Aug. 17, 2008 • Beijing, China

USA head coach Anne Donovan
On the game:
Once again, we’re pleased to get a game behind us and feel like we got better in the process which I think we did.  Much credit to New Zealand; I thought they came out and really fought hard in this game even though athletically, it looked there was a tremendous advantage for the U.S.  New Zealand did a great job coming back, particularly in the second half and not letting us get momentum and just roll.  We did have to work.  We were able to try a bunch of different things defensively in this game that we know we’ll need in the medal round.  So, it was a good game for us.

Has your team played the way you expected it would?
I say this almost every day to my staff in practice.  I couldn’t ask for one thing more from this team.  It’s been a challenging schedule in that we’ve had the late game for five games so our routine is practice, shooting practice, game.  So, it’s a lot more practice time than these players are used to.  Coming off the WNBA schedule, coming off prior that their European schedules, they have worked extremely hard and they’ve really been focused on themselves and getting better.  And really not trying to look too far ahead but just everyday getting better as a team.  Our mantra has been defensively.  We just have to get better on that end of the floor.  Their focus on that end has been much more than I could have hoped for.

Thoughts on South Korea:
Interestingly, the game against Latvia today, they played extremely well.  They hadn’t shot the ball very well in their first four games and today, they just got really hot from the outside.   It was a good game for us to watch; all of our coaches were there.  They shot the three today very well.   They like to shot fake and drive which obviously today we didn’t do a very good job with that.  Just very active, very interchangeable parts.  We’ll have to stay alert, probably switch a lot of screens.  We tried to practice that tonight so we’d be a little more prepared for South Korea.  They’ll be a good challenge … experienced team … they got good experience and they’ve got nothing to lose.  They have absolutely nothing to lose.  That’s how they played Latvia today and they played very well.  They played loose, relaxed and efficiently from the 3-point line.

Is there anything that bothers you about playing this late at night?
Toughest part about this is getting back at one o’clock, the girls trying to get something to eat and unwind and get in bed.  Two o’clock at the earliest.  The late night start is definitely challenging.  We’ve had two of those games and we haven’t heard the announcement for the next medal round, but it wouldn’t surprise me if we end up in this slot.  So, hopefully we’re getting used to it.   We’ve done it twice and we know how to do … not fond of it, but at this point, it doesn’t matter.  We’ll play at 9 a.m. or 11 p.m.

If the bracket goes according to form, you’ll have Russia and Australia next … thoughts?
I don’t know.  I think these games are going to be really interesting.   I think the matchups are going to be very interesting.  I’m really not thinking Russia.  Australia is in the back of my mind because they’re playing very well.  There is really only one team on our mind and that’s South Korea right now.

More thoughts on South Korea:
Just a typical Asian team where they are very interchangeable.  We’re going to end up switching a whole lot in that game.  Very good from today from the 3-point line … didn’t shoot the three well until today.  So, we’ve gotten to see both sides of Korea:  the real good and the not so good.  I’m sure they’ll come out … they’ve got nothing to lose.  I’m sure we are going to see them effective.

Does it matter you’ve had no close games?
Spain game was close.  I mean second half we took care of it.  But, it was a five-point game at halftime so that was a good test for us.

Sue Bird (Seattle Storm)
You’re 5-0 and none of the scores have been close, are you pleased with how you’ve done so far?
We’re happy, we had a good five games, good momentum, but we know it’s going to be different the next couple of games so we’re looking forward to that,

Defense has been a key for this team, how did that start?
We basically built that, I think that’s the fun of our defense.  It starts from the minute the ball is tipped, we pick up full court every possession and sometimes we trap, sometimes we don’t, try to keep teams guessing and just always, always have pressure on them like I said for 40 minutes.  I think most teams don’t have the depth we have so we’re able to take advantage of that.

When you look at the other teams in the other pool, what’s impressed you?
First up is Korea.  They play a different style than we’re used to.  They’re probably going to switch a lot of screens, they’re going to be shooting a lot of threes, so it’s going to be interesting to play against them. Of course I think Australia, if we hopefully get to the gold medal game, who we’ll face.  But you can’t look ahead, you have to take it one game at a time.

Who on your team has impressed you the most?
The physical stature of Sylvia is so impressive. It’s not that I’m surprised by it, it’s just fun to watch her go against some of these players because they don’t know what to do with her and she’s been able to do whatever she wants. It’s been cool to watch that.

