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WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION MEDIA CONFERENCEMay 14, 2012Angel McCoughtryCandace ParkerCappie PondexterKatie SmithTHE MODERATOR: We will move now to the player portion of our call. We will start immediately with question and answer. Joining us now from the Atlanta Dream, Angel McCoughtry; the Los Angeles Sparks, Candace Parker; the New York Liberty, Cappie Pondexter; and the Seattle Storm, Katie Smith. Q. This question is for Candace and Angel. I was wondering if you both could talk a little bit about what the weekend in Seattle was like with USA Basketball, 72 hours, maybe less, together, how intense it was and what y'all got out of it. CANDACE PARKER: I think this training camp was just about kind of getting together real quick, having a practice under our belt, and just going about competing in a game and seeing where we're at. I think that we had, what, a two‑hour practice on Friday when we all arrived, and then we scrimmaged China or played a game against China on Saturday and then we scrimmaged Japan on Sunday morning. I think it was just the short period that the WNBA allowed us to get together with USA Basketball really helped. We know some other countries are allowed to play 30, 40 exhibition games before we even start. I think this was a good basis and we'll get back together in July. ANGEL MCCOUGHTRY: To recap what Candace said, it was definitely a weekend for us to get together. The more times we can get together, the better. We had some great practices, some great scrimmages, and it was good for us to get together this weekend in general. Q. Angel, what was coach Auriemma's emphasis this weekend and his discussions and coaching? What did he want to try to get out of the weekend do you think? ANGEL MCCOUGHTRY: He's trying to get as much done as possible. Like he said, time is limited, the time we get together. We've got to focus, so he's trying to get us together this weekend so we can go over plays again, go over everything we can go over, because we have a short amount of time. We're the team that doesn't have as much time as everybody else. Basically what he emphasizes is just us really capturing the time that we have together. Q. Candace, how do you guys not feel up against the wall because of the way things are structured? You mentioned all the time the European teams and the Australian teams have to be together. How do you manage to keep your confidence up that you're going to be able to maintain the competitive edge that the past Olympic teams have had? CANDACE PARKER: Well, I think that we're fortunate enough to have a program that USA Basketball has people that continually want to come back and win gold medals, and I think that because of that, a lot of the younger players are able to learn from the older ones what it took to win a gold medal and what it's like to be at the limbs. A lot of us played USA Basketball growing up ever since we were 15, 16 years old. So that helps, along with playing overseas basketball when the WNBA season isn't going on. So I think that that kind of prepares us a little bit, and it‑‑ you can't‑‑ we don't have the same opportunity and the same amount of time that all the other countries have, so when we get together, we know it's about business, and that's what we did this weekend. Q. Candace, you were No.1 draft pick and came in, had a lot expected of you as a rookie, ended up being MVP and Rookie of the Year. I talked to Nneka Ogwumike on draft day and she said she was looking forward to being able to pick your brain because of the shoes that you were in. Can you talk about maybe what you saw of her in college, how much you did see of her, and how much are you looking forward to maybe mentoring her with the Sparks? CANDACE PARKER: You know, she's one of the most athletic players that I've ever played against or with in my entire career. I think that her explosiveness is something that you don't see a great deal in women's basketball. I watched her play at Stanford. I think that we were truly lucky to get her as a first pick, and she'll truly help the Sparks for years to come. But I think things that I didn't know about her, she wants to learn, and I think that she is one of the most receptive teammates that I've ever played with. When you tell her stuff, you see her actively go out on the court and try it, and I think that that's what's going to separate her from some of her other rookie counterparts is just her willingness to learn, and she adapts very well to different situations. Q. If I could have a follow‑up with Angel, you guys have been to the Finals obviously two years in a row and played well but ran into a buzz saw really, both with Seattle and with Minnesota. Do you feel like, could this be your year? Do you feel like this team, the Dream, in 2012 can make another run at the Finals and perhaps win a championship? ANGEL MCCOUGHTRY: I mean, that's the thing, everybody thinks it's their year. Everybody sort of has a mindset that they can win a championship each year. If you didn't then you have a problem. So of course every year you're going to think this is our year, this is our year. Every team should think that way. Do you understand? Does that make