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WNBA MEDIA CONFERENCE

May 10, 2017

Breanna Stewart

New York, New York

Q. Many of the league's biggest stars have made big jumps forward from their first to second year, but almost nobody has posted the kind of numbers you did as a rookie. Top 5 offensively, defensively as well. Wondering what specific areas do you think are ripe for you to improve in year two?
BREANNA STEWART: Honestly, I think that I wanted to to just -- obviously, I came in and had a solid start in my first year, but wanted to improve that even more, whether it was offensively, defensively. A lot of people talked about what I did in my rookie year, but I want to be better than that. You know, I had some time off when I got back from China early because of my knee, and I was able, as I was rehabbing and getting back on the court, I was able to practice things that I otherwise wouldn't have had time for.

Q. Any specifics along those lines, whether it's perimeter shooting or you know, particular moves? What were those things that you think you'll be able to bring to bear on your second season?
BREANNA STEWART: Specifically just working on some more of the off the dribble stuff. Creating some space between defenders, and then the mid-range of the face-up game, that type of thing. Still tweaking other things, like the outside shooting, and the post-ups and that type of stuff. But really, always remain focused with the mid-range game, and having those moves and moves to build and counter what the defense is going to do after, having seen how people play me defensively.

Q. I wondered how you are feeling physically? I know you had some of the knee issues that you came home from China to try to address. Obviously for every rookie there is such a whirlwind of going from the end of the college season, in your case even more. How are you feeling now from a physical standpoint and then from a mental standpoint of going into your second season?
BREANNA STEWART: You know, I think both physically and mentally I'm feeling great right now. I think that having my overseas season be cut a little bit short was disappointing, but it was also a blessing in disguise. Because otherwise I wouldn't have had that time off to really rest my body, my mind, and recover in that way. Obviously, you never want to get hurt, but I think where I was rehabbing and who I was doing it with was great.

Q. In terms of this, with the playoff structure, the playoffs are going to obviously be over quick with those early rounds, what did you learn? It was one game, but what did you learn from that and what do you take from that into your second season in terms of how you guys want to make the postseason, but how you could have a more sustained postseason run?
BREANNA STEWART: Yeah, exactly. I think that what we learned and what I've learned from that playoff game is like any other playoff format that I've been in. It's one and done. And whoever plays the best on that day is going to win. I think that for us, our team, we haven't forgotten what it felt like to lose in Atlanta.

Even though we had that great run to make the playoffs, we didn't want to just be there. We wanted to do more than to just get to the first game and lose. I think it's more fuel to the fire and more motivation for what we want to do this year. Just really start off a lot stronger than we did last year.

Q. I wanted to ask you what it's like playing with Alexis Peterson? You guys were foes in the National Championship in 2015. How have you guys been able to gel?
BREANNA STEWART: So playing with Lexi has been a lot of fun. It's kind of funny that we played against each other in the National Championship my senior year. She went to Syracuse where I'm from, and now I'm in Seattle. I think with Lex she fits into our offense and defense really well, just because her pace that she wants to play at and how they played at Syracuse and that type of stuff.

Now it's just more so helping her get an understanding of what we're trying to do here in Seattle. That's always been the toughest part. When you come right from a college team and you've been there for four years and you have offensive and defensive schemes engrained in your mind. Then you get to another team and it's like now you have to forget all of that and start over.

Q. I was wondering, it seems like there were a lot more off-season moves this season. What are your thoughts on the addition of EDD to the Mystics, Kristi Toliver to the Mystics, Odyssey Simms to the Sparks and how does Carolyn Swords help you guys?
BREANNA STEWART: Well, it definitely was a lot of off-season moves, and I think it's going to take a while to get used to. You're going to look and see Odyssey Simms with the Sparks and you're going to a double take and say isn't she supposed to be with Dallas? The same with all the other players that you named.

For us, personally, getting Carolyn is amazing. To be able to have that post who is able to defend the fives and be more of a banger, someone who is there to help clean up the rebounds, it's just going to make our style of play even better and add the piece that we didn't have, a piece that we really were missing.

Q. You've always played basketball, whether it's USA Basketball or UCONN or high school, what was the first week or two like when you came back from overseas and you weren't able to get on the court? How trying was that and how did you deal with that?
BREANNA STEWART: Well, I didn't really know what to do at first when I came back from China because I came back, and right when I flew in, I went to my rehab facility and went to meet the guy I was working with to do PT and that type of thing. Because I was thinking I'm going to go back to China and play in the playoffs.

When I got there, they kind of shut that down and told me, listen, you've just got to rest and get this back healthy so you'll be able to be 100% by the time the WNBA starts. But I just enjoyed the things that America had that China didn't.

Q. You were teammates with Saniya Chong for two years at UConn and she took a major jump off this year. Just your thoughts on the year she had, put herself in a position, and she's got a good chance to make Dallas's roster a third round pick. How happy are you going to be for her if that happens.
BREANNA STEWART: I'm so happy for her, she's my best friend, and being with her for the past three years at Connecticut and rooming with her for two of those years, you know, just to see the jump she made, how she stepped up in her senior year and took on a leadership role that nobody really knew if it was there or not, and she took it and just put herself in a great position in Dallas. Hopefully she'll just continue building opportunities for herself and taking advantage of them.

Q. I'm curious whether you, having seen the league develop, where many players including yourself are playing inside-outside, if that makes it more difficult for a team to succeed going small the way San Antonio's going to attempt to do this year? Obviously, talent is talent, but how hard is it to make up for size at this level?
BREANNA STEWART: I think it's really hard to make up for size at this level. That was one thing our team was lacking last year was just having a person, having that big. Especially when you match-up with some of the teams in the league and they have people who are dominant in the paint, whether it's rebounding and that type of thing, and you have to have someone that's going to be able to match up against them and fight them for the whole 40 minutes.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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