You had an off day yesterday, what was the Great Wall like?
It was awesome.  I wasn’t sure if we were going to have time to get there to actually do it on my off day was great.  My mom was with me we had a lot of fun.  It was interesting , it’s an unbelievable sight, you don’t understand the magnitude of it until you’re standing on  top looking out, you can’t even see how far  it goes obviously, So it’s just unbelievable, it’s great.

What do you think about New Zealand’s Jessica McCormack and what does she bring to Connecticut?
I think Jess did a great job tonight. She’s obviously got a very good body. She’s big, she’s mobile. She had to go against some tough competition tonight in players like Lisa Leslie, Tina Thompson, those are probably going to go down as two of the best players to ever play the game. I think she held her own. Obviously she had a tough time here and there, but for the most part she did really well. I think she’s going to bring a lot to UConn.

Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever)
On the game:
I think we came out tonight … our focus was mainly to come out and focus on what we can do as we move into the media round.  I think as a team, one through 12, we did a really good job.  We lost focus here and there but overall, I know Anne was pretty impressed.  I think as a team we’re moving forward and we’re ready to start focusing on our next opponent, South Korea and getting ready for them.

Can you tell us about the South Korean team and how you are going to approach that game?
I think the biggest is that we’ve talked about, as most Asians teams, they are very good at shooting the 3-ball and shot fakes.  Tonight, we struggled a lot with the shot fake, going out of control and they got a lot of open shots that way.  That’s one of the things that we’re really going to have to focus on.  They move the ball really well and the play team ball.  I played over in South Korea for four years so some of the players I’ve actually played with, they’ve been on my team.  I’m looking forward to playing against them.

Does it matter you haven’t had a close game entering the medal round?
I wouldn’t really say we haven’t had a close game.  I think last game against Spain was a game that we struggled with, especially in the first half.  I think looking at that … one of the things we haven’t really had much time to prepare.  But, I think every single day that we’ve gone out whether we practiced or played the game, we’ve really focused on how can we get better as a team.  As we move forward, that’s what we have to continue to focus on.  We can’t really play the score.  When we face harder teams, we got to be ready to go to battle.

Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky)
The U.S. is off to good start, you’re a first time Olympian, what’s the experience been like?
The experience has been awesome, it’s more than I could have ever imagined.  It’s everything that I expected and I think our team got off to a good start and we’re going to get better every day.  It’s going to more tough once we start playing the medal round game.

You were one of the players who played here in April that played in the Good Luck Beijing Tournament, has that helped you at all having played here before?
I think it gave me a lot of confidence my first time here.  The fans were good to me, we got off to a good start with that team, I played well, so it most definitely helped me get a good experience before we came back.

Nobody seems able to match up with you down low, as you advance to the next round , what’s you’re biggest challenge?
Just to come out and play to the best of my abilities every night.  I remember my first two games I got out to good start and then I’ve been on cruise control should I say, the coach says.  I’ve got to regroup, come back and make sure I’m on point for the medal round games.

You’re playing behind Lisa Leslie who is one of the greatest players in basketball history, her fourth Olympic Games, what has she taught you?
Just to give it all when you’re out there on the floor, compete every chance you get, be ready, take no pity, play every game like it’s your last game.

You’ve been dunking in warm-ups, will we see one in a game?
Hopefully, if I get the opportunity you’ll definitely see one in a game.

Kara Lawson (Sacramento Monarchs)
Is the competition too easy in pool play?
All we can do is play who they put in front of us in pool play and that's what we did and we tried to improve and get better. Now we're at a point where we're 3 wins away from our ultimate goal. Now's the time for us to play the best basketball we can. We play against ourselves a lot of time in pool play. We want to execute and worry about our improvement on a game to game basis, on a possession to possession basis, so for us that's all you can do, try to improve and use these games to get ready for when they count and they start counting on Tuesday so we're excited.

You guys threw in that full-court press out there in the third quarter. Is that an example of using the game as practice?
We're just working on stuff. We changed up the team defense a lot during tonight's game, changed our different presses, we worked on different types of offenses, so , yeah, that's what we were doing. That's how you should use pool play. You have to win , obviously, to advance, but for us, we wanted to try some things that we're going to need down the road.

What about South Korea?
They're a talented team and they shot the ball well today. They execute their offense really well. They have quickness, especially on the perimeter, so we're going to have to do a good job of containing penetration. They like to drive and kick. We're going to have our work cut out for us. They had a good game against Latvia today and we had a tough time with Latvia at the Diamond Ball tournament. That game alone sends a signal that they're a force to be reckoned with. We're excited about the challenge.