sense? Q. Yeah, but do you guys feel that the experience factor‑‑ it's interesting, maybe not every team‑‑ you might think that way, but maybe not every team thinks they can win it all, but you guys do. You feel like you can do that this year? ANGEL MCCOUGHTRY: I'm sure if I asked all these girls if they think they can win it, they would say yes. You have to think that way. But yes, the experience factor has helped. Of course it was unfortunate, the losses, but you appreciate the experience of getting there and you just hope to get there again and win it. Q. This question is for Katie Smith. You've played on championship teams in Detroit and Seattle. What do you see that the Minnesota team has to go through, what kind of mindset, challenges they have as they try to defend their champion? KATIE SMITH: You've got to stay hungry, but I know that Cheryl Reeve, the coach at Minnesota, has experience with that, being in Detroit we were in the Finals three straight years, and understands how to motivate. And I think with that team and as young as they are, it's just constantly kind of having a chip on your shoulder and saying‑‑ you know, trying to have an us‑against‑them type of thing where everybody wants to take it from us. So you've got to play games like that.  But also there's you've got to want to be the best. I think all of us, the ones on the call and everybody in the league, you always feel like you have something to prove, and every year is a new year. For them, as I said, their head coach has been there, done that, and understands what it's going to take and what level they're going to have to be at mentally and physically throughout the year. Q. The way Minnesota played last year and they brought everyone back this year, does that make it kind of tough on the rest of the teams, and what do you have to do to kind of knock them off? KATIE SMITH: I do think Minnesota is the team to beat. I think the championship goes through them in a sense because they're the defending champs. They didn't lose anything, and they all look very good still. I mean, they're young, they get up and down, they play defense. They're going to be a formidable foe. You're going to have to be ready to go and be ready to play. I do think that they're the team to beat, and we'll see how everything plays out as we get going. But I also think the West is pretty stacked, so it's going to be a challenge every single night, and it's going to be a battle for those four playoff spots when it comes down to the end of the season. Q. And you guys played‑‑ you guys were missing Lauren for a chunk of last season, she was injured; you're not going to have her until after the Olympics. How is that for you guys? KATIE SMITH: I mean, it's not fun. You'd love to have a player like that for the whole season and have her healthy. But we're going to‑‑ we've got some pieces, got some different pieces. Our team has got a different look this year. We've just got to get back to the basics and really hone in on what we're good at and how we want to play, and if we play well, then we'll give ourselves a chance to win ballgames and put ourselves in position. But when she does get back, that's just adding another major chunk. Yeah, we really just have to focus on what our team is about and go out every night and give it our all and find ways to win ballgames. Q. This is for all four ladies: If you could speak about the Olympic break, you've all gone through that before, or is it going to be any different this year than last, and secondly, we talked to coaches about expanding roster sizes. Has that discussion ever been brought up among you as players as much as it's brought up among coaches? KATIE SMITH: Well, let me just say that for me I'm going to enjoy my Olympic break. I'm looking forward to watching the ladies play and cheering them on. But this is my first Olympic break just sitting back, and I'm going to take a vacation. In that sense, I feel I'm going to take it, enjoy the rest that I'll get and be ready to roll for the second half of the season. On the expanding the rosters, I mean, it would be nice. It's very hard. I don't know if all the ladies here or the teams use practice players, but you almost have to. If anybody is hurt you're almost down to nine people, or if somebody is banged up. So expanding the roster would be ideal, but also, financially is it feasible. That's going to be a question that I think all of us‑‑ the teams make it work however they need to. Q. Katie and Cappie, just because of your seniority in the league, what would you say is on both of your wish lists in terms of the league at this point? What is it that if you both had your say and you were sitting in front of the owners, what would your suggestions be about how your lives could be better or how things could be better with the league? CAPPIE PONDEXTER: For me, like I never get involved with the front office too much. I let them do their job. I trust them. My job is to play basketball and work with the team that's around me, and that's pretty much it. I never try to get too involved with that kind of stuff. Q. Everything is cool with everything you would say? CAPPIE PONDEXTER: Yeah, I have no complaints. You just have to deal with what's around you. It's obvious that it's not a