest level.
Q. But having said that, with Game 5 in Connecticut, should they win, does this almost make Game 4 a must‑win game for Sacramento, too?
KARA LAWSON: Well we're looking at it as a must‑win. I think any time you look ahead or you look behind in a series, you miss something that you need to be focusing on in the present. So we're looking at this as the only game left and we certainly hope it is the only game left. We don't want to fall into the trap of saying, you got two to win one. And then you usually end up with having one to win one.
So we know that we have been great on our home court all year. We know that they didn't win 26 games because they laid down and quit and they laid down and died. So I expect it to be, if we are to win, our toughest win of the season.
Q. How does the team stay loose and not tighten up?
KARA LAWSON: Because we have crazy people that joke around and we have players that just have fun. One thing we said at the beginning of the playoffs was just to enjoy the moment, enjoy what we're doing, what we're a part of. And I enjoy being around this team and we enjoy being around each other. So that makes it a lot more fun.
Q. What makes this such a special group?
KARA LAWSON: Well, we don't take ourselves too seriously when we don't have to. We're serious when the game starts and we're serious when we have to be and we're focused on what we need to do. But in practice or off the court we're loose. We have fun. We don't let pressures or anything else get to us.
An Interview With:
NICOLE POWELL
Q. How do you feel about being this close to a championship? How confident are you? This is your second year, but...
NICOLE POWELL: Yeah, it is my second year. I just try not to think about it. I think that it's an incredible opportunity. Obviously Yo's played a long time, we were just talking about it, and she's never gotten to this point. And it's really incredible and I feel fortunate to be a part of the league and to be here as a team.
Yeah, it is only my second year, but you never know when you're going to be able to get back here. So I'm trying to take it in. I think it will really hit me when it's over and done. Because right now I'm just worried about the next game. Because really we haven't accomplished anything. And we have had a great season but I think really when it's over I'll be able to reflect on what a great season it was.
Q. Can you talk about the run they made yesterday? Was that complacency on your part or did they just make some adjustments?
NICOLE POWELL: I think it's a little bit of both. Good teams are going to make runs. And Connecticut is a very, very good team. We're not going to shut that team out. They're going to fight and come back. And I think that we kind of got away from our game plan a little bit. I think it's a little bit of both.
Q. How important was it for DeMya to play so well yesterday?
NICOLE POWELL: Oh, it's huge. She was huge. Having her out there playing well was just huge.
