2007 Pan American Games - Post Gold Medal Game Quotes

July 24, 2007 // Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Dawn Staley
I think we are a very young basketball team, but the team is comprised of some players that come from very good programs over in the United States and they're used to playing in big basketball games. You know, a lot of times you're not going to put teams away in the first, second or third quarter, but, I thought our depth was the biggest thing in this tournament to off-set our inexperience and our youth. So our ability to play a lot of people at different times allowed us to keep the pressure on Brazil and go on a run in the fourth quarter.

The game of basketball is losing a tremendous player. I had the opportunity to play with her in Houston and I think she was a tremendous teammate. She's very professional, she knows how to play the game and you always want somebody on your team that you know, when the game is on the line, they're going to give you their all and gona make great decisions. And, I thought she did that for our team in Houston. I think the game, not just Brazil, the entire women's basketball game all across the world, is losing a great player.

I think Matee is very explosive. I've seen that kind of outburst against my team in the United States at Temple University with us playing Rutgers so I wasn't really surprised by the output, but, I certainly was surprised that she had that much left in the tank because looking at her in the second and third quarters I just thought she didn't have enough in the tank to score as many points for us. Sometimes an athlete, when your back is against the wall, you find the fuel to overcome your physical 'just being physically tired' and then you move into another area of just competing and wanting to win and refusing to lose and I thought she displayed that in the second half, but mainly in the fourth quarter.

I'm feeling great for our players who have come into a hostile environment and played a really tough, Brazilian team who, most of them will probably play in the Olympics in 2008. I was glad to see our players just pull it out because it was very tiring, it was a physical game, it was a mental game, but I think our training, their experiences in basketball with their respective universities all helped us in this particular basketball game.

The difference was our depth. I think that our ability to use a lot of different players and different match-ups I thought we just took advantage of the mismatch on the floor and we knew that Brazil played seven players for a lot of minutes for the last four games and we just wanted to make sure that we wore them out. But, they hung in there tough until the very end. But, we knew that the team that could make a run in the fourth quarter was going to be the team that won the game and I'm glad that it was us.

This is my first USA Basketball team and I think your first ones are always pretty special. Really special. It's been fun just getting to know them. I recruited most of them to come to Temple and all of them turned me down. You know it is an opportunity for me to feel like a part of coaching them and guiding them to becoming Olympians through this experience. And, it's wonderful. It's all about giving back and trying to get them to understand what it takes to become an Olympian because it's one of the best feelings you can ever have in your life.

Matee Avajon
I think the Brazilian team actually did a great job closing out and not allowing us to get really open shots, but I thought the penetrations were open. My team did a great job of setting screens and allowing me to get to the basket. So, I commend my teammates.

My teammate did a great job of finding me and setting screens and getting me open, I was able to either penetrate or get good dish off to someone else. I commend our team for doing a great job.

This team had great depth and it seemed as thought someone different stepped up each night?
Definitely I think that's what this team is about. The coaches did a great job of picking the 12 women that came over here to Brazil because everybody was able to contribute on any given night.

On beating Brazil in Brazil:
It was definitely exciting. Having the crowd against us and trying to work alongside the other players and coaches, it was just a great atmosphere.

Candice Wiggins
You've had quite a summer. Two gold medals with two differtent teams, could it gt any better?
Probably not. Two gold medals, two great teams, very different coaching experience. I'd say I was very blessed and fortunate to be around the people I was around this simmer. I couldn't ask for a better ending.

What did you think about today's game?
This was nothing like I've ever experienced before. The crowd and Dawn said there's no feeling like beating a country in their own country. It's kind of overwhelming, it' starting to hit me what we accomplished,

Once we got a four point lead, while they came back, I think it kind of gave us a little bit of momentum, and then in the fourth quarter Matee completely took over the game. When we needed her she hit big shots and she was just hot today, she was just on. Throughput this entire tournament everybody stepped up on different days and today was Mat's day and she really delivered.

Nicky Anoskike
This has just been my year. We won the NCAA with my college (Tennessee) team mand then now this, it's just been a great year for me.

Could you feel the temp/momentum changes?
I guess I'm experienced with being down, I know how to get us back and keep my poise asnd I just tried to help everyone else slong with that

She know how to play in tight games like this, her team also made it to the NCAA championship so she's also experienced and she knows how to play in this kind of environment.

Did it mean more to winning Brazil against Brazil?
Definitely, any time you can beat someone in their own country that says a lot about the personality of the team and what we wanted to get done. We didn't let anything stop us. There were times things weren't going out way, but we knew what we wanted to achieve and that was the gold.

Angel McCoughtry
Dawn Staley means a lot of experience and composure. She just helps bring the most out of us.