Additional Quotes >> USA 109, Croatia 55

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Istanbul, Turkey • July 21, 2012

Geno Auriemma (USA and University of Connecticut head coach)
On tonight’s game: 

It’s a little odd, for us and for them I’m sure, to know we are playing them a week from today, so we wanted to make sure we found out a little bit about them and more importantly, kind of start getting into some kind of flow ourselves. Having Sue back really helps an awful lot. It’s fun to watch us when our defense is generating all of our offense for us like it did that first 10 minutes. You score as many points as we did that first quarter, that’s a great sign for us because we have 12 scorers on our team. So, as long as the ball is moving, as long as everybody is on the same page and our defense is the catalyst, we’re obviously capable of being a really, really good team just like we were tonight.

With a big lead throughout, were you able to accomplish some things?
Sometimes you can, sometimes you can’t. I thought in this instance we tried not to get too complicated. We stuck with just two or three things, and I thought because we didn’t try to do 15 things, the two or three that we were working on, there’s a little more familiarity now. Players were talking on the bench about how we are starting to get into a rhythm because players are starting to understand where to go next, what to do, who likes the ball where and when. So in that respect, regardless of the lead, we managed to make some players feel more comfortable on the floor, and that’s good.

Sue Bird (Seattle Storm)
On returning to the team after returning home following the death of her stepfather figure:
In a way, this is kind of my normal routine, being with a team, being around these guys. It feels real good to get back to that. It was obviously also really good to be home with my family and my mom last week.

Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever)
On playing on her birthday:
It’s great to have an opportunity like this, and for my birthday to fall on a game day, I’m excited.

On the game:

We had a great team effort, just moving the ball, especially early on getting that lead up. Anytime you score 38 points in one quarter, that’s a huge accomplishment. That’s just a testament to playing with such great players and being able to move the ball and everybody hitting open shots.

With a big lead throughout, were you able to accomplish some things?

We will be playing them a week from today, so a lot of things we worked on tonight, we will be able to use effectively next week. But even more so, this is a game of preparation, so they are going to go back and watch the tape, we are going to go back and watch the tape and things are going to be different next Saturday.

I think for us, we just have to continue to move the ball. Our post players did a really good job of ducking in tonight and working around the basket, and we are going to need that. I feel like in the first couple of games we didn’t really get a lot of in-the-paint shots. It’s good that our post players are able to touch the ball and be effective down low.

Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky)
Was it good to be back on your home court?
It feels good to be back to a familiar place. Tomorrow will be even better, more so for the crowd. I think we’ll do well.

How many of your teammates play for Turkey and what will it be like to play them tomorrow night?
I think four of them. I’m very excited for them to make it to the Olympics, but there will be no mercy when we play against them. It’s pretty much all about business, then once the game’s over we’ll continue to be friends.

On the USA’s fast start against Croatia:
Our starting five came out pretty good, set us on fire and we just went from there. We were feeling it. Like I said, our starting five came out on fire and set the tone for us. To have that energy going in there and being up so much is hard, but at the same time you have to work on the things you would normally work on. We’re going to need that when we play tougher opponents.

What kind of things were you working on?
Running our plays, trying to get set up, getting defensive stops and rebounding the ball.

On the USA’s 70.8 percent shooting in the first quarter:
Dang! That is a good shooting percentage. I didn’t know that. But, everybody was focused.

Was that something coach Auriemma was on you about?
He wasn’t all over me today. I think in the first two games I missed a lot. So by him and the rest of the coaches getting on me after those games, I didn’t want it again after this game. I pretty much just focused and tried to go out there and calm down.

Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks)
On the USA’s post play:

I think we did a good job of running to the rim. That’s something that the coaches have stressed in the last few practices that we’ve had, is our size, when we set a screen and in transition, just making sure that we get to the rim and then post up.

On the team’s progress:

I think we are learning each other slowly but surely. We’ve been together about a week, week-and-a-half, so we are learning each other and learning the offense, and it’s flowing a little bit better.

On the game:

It was lot of fun tonight. It was good team win. I think every body has funwhen every body touches the ball. We had movement, we were pressing. Defensively, we did a lot better on our screen-and-roll coverage and our rotation, talking and getting out in pasing lanes.

Did you think the team stayed focused throughout?

I believe we did stay focused. I don’t know how many points we scored in the first half, but to get 100 points in a game you have to stay focused at least a little bit in the second half, and we weren’t picking up full court in the second. I think we did a good job of getting out in transition.

Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury)
On tonight’s game:
I hope we got a little bit better today. The last couple of days we’ve been working on some things, trying to get a little bit more organized on both sides and I think it showed a little bit today.

On the USA’s 70.8 shooting in the first quarter:
That’s a product of getting really good looks and people sharing the ball. Obviously you still have to make it, but if you get good shots, you can live with them. Today that’s what happened.

Have you been working on defense a lot?
I think it’s one of our strengths. We have so many athletic, energetic players and that’s something coach wants us to do, get after it a little bit, put a lot of pressure on them and then turn that to offense.

You played two seasons in Istanbul, including last season on this court. What was it like stepping back onto your home court?
It was great. The fans here were great. Tomorrow night when we play Turkey, it’ll be a great scene for basketball. The people here love basketball. They love us.

How happy are you for your Turkey teammates that they qualified for the Olympics?
I’m excited for them. They’ve worked really hard. We’ve played against them in the EuroLeague for a long time You can just see their development every year, getting better, getting more competitive. For them to make the Olympics is a big deal. I think they’re going to go into the Olympics and make some stuff happen.