# WNBA news 9/05



## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Sacramento post game quotes*

DeMya Walker: Q: How did the win tonight feel? Walker: Yeah definitely, it felt really good getting out there. It was just one of those games where I couldn't sleep the night before and all I could think about was the game. I just kept seeing it over and over what I needed to do. I know that if I get started off then it will get all of us started off on the right foot. Now they are drawing so much attention to me or other post players and now everyone else is wide open and you have to think twice and I am cool with that. I am cool with whatever I have to do whether it be scoring, passing, or rebounding. I felt this.

Q: It seems like most of these games in the finals have been all blowouts, how do you feel? Walker: In the second game I don't really feel like Detroit handled us. I feel like we let down in the fourth quarter something that we were doing in the first seven quarters of that series. I felt like we got back to basics. We know the only way we are going to win is if we play defense for forty minutes no matter what.

Q: The way they [Detroit] play does it tend to ugly up the end result? Walker: We can't let frustrations or anything creep in and allow us to get caught up in that. We just have to play the game. If we get the calls we get them and if we don't we don't. We just have to continue to play defense. In game two we kind of let all that stuff take away from our defense. Today it was happening.

Kara Lawson: Q: There were 14,000 fans here today, how big is that? Lawson: That's huge. They make a difference. That's true that fans can affect the game. That's why we love to play at home and we don't like to play on the road. When they are screaming loud other players can't hear the coach or each other and it gives us energy. We might go through a period where our offensive is down and they will pick us up.

Q: What is it about playing at ARCO? Lawson: I know that ARCO is a tough place to play for any opponent and you talk to players around the league and they always say this is the hardest place to play in the WNBA. We always play really well at home. We kind of feed off the crowd's emotion. It's the finals and we are going to play as hard as we can.

Scholanda Dorrell: Q: You hit a couple of three pointers early, do you feel like that helped lift your team?" Dorrell: I feel like anytime anybody can come off the bench and give us something, it's a big boost. That's a big strength of this team that you can go down the line and every player can contribute and do something positive out there.

Q: You struggled as a team offensively in the last game and you came out attacking the basket, was that your strategy going into this game?" Dorrell: A little bit. We just had to go out there and focus on what we needed to do. I think that we got a little complacent in that second game and got a little satisfied with winning one. After that game we just talked about staying completely focused and playing loose. We wanted to make sure that everyone knew what they were capable of and doing it.

Q: With the bench playing so well, Yo [Yolanda Griffith] was able to rest a lot of this game. How important is that going in, knowing how fresh the starters will be? Dorrell: That's extremely important because we need everyone on this team to contribute in order to rest people. A lot of teams in this league can only go down their bench ten people and play only a seven-man rotation. I think it's a great advantage to be able to go nine, ten, eleven people sometimes, to get those starters a rest. It's a long series, and we have to have everyone be fine when that last game comes around.

Q: You're used to playing thirty-five minutes in college. How have you adjusted to your playing time in the WNBA? Dorrell: I've always been a role-player. My first year of college I went from being the first person off of the bench to starting half of the season. The next year, I had a different role. I've always had to play a role and I've always been satisfied with that. I'm a competitor and I want to win. Anything I can do to help my team win is what I need to do.

Monarchs Guard Kristin Haynie: Q: What are your thoughts on the game tonight? Haynie: It was a dogfight. It was really physical out there. We just stuck together as a team from the starters to the bench. The bench gave their production and it was just an all around good win.

Q: You've been more aggressive in this series, what's been the difference? Haynie: It's do or die time and like I said, these bench players have a role on this team and we have to really come out and give a spark for the starters. That's what we've been doing and we have to keep going. Hopefully we have one more game to go and it's not going to be easy. We're not saying it's going to be easy at all.

Q: How great was it to play in front of the home crowd tonight? Haynie: It's good to be able to play in front of all these fans. The lower bowl sold out and almost all of the upper bowl. Hopefully we can get more fans to come to game four and we'll see what the outcome will be.

Q: What was the difference in the second half? Haynie: I think we just came out more focused. It wasn't over yet. We were up on them last time at their place and we let them get back in it. We just came out there really focused and never let down.


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## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Sonics And Storm: Another option*

Seattle tends to assume a completely new basketball arena would require the Eastside's open spaces. City leaders are feeling heat from an upcoming initiative and other signs citizens don't want to invest in a sports arena.

But the recent idea of an arena on the site of Memorial Stadium in the Seattle Center ought to spur thinking about more city possibilities. Civic activist David Brewster, who wants the Center site turned into open space, has some alternative ideas.

Complete article


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## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Monarchs close in on crown*

Erin Buescher just hoped to catch some iron with her awkward fling at the basket, yet her shot-clock-beating 3-pointer went in.

She ran upcourt with her arms spread wide, wearing a look of exhilaration -- but not disbelief.

Everything was going the Monarchs' way again in the WNBA finals, and they got to the brink of their second straight championship with an 89-69 victory against the Detroit Shock in Game 3 on Sunday.

Complete article


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## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Shock's Laimbeer has his say*

Good thing ESPN2 put a mike on Bill Laimbeer, because there wasn't much else entertaining about the Shock's 89-69 loss Sunday at Sacramento in the WNBA Finals.

It was vintage Laimbeer, his face turning red as he boiled over at his own players and simmered at the referees. He provided so much background noise, the game hardly needed announcers.

Like this third-quarter exchange as he towered over a ref after a Shock foul:

complete article


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## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*A season is on the brink*

He has seen it before and he saw it again Sunday. Before Game 3 of the WNBA Finals even started, Shock coach Bill Laimbeer said he told his coaching staff that the team would be in trouble.

And this was the worst possible time for the Shock to revert to bad habits.

The energy and concentration wasn't there. The desire was left somewhere in the team hotel.

And Laimbeer had to to watch as the Shock repeatedly made mistakes, took bad shots, failed to play defense and committed too many turnovers.

To make matters worse, it all happened on Sacramento's home court, ARCO Arena, where the Monarchs have won their last 10 playoff games. Make it 11 straight.

complete article


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## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

Shock center Ruth Riley continued to be badly outplayed in the WNBA Finals against Sacramento's athletic front line.

Riley, the MVP of the 2003 Finals, has averaged more fouls (four) than points and rebounds combined. She has averaged just two points and 1.8 rebounds in 12 minutes against the Monarchs, a good reason the Shock trail 2-1 in the best-of-five series.

Riley, 6 foot 5, was dominated from the start in Sunday's 89-69 loss to the Monarchs. She had two points, two rebounds and five fouls in 14 minutes.

complete article


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## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Shock can't repeat magic*

The Shock traveled here with one goal in mind: Earn a victory to reclaim home-court advantage and bring the WNBA Finals back to Detroit for a fifth and deciding game at Joe Louis Arena.

The Shock failed terribly in their first try Sunday afternoon at Arco Arena. The Monarchs dominated them, 89-69, in Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead.

The Shock will try to even the series Wednesday night while the Monarchs will try to repeat as league champions.

"Our team did not have a good game in all ways," Shock coach Bill Laimbeer said. "Our starters have to play more together. We stopped playing in the middle of the game and played five-on-two. That's unacceptable.

complete article


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## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Sacramento closes in on 2nd straight title*

Erin Buescher just hoped to catch some iron with her awkward fling at the basket, yet her shot-clock-beating 3-pointer went in

complete article


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