Lisa Leslie (Los Angeles Sparks)
You close out the preliminary round with a 5-0 record, how do you feel about that?
I think it was a good warm-up to get ready for the challenge that we have ahead. We got a chance to see a lot of different styles of basketball, obviously European and Asian. I think that’s going to prepare us for playing against Korea. They play a fast-paced game, they like to shoot threes, they’re a very smart team so it’s going to take a great team effort for us.

How will your strategy change in the medal round?
We can’t give out our secrets, but it will definitely change.

Does it matter that you haven’t had a close game?
No. It doesn’t matter because we set our goals for what we want to do for every game, every half and every quarter. We’ve been able to do that in the time that we’ve had. Our challenge is basically ourselves, making sure we come out and play the style of basketball that we want to play.

DeLisha Milton-Jones (Los Angeles Sparks)
On South Korea:
I know that they are a well-oiled machine. They shoot the ball well, they do everything well. They may not have the height or the athleticism that we have, but they play the game. It’s going to be a challenge for us defensively because sometimes we tend to have errors that cost us wide-open layups or wide-open jump shots. We tend to rely on our athleticism more than our sound defensive skills. We sometimes jump at pump-fakes and those are things that we have to eliminate against South Korea.

On the team’s depth:
Depth is the key. Depth is the thing that has carried us thus far through the past five games. It’ll carry us into the gold medal game. A lot of teams don’t have that luxury and they play five or six players who clock a lot of minutes. When they face a team like us, we’re very fast, we’re very big and we’re very strong and it’s going to be a physical, fast-paced game. It’s going to wear them down eventually. We hope that’s something that will play in our favor.

Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks)
Are you enjoying the Olympics?
I have wanted to play in the Olympics my entire life and to be here it's just amazing. I think it's going to take a few months for me to sit back and really enjoy it because everything is happening--NCAA, WNBA, Olympics and then back to the WNBA. I think about October, November when I have that Gold Medal around my neck, I think I will really realize what it was like to play in the Olympics. It really has been a whirlwind for me. It doesn't even really feel like we won the national championship. I'll celebrate that later.

How is the Olympic experience different from a college experience?
I think you are surrounded by greatness. It is similar to the college experience, hanging out with people that your age, hanging out and supporting the guys. But now you do it with different people from different countries. It's been a great experience. It really has.

Does this experience whet your appetite for more? Is this something you want to go through again?
Definitely. The possibility of the Olympics being in Chicago in 2016 is another circle that I've put on my calendar. I'm a huge advocate for the games being there and being from there it would be special. I can't imagine getting tickets for all my family, but that would be a problem for another day.

Your next opponent is South Korea. Can you talk about them?
Looking ahead, I don't know all that much about South Korea. I've never played against them or seen them play, but I know that in order to beat Latvia they have to be a very good team. We have our work cut out for us. It's right where we want to be--first place in our pool. The score starts over now. It's zero-zero and we have to take care of business.

Katie Smith (Detroit  Shock)
On the USA’s depth:
It’s so much fun to have the talent we have on this team, from one to 12. Everybody’s got their own talents and different things they bring into the game. But the way everybody’s locked into our defensive plan of really helping each other out, pressuring the ball and obviously when you get tired someone’s coming right back in. It doesn’t even change the tempo, you don’t lose a beat. That’s the fun of it. I don’t know about the other teams but I would imagine that they’re like ‘dang! Here comes another one!’ Our depth is huge, especially with as many games we’re playing and also with the way we’re playing (up-tempo).

On South Korea:
They’re solid, smart, not really big. But they’re all versatile, they can all shoot the ball, they can put it on the floor. We’re going to have to do a great job of guard penetration , not letting them penetrate and kick, and also attack them inside. But I think our on-ball defense is going to be big against them.

On the team:
I think we are pretty focused on the task at hand and what the coaches are asking us to do. We have a very talented, 12-deep roster, and I’m just excited about the possibilities with any combination being in the game because any given night, anybody can go off. Our balance is huge.

How much better are you getting at things like the full-court press throughout pool play?
It’s been nice to be able to practice some things we might need to (use) later on. The coaches probably like that because you get a lead, and you get to try some stuff. It’s just nice because we haven’t had a lot of practice time, so we’ve kind of practiced within games. You know, just to have a look and a glance to see what works and what doesn’t so when we do have to change things up, we are aware of it and can get them done.