lot of players being rotated. Everybody is signed different places. You have control of the draft picks that you have. I mean, you've just got to do the best with what you have. My wish list is to win a championship and bring a championship to New York. That's the only thing that I think about. KATIE SMITH: You know, my thoughts are similar. We try to do our job the best we can to represent the league and women's basketball in a way that if we can continue to grow the game‑‑ my only thing is just keep trying to be proactive and ingenious on ideas of how to market the league, just try to go with the times and find a way that you can attract and bring more viewers and people into the stands. And also it's nice to see that the league has kind of stayed at the amount of teams that it's at, really honing in on the cities that are already here, and then if they do want to expand, really finding a place that will embrace it and be best for the game rather than just expanding quickly without‑‑ too fast where then we've just extended ourselves too much. Honestly it's just kind of keep being creative on ways to bring more people in and get more viewership and keep making it the best basketball that's out there. Q. I have a follow‑up question with Candace: Coach Ross is obviously a former SEC coach known as a defensive coach. In talking to some of the Sparks players last year, it seemed like you guys weren't sure what your identity was. I wonder if you feel like that's going to be a little more sharply focused under Coach Ross, and then your excitement level with some of the new blood and having a new coach in LA this year. CANDACE PARKER: Well, I'm really excited to play for Coach Ross. I heard a great deal of things, positive things, before I even met her from past players, from Atlanta Dream players, from players that played at Ole Miss, about how great of a coach she is and how much excitement she brings, and I think that's what LA needed was more excitement and just a system and an identity, like you said. And I think we got that. I think we've added a number of new faces. I think Alana Beard was a key addition, obviously Nneka Ogwumike, I think Sharnee' Zoll is a steady, really good point guard that will get us in an offensive set, can also pick up full court. So I think a lot of the things that we filled were a lot of the holes that we had, and it fits her identity and what she expects of us. Q. And if I could follow up with a question with Katie Smith. You and Tina Thompson are both going to be able to take an Olympic break off for the first time ever. What's it going to be like to talk to her about what‑‑ you guys are both near the end of your careers obviously, but what you can do in Seattle, especially with Lauren Jackson not being there at the beginning of the season? How do you feel like your role is just to be steady for the first half of the season? KATIE SMITH: You don't necessarily talk about it. I think it's just a given, how you approach the game and how you approach your career. But we understand our roles and how solid we have to be. Is it scoring 20 a game? No, I don't think that's it. But it's understanding the game plan, understanding what you need to do that night against what team. And just being solid and locked into your game plan. We have a lot of different pieces, and we're getting to know each other and how this team's, I guess, identity, what it will be. But we've kind of been there, done that, and you understand how hard it is to win in this league. But I think mentally and then physically we will lead by example, by being prepared, and for the younger kids like Stricklen and now having Ann who's been in the league, in and out for a while, but it's just being solid, being reliable, being dependable and just knowing that they're going to be able to rely on you every night. Q. Katie, there's a lot of talk, we look at Phoenix and say we have no idea what that team is going to be like, obviously with Penny Taylor being hurt, she's been such a big factor. Do you have a feel for Phoenix? They've been a little bit‑‑ at times in the past if they don't have a key component they've struggled, but obviously they've got Taurasi and some good draft picks and you know Prahalis very well. What are your thoughts on Phoenix? KATIE SMITH: I think they're going to be similar to what we have. They have Dupree and Taurasi and Bonner, kind of, I guess, their core, I suppose. I do think that was a great fit for Prahalis. I do think that her style, she can score, she can pass, the up and down is honestly a great fit for her, so I do think she'll help them. And with that, I think Hornbuckle is there, which is, I think, big, because‑‑ I don't want to call her a garbage player in a bad way, but she's just one that plays the game; she'll rebound, she'll hit a shot, defend, she does everything. I think they're still going to be‑‑ you're going to have to deal with them. They're going to be tough because I think it is unknown. I think when you have more of an unknown, it's harder to gauge them until you get on the floor with them. I do think the additions of some of those pieces and of course Diana and Dupree and Bonner and what they have, I think they're going to be right there where they always have, competing