USA Women's National Team Quotes >> USA 79, Euroleasing Sopron 65

Geno Auriemma, USA Head Coach

What were your overall impressions of today's game?
I thought there were stretches where we looked really, really good, but as is the case here, it is very difficult to play defensively against these teams because they're experienced, they know each other so well, they move so well without the ball and there were times when we had a diff time trying to find where they were.  I thought in the third quarter we were really, really good and we had great energy on the defensive and we really pushed the ball at them and were able to convert.  I thought Asjha Jones played great, Sue (Bird) was really good, Tina (Charles) came off the bench and gave us a great start to the second half.  It's been a team effort so far.  We haven't had to rely on any one individual.

You've been playing a lot of people; does that make it difficult to get everyone comfortable?
It does, it does.  You know we're trying to give everybody a chance to play.  Trying to get 13 players into every game, you're kind of hit and miss with the combinations that you have out there.  When you hit upon a good one you stay with it but then the minute you start making changes things change a little bit.  So far I've been really happy with the way our players have handles this situation here.

Are you concerned at all about the 3-point shooting?  Other than Shameka (Christon) the team seems to be struggling.
Yeah we are struggling.  There are times when were passing up open threes.  I don't know why that is.  Sue hasn't made any so that hurts us because she is one of our better 3-point shooters.  The other guys, Candice (Wiggins) and Renee (Montgomery), Lindsey (Harding), they're young guys and they probably don't want to do anything to hurt the team so they don't want to miss.  We keep telling them ‘shot ‘em, shoot ‘em, shoot ‘em,' maybe they're saving them for tomorrow.

What about tomorrow's game?
We're up against it a little bit tomorrow.  Obviously they're the home team and they've been together for a long time.  They have great talent at every position.  A lot of our talented players are home, maybe our most talented player here, Candace Parker, isn't playing.  So we're up against it, a lot of our young guys are really going to be challenged against some experienced, good players.  So I'm anxious to see how we do.

What about Shameka Christon's 3-point shooting?
It has gotten to the point that when the ball leaves her hand and doesn't go in we're shocked.  The kid just has this uncanny ability to just come off the bench and make shots.  She's a confident shooter which is half the battle, she has got tremendous form and Sue and some of our guards have done a great job of finding her in transition.  Both nights now she's come in and opened the game up.  She'll take a five point lead and make it 11 in a hurry.  I think we're going to need her and then some tomorrow night.

Tina Charles

How did you feel out there tonight, you seemed to get in the grove quickly?
I felt how I felt yesterday; the opportunity is presented and I'm just going to take advantage of it.  

You had a real strong stretch where you scored eight straight points and everything was strong inside.
Yeah, you know I was just doing what coach said, just take advantage of every opportunity, and I was just doing things that he taught me to do.

Is it taking time to gel with all the players, or have you found yourself pretty comfortable out there?
Yeah I feel really comfortable.  The girls out there are all way older than me and they make me feel really comfortable out there; they don't let me shy away from anything.  They're just out there leading away and I just follow.

How good of an experience is this for you before heading into your senior collegiate season?
It's a real good experience.  It just shows that at this level, which I plan on going next year, you just have to be real physical, you have to have your head on your shoulders and just be real confident  out there.  This has been a real confidence builder.

Shameka Christon

You've been shooting the ball real well, are you feeling confident out there?
Yeah, you know it's just one of those things and you really don't think about it.  As a shooter you've just got to know that you've been there before and shoot the ball and that's what I do, I just let it go.

The post players have had a strong presence; does that help in terms of you having a little more open space out there?
Yeah, the defenses have been collapsing on our posts trying to help out and our posts have been doing a great job of finding me as well as the other outside shooters.

Does it feel like the team is beginning to gel?  Is it a difficult process bringing everybody together and playing?
We've been doing pretty good but is our chemistry where we want it to be? No, but then what do you expect after having six days of practice and then coming over here and having a couple  more days or practice.  It is as good as it can get, but we can definitely get better.

Asjha Jones

Talk about the game today, the inside seemed to get things rolling for the team and break the game open.
Our goal going into the game was to play inside out, just to get the ball inside and put pressure on their big guys.  They only had two real post players, so you want to get them into foul trouble early and then when once they started collapsing, kick it out for the threes and I think we did a good job of playing both inside and out.

It seemed like when they collapsed hard on the inside the post players found Shameka or found someone else for a tree to help break the game open.
Yeah, our guards are really talented.  Shameka doesn't miss too many of those wide open shots and I think we did a good job of finding her when she was open.

How hard has it been to bring this team together and get out and play games after six practices?
It's difficult.  A lot of us haven't played together.  You have a couple people who may have played on the same college teams maybe, but that doesn't really count in the international game.  We just to go out and do the things that we practiced and not really worry about that. We just want to go out and run up and down, go hard, set screens and just make plays?   

Are you starting to feel like the chemistry is coming together?
I think so.  Our offense was a lot better today, a lot more fluid, we got screens on the ball and the first game we didn't get a lot of threes and in this game we found people when they were open behind the line.

Renee Montgomery

Talk about today's game.
I think it was better than yesterday's game.  I think the more we play together we're going to get better but the only thing is we're only playing three games together so it's not like we have a lot of time but it's fun playing  with everyone.

It's been a quick process of gelling everybody together hasn't it?
I think when you play at a certain level you know a lot of things and it's easier to help each other out or work things out even though we haven't played a long time together because it's basic basketball and everyone has a good basketball  i.q. so I think that helps a lot.

You're old teammate Tina Charles had a nice game tonight where she helped break the game open.
She did!  I was really happy to see her do well just because she's young coming here and I'm sure confidence   isn't going to be an easy thing to have when you're going against a lot of older people who have played in the WNBA.  I was just happy to see her be aggressive and play the way she is capable.

The post players have starting break things open on the outside a little bit?
Yeah, you always want to work yourself inside out and considering our post players haven't really been stopped yet we're just going to keep working it in there to them, why change something up if it's not broke?