Additional Gold Medal Game Quotes >> USA 101, Taiwan 66

Aug. 21, 2011• Shenzhen, China

Bill Fennelly, USA head coach (Iowa State University)
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On the gold medal game:
We wanted to go to Nneka (Ogwumike) early and often, and we did. I think (tonight’s game) was even better than the game she played two years ago (in the U19 World Championship).  I think that says a lot about her, not just her talent, but her commitment and focus. You want your best players to step up at the biggest times, and a gold medal game is a good time to step up and do the things you can do.

To our kids’ credit, we added an offense on our off day because we knew we had a size advantage. We just wanted to pound it at them and we did. The kids were unselfish. We kept throwing it on the block and got a lot of easy baskets.

On winning a gold medal as a head coach:
It’s probably one of the greatest things of my professional career. I’ve always dreamed about coaching a USA team. I’ve had the honor of being an assistant coach with Carol Owens. We had a great team and a great staff. To finish it the way we did was really special. It’s better than I imagined. The journey was a great one. We had great people every single day. It’s one of those things that I will always remember, in a lot of ways – more for what happened off the court and the way those young people came together. Everyone did what they needed to do, so it’s a fun way to end.

On the overall experience:
The venues were fantastic. We enjoyed playing here. We also played one game at Luohu Gym. The volunteers were tremendous. Everyone was smiling and helpful. It’s my first experience and most of our players’ first experience in China, and I think it was an experience they will all remember forever. We didn’t just play a very high level of basketball, we got to meet some wonderful people. Everyone made us feel welcome, and it was tremendously well-run event, certainly one that everyone in China and Shenzhen should be proud of.

On coaching Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins, who were on the U19 and U18 teams when you were an assistant coach:
It’s just amazing. Nneka and Sky have been through a lot. This is the third time I’ve had them, twice as an assistant and now as a head coach. They are great players, but they are even better people. I think they were the true leaders of our team. Everyone knew it from the beginning. They followed what we asked them to do, and their experience really paid off and showed the other kids what the international game is all about – the travel and how you just have to fight through it day-by-day. At the end of the day, they have another gold medal and they deserve it.

Suzie McConnell-Serio, USA assistant coach (Duquense University)
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Terri Williams-Flournoy, USA assistant coach (Georgetown University)
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Elena Delle Donne (University of Delaware)
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On tonight’s game:
They were a phenomenal team, and they definitely gave us a lot of challenges because the way they play is completely different than anything we’ve ever seen. They move the ball around really fast, and they just were a very fast team. So, we had to get used to the pace of the game, and I feel like after the first half, we got it under our belts and were ready to go and came out really strong.

On winning the gold medal:
This has been a journey of a lifetime, and as coach said to us, ‘this hasn’t been just a three-month experience, it started from when we were young little girls growing up, dreaming of a moment like this.’ So, it’s incredible. I’m actually speechless, but I would like to say that Taiwan played a phenomenal game against us and really made it difficult. Their style was completely different than what we are used to playing against. They never gave up their fight, and that’s something that we also learned from them. They said they learned a lot playing against us, but we also learned to never give up that fight and always keep pushing. They really presented a challenge for us tonight, and it was definitely a difficult game. We are just so thrilled to have this experience.

How does it feel when they place a gold medal around your neck?
Words cannot even describe how incredible that felt. It felt really heavy for one, it’s an incredible medal. But it was such a special moment and to be standing next to my teammates. We worked so hard these past three weeks. I really can’t even describe it.

On her overall experience with this USA Basketball team:
Coach Fennelly has been incredible, and when he talks to us it’s not just about basketball, it’s about life. The main thing that I took away from it that he said to us over and over again was that anybody can start something and only winners and champions and successful people finish, and this whole experience was about finishing. Tonight I really feel like we did that.