Is there any danger having coasted through preliminary play of not defining roles in tight games?
I don’t think so. Being challenged or having a close game does help, but we did get some experience in the Diamond Ball Tournament. We had Australia, played a tough game with them, Latvia gave us a run. I really think we have improved since then, but everything we have done up until now doesn’t matter. We can forget about it. It’s all about one game at a time. And hopefully the increase of our competition is going to make us rise to the occasion, and we will lock in even more and step it up a notch and see how good this team can play, how consistent we can be and how good we can be. I’m excited to get on the floor with these teams and see where we stand and see if we can show it on game night. That’s all that matters.

Is it mission accomplished, part 1?
Yeah, you have to take care of this to move on. This is behind us. You can't really look at any of these games and say we played well, we're on a roll. Honestly, it's about what we do in two days, it's about playing South Korea on Tuesday. None of this to now matters. It's only about what we do on that day.

You guys seem to make a run at some point every game that puts games away. Tonight it was 21-0 in the second quarter. Can you address that?
Basketball is a game of runs and obviously we want our runs to be bigger than their runs. Our biggest things are not only us getting runs but limiting their runs to a couple of buckets or not letting them get that momentum It is big for us to get those kind of cushions, but also not allowing them to cut into a lead.

Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury)
On South Korea:
South Korea’s a tough team. They play really well together. They’ve been playing really well of late so it’s going to be a tough challenge for us.

On the importance of the USA’s depth:
It’s very important. When you can put any combination of five people on the court, they will contribute and change the game. Every group that goes out there adds a different dimension to our team.

Who has stood out the most on your team through five games?
Everybody pretty much does what they do well. If anything, it’s probably how willing people are to mesh together and be a good team, which people were a little skeptical about us coming into this. So I think that’s what I’m most proud about.

On New Zealand’s Jessica McCormack, who is transferring to the University of Connecticut:
I think she’s a tough player. She’s young. She went out there and played hard tonight. She’s going to have a great future at Connecticut.

Tina Thompson (Houston Comets)
You were a big part of the 21-0 run in the second quarter (she scored 10 points during it)
You always remember that stuff and I never do.  It was in the flow of the game or whatever.  I got opportunities and my teammates got me the ball.  I don’t know it just kind of happens.  I’m very fortunate to be in those positions and naturally hit the shots.  I was a little upset with myself for missing a couple of chippies in the game, whether I was kind of bodied or anything like that, there just kind of shots that I felt like I should have made, but you giving me that kind of stat line cheers me up a little more, I thought I stunk it up a little bit.

Now you’re back to 0-0, you blew everyone away in your pool , but it means nothing now:
Well you know what?  This is what we play for, we play each game to get better to end up at this point.  We want to be seeded number one in our pool and go from there.  This is why we play, we knew this is how it was going to be and that’s how the tournament is set up and hopefully through our pool play  we have prepared ourselves enough to face our opponents.  The competition is going to get a lot strong from this point on , it’s one and done.  But that’s why we play at the level that we played throughout the pool play to get to this point.

Did it help you to play in Diamond Ball and play Russia and Australia?
I think it was helpful for everyone just because we have an ideal of what each other will bring to the table.  Of course it’s going to be different at this point because we played more games, everyone has gained some familiarity with one another, just continuity, so it is going to be different bit I think it does help a little bit and that’s definitely why we do it and why we play, but for all of us at this point that means nothing, we’re all starting 0-0 and we’re ready for it.

How much does your prior Olympic experience help you coming into the medal round where it becomes one and done?
I think it helps a lot because you’re aware of what the stakes are.  Sometimes when you come in you’re blindsided, you don’t know what to expect.  It’s kind of like a regular season and the playoffs.  You know how the level of the game, the intensity, the physicality of the game steps up a whole another level and being at the point in Athens where we were in a similar situation.  We beat everybody by 40-50 points in pool play and then we came into the medal round play and the most important games, the semifinals and finals, and we won combined by probably less than 20 points, so it definitely shows how just kind of the games change.

Are you more comfortable exerting yourself as a scorer? You’ve kind of taken yourself up a notch.
Oh I don’t know, I just kind of think it’s the personality of the team and how Anne has us playing.  None of us want to take bad shots, but we make open shots and we get the ball in the best position for good shots.  But it’s not just me, everyone on this team is able to make shots.  When you play with players that I’m playing with, they make great decisions and I’ve just been fortunate enough to be at the end of some of those good passes and I’ve just kind of like knocked them down.

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