	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

WNBA FINALS: SPARKS VS LYNX

October 14, 2016

Brian Agler

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Sparks - 92, Lynx - 75

BRIAN AGLER: Physically there wasn't a whole lot of difference between the two teams, but I'm glad that we responded the way that we did after our showing in Game 2. I have a lot of respect for Minnesota. We know that they are going to come really at us on Sunday, so we'll have to be at our best to be competitive.

Q. Brian, last series Pokey Chatman said she thought Candace had played with a chip on her shoulder the whole season. Have you sensed that during this run, and is that maybe what we saw tonight?
BRIAN AGLER: I think you'll have to ask Candace that. I don't want to speak for Candace. She's had a heck of a year, not only as statistically but as a leader, and the thing that I'm shocked that some basketball people don't understand this, is that how she makes other people better on our team. You can ask her specifically about the chip on her shoulder.

Q. You said that you wanted Nneka and Candace to just be more aggressive in this game and to play on their front foot, not their back foot. How would you judge how they came out?
BRIAN AGLER: I thought they responded well. We've seen that all year long. On a couple occasions, maybe not so much, but they've been really consistent that way and really proud of how they went at it. So that's one game, and we'll get ready for the next one.

Q. Brian, in the first eight minutes when your team built a 22-point lead, what did you see in Minnesota's defense that you could exploit, or to what degree was that 22-point lead built on just emotional intensity?
BRIAN AGLER: I think that we were aggressive, and I also think that it's one of those things sort of like what happened to us up in Minnesota. We missed shots, so they missed shots and we got out in transition. The game of basketball, you know, your offense a lot of times is complemented by the defense and vice versa, and you're going to -- obviously be better offensively when you get defensive stops. You're going to be better defensively when you score because you're going to make them take it out of bounds and you're going to get your defense set. That sort of is how the game started, but they worked their way back in it. They got it to eight or six, which is expected.

Q. Brian, piggy-backing off of that, the maturity of this team that's been all season long, you guys weathered the storm and everything. Can you tell me how much that was important for you guys to finish off the second half, the maturity of your team?
BRIAN AGLER: Yeah, Minnesota worked hard to get back in, and they were within striking distance. They really finished off the first half very well, and I felt like second half we came out, we addressed a few things at halftime, and we came out and played very consistently I would say. Hit some shots, got some stops.

Q. Brian, after Game 2 you talked about how the Sparks needed to get better at rebounding, the guards needed to get in there, and especially for those first 15 minutes or so, it seemed like everyone was getting in there for offensive rebounds. How did you step up that element of your game?
BRIAN AGLER: You know, we addressed it, and they performed. That's about the extent of it. These people are professionals. They're mature. They've played a lot of basketball. You can talk to them. You can watch film, and you can make improvements that way. Minnesota is the same way. Tomorrow's practices either team won't do a whole lot; we'll watch film, address some issues. Same thing will happen Sunday morning, and then we'll go play on Sunday.

There will just be a lot of communication by both teams here between now and Sunday.

Q. As close as the two teams have been this entire season, is there such a thing as a swing game in this series, or is every game just a different chapter?
BRIAN AGLER: I think it's a different chapter. I think people, these teams, because of their maturity, they're going to regroup and come out and make changes, make improvements, watch film, and it'll be another dogfight on Sunday. That's about the extent of it.

Q. The first quarter was almost a story of two different quarters, two different chapters in terms of the intensity, but then the pedal seemed to come off the metal in that second quarter with less rebounding, more settling for jump shots, less ball movement, et cetera. What was happening there? Were they adjusting to a change in the Minnesota defense, or was it just that you can't keep that level of intensity up for 40 minutes?
BRIAN AGLER: You know, I think we scored 30 something points, 32 maybe in the first quarter, and I haven't seen many teams score 120 something points in a game. So you're not going to sustain that. But I also think a lot of that had to do with Minnesota. They adjusted their lineup. They went with -- they just experimented there for a while, and they finally got a group that was working, and they stayed with that. They're a deep team. They're a good team, and I think a lot of that had to do with how they played.

Q. Nneka and Candace again doing what they do, producing big-time. Speak about the importance in the roles that essence Carson played tonight with the three-pointers and Alana Beard continuing strong defense and also gave you some extra offense, as well.
BRIAN AGLER: Yeah, they both had great games. You know, Minnesota has just got great wing players, and you just -- I'm impressed with how Essence and Alana are working hard to just stay in plays with their good players. It's not easy. They run good offense. They get good shots. They're Olympians, you know? It's a challenge, and then for them to really give it all defensively and still find ways to help us at the offensive end is huge.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297