to get in the Playoffs. As I said, whoever makes the Playoffs this year, it's just going to be a battle, because we played against Tulsa in the preseason. I think they're better. They've had additions that have really helped them, and then their new coach, it's just going to be a war over here in the West. Q. This question may have been a little bit better for the coaches, but with the stature of the players on this call, it might work. It's kind of an expansion of what Michelle just asked. There's no scouting department or budget in the WNBA. How much focus and how much time have you guys had to talk about your opponents around the league, the moves that have been made, coaching changes, anything in relation to scouting your opponents and what the strengths and weaknesses might be around the league that you'll be facing? CANDACE PARKER: I think, like you said, that's more of a coaching question, but I guess I'll take that question. I think a lot of the players overseas know the team strength and weaknesses, we know players that have been added to teams over here, but I think it also adds up that preseason is a lot different than when the season starts. You're going to play different players, you're going to play different combinations. So I think once the season starts, once the first five, six, seven games start coming and things like that, you start playing against WNBA teams instead of other national teams and stuff like that, you're able to really gauge how good teams are going to be, what's a team's weaknesses, what's a team's strengths, stuff like that. But every season I do feel speaks for itself. Q. Katie, you've been in the league a long time. Have match‑ups become more important than they were 10 years ago in terms of getting out on the floor and competing? Is it more important that you know your opponents and the different player match‑ups that you're going to be facing than it was 10 years ago? KATIE SMITH: You know, I don't know if it's more important, but I do think it is important. I think understanding what players like to do, their tendencies, whether they like to shoot the three more, put the ball on the floor or sets that teams run. It does, it gives you‑‑ if you go out there‑‑ when I play a rookie, it's really hard to gauge‑‑ the first time I play them it's hard to guard them because you really don't know what to expect so you're kind of on your heels a little bit, but after you have that one time against them you've got a feel for her and what she likes to do. I feel more confident that I can guard her. So I think that's the same way with match‑ups. The more information you have, the more comfortable you are, and then you can try to take away the things that they want to do, and then it depends on how well they adjust and then who maybe wins that battle. But I do think that match‑ups, and I also think when you get in the Playoffs, you might be a better team, but they might be a team that you don't match up well against and they might just have your number, and you might get beat. And it's just sometimes I do think that there's sometimes match‑ups, whether it's individually or team‑wise, that just aren't‑‑ they're not good fits, and sometimes it's just the way it plays out. Q. Angel, can you tell me a little bit about how Tiffany Hayes is doing in camp, and is she a much different player than you remember from your days and playing against her in college? ANGEL MCCOUGHTRY: She's definitely, from what I remember from college, she's definitely gotten a lot better. I'm definitely impressed with her defense, and she shoots the ball very well. I'm looking forward to taking her under my wing a little bit, teaching her little things. It is a different level, the WNBA from college. If I was to give her a grade from a 1 to a 10, right now she has an 8, but she's really working. I'm really proud of her. Q. This question is for Candace: I spoke with Nneka over the course of the draft, and one of the main things that she said is she was trying to become more versatile in her game, and you already commented how she is so athletic, and I think your game is a good model for her. What have you seen from her in terms of her versatility and what have you been able to teach her? CANDACE PARKER: You know, she's extremely versatile. I think that as a result of her athleticism and her ability to face up, she can step away from the basket and take advantage of a lot of mismatches. Just in training camp when we're going against her or we're playing on the same team, I try to just help her out with little stuff that helped me. I was fortunate enough to have key veterans help me throughout my early part of my career, so I'm just trying to do the same with her. Whatever questions she has, whatever advice she needs, but I think that the main thing for her to develop is just making sure that she's knocking down that mid‑range 10‑ to 15‑foot jump shot consistently, and that will help you in any part of your game, whether it be here in the WNBA or overseas, as well. THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much for joining us this afternoon, and good luck, ladies, this week as we get underway. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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