Skylar Diggins (University of Notre Dame)
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After having won a zone championship and a U19 World Championship, how does this gold medal compare to your previous two?
It’s an amazing feeling, and this is the first time I got emotional up there, with my teammates being up there and just the fact that these games were such a big deal this team. I mean, every time, but the fact that I haven’t done it in a while and that I’m back here, it’s a blessing and the biggest honor. To be up there with my (Notre Dame) teammates, with somebody that I’m familiar with, being a bridesmaid in the NCAA Championship, it’s good to be the bride in this game. So, I’m glad that we were able to share that moment together.

On her overall experience with this USA Basketball team:
We definitely had some adversity that we had to go through, and we only had a couple of weeks to do what these teams have been doing for years, playing with each other for months. I think we were able to overcome, and we had our coming of age today I believe, being able to come together. Even though we each are the No. 1 or No. 2 players on our (college) team, we had to come together and make a sacrifice to play whatever role this team needed for us to win this gold medal. I think I’ll take away these girls’ personalities. These are people that I won’t forget. Being with Nneka (Ogwumike) again, and (Shekinna Stricklen) and Lynetta (Kizer) again, and my teammates … I think it’s a special moment.

Jacki Gemelos (University of Southern California)
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Keisha Hampton (DePaul University)
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Glory Johnson (University of Tennessee)
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Lynetta Kizer (University of Maryland)
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Natalie Novosel (University of Notre Dame)
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Chiney Ogwumike (Stanford University)
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Nneka Ogwumike (Stanford University)
On tonight’s game:
Honestly, the game plan was just to execute, play USA Basketball, play as we have been practicing, play hard and really concentrate and focus. And I think the team did a really good job. Obviously, Taiwan is a really good team, and they exposed us in a few parts of the game, but I think we adjusted very well. I think keeping our composure was the best part of the game.

On the USA’s post play:
Our game plan was definitely to pound the ball inside. We played Australia, which was  whole different extreme. Their shortest psot player was 6-3. And then today, we played Taiwan and their tallest person was 6-1. We just kind of took advantage of what they had and what we had, and we executed as best we could.

You said you wanted to play like you did two years ago in the U19 World Championship gold medal game. Do you feel you lived up to that?
I think so. Yesterday against Australia, I was in a lot of foul trouble, but my teammates held it down. Today I wanted to redeem myself and let them understand that they can lean on me. I just really wanted to play hard. play for four quarters and to win the gold medal.

After having won a zone championship and a U19 World Championship, how does this gold medal compare to your previous two?
It feels as amazing as the last two. Right now, we feel like we are on top of the world, and I think what is most special about this is that we came together and we fought hard. It was a long three months, or as coach would say, ‘It’s a long time since we all started playing basketball.’ I’m just really excited for our team, and we’re just really happy to have this gold medal around our necks.

What is it like to earn a gold medal with your sister up there on the podium with you?
It was great. People had talked about how there weren’t very many sisters duos. To be able to not only play with my sister on a USA team, but win a gold medal is something that a lot of people can’t say.

On her overall experience:
Honestly I was very honored to be selected for the World University Games, and we’ve been working hard for the past few months. We put together a team that we thought was the most talented and the most cohesive in terms of teamwork and collaboration, and we’ve had a lot of fun. It was definitely an honor to be able to play kind of an away game. It was almost as if it was a home game for Taiwan, and I’m just really, really honored to have been able to play against such a talented team. They really held their ground very well during the game, and they served as a challenge for us, as well as the other teams before getting to the gold medal game. I’m extremely excited that we won the gold, but also really happy that we were able to compete with such great teams here.

What do you take away from this experience?
The thing I take away from any USA experience is the relationships you form and the things that you learn, not just as a basketball player but as a person. USA Basketball brings out a different characteristic in people because usually you are the best person on your team, you are the most depended on, but here it’s more of a collective effort. It brings out a lot of great qualities in basketball that you wouldn’t necessarily see.

Devereaux Peters (University of Notre Dame)
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Odyssey Sims (Baylor University)
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Shekinna Stricklen (University of Tennessee)
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