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WNBA ALL-STAR GAME 2017July 22, 2017Maya MooreBreanna StewartSeattle, Washington - Postgame West - 130, East - 121 Q. Maya, when I was talking to some of the newbies yesterday and asking them how hard did they anticipate they had to go, what they said is we're going to see what Maya does and that'll tell us how hard we have to go. Are you the barometer for All-Star Game intensity? MAYA MOORE: Apparently I've been dubbed that title. It was interesting going to our WNBA Cares event. I was with all the first-timers from the East, and there were some questions about, hey, how hard, what's the deal, and I said, somewhere in between shoot-around and regular season, like that's the lane. So that was the wisdom that I dropped. But it was fun. I thought it was a great pace. You never want anybody to get hurt, but you also want to play with a certain intensity and show off your athleticism, so I thought we did that. Q. For both of you, playing in that lane like you talked about, how difficult is that? You two are hyper-competitive, and just the same, it seems like late in 2015, Maya, I remember you took it to another level, set a record. Is there a moment at which the light sort of goes on and you guys look to take it from, all right, this is an exhibition into something more because at some level that's just what you guys are trained to do? MAYA MOORE: I think the fourth quarter is kind of the natural -- this-is-as-intense-as-it's-going-to-get moment. I think Layshia [Clarendon] started that off with the two, the pick and the three, and so that cut it, I think, to five or six points there. But we handled our business, and we had, I think, a 10-plus kind of cushion going into the latter part of the fourth. So if it was a closer score, I think you would have seen even more of an edge there like you did. Like you said, last year's game it was a little closer, 2015. Kind of the nature of this game wasn't as intense because of the score. Q. I know you guys don't get the weekend off obviously because you played, but is this a mental break and then you turn around and you get yourself focused for the last half of the season? MAYA MOORE: Yeah, it's not really a break at all. I think this is one of those weekends where you appreciate the fact that you're an All-Star, that you're playing well, you're healthy, and you can represent at this point in the season. But there's a lot of things that we do in the WNBA with our community. We get up early in the morning the day before the game to interact with kids, to let fans see us practice, to have a welcoming reception where we can really just celebrate each other. So we're on the go from the minute that we get here, so it's really not a break at all. But there is nothing like playing the game, getting out on the floor, laughing, joking, kind of letting loose. The pressure is off a little bit. So those moments are sweet that you carry with you going into the second half of the season. Q. I would say on the East Jonquel Jones was kind of the breakout performer. What challenges does she present, and what will your predictions for her future be? MAYA MOORE: Don't you match up against her? BREANNA STEWART: She was looking at you. MAYA MOORE: She's somebody that is fun to watch kind of come into her own, except when they're playing us, because she's gifted. She's got height, athleticism, and really her confidence is just increased with her finishing ability. She knows where she likes the ball. She poses that threat as a post that can shoot from the outside, so the pick-and-pop, similar to Stewie. But also she's mainly a problem on the offensive boards because she's so long and she gets off the floor pretty quickly, and so when you can score inside and outside for your team, and she's not afraid to block a shot, so definitely one of those up-and-coming players that is more coming than up-and-coming, and she's proving that this season. Q. Stewie, you have done a lot of things with the Seattle community, and this week especially you were the point person on a lot of things. What kind of stood out for you this week as you did those activities, got into Seattle a lot more, and then today with the crowd and having their response? BREANNA STEWART: Well, I think when you have an All-Star in your city, you have to be a good host. You know, it was cool to be able to go to all the different events just because whether it was going to the top of the Space Needle or going to the Jr. NBA clinic, everybody was so excited to like see us there, to have us there, to welcome us to their thing in Seattle. That's what made this weekend really fun is the fact that the whole community came together to put this on. It wasn't just the Storm organization or the WNBA, it was literally the whole city. And that goes to show today how the fans were at the game tonight, or today, sorry -- MAYA MOORE: It was an early game. BREANNA STEWART: It was loud. There was a lot of people there, and they were excited to see the best of the best play. Q. Breanna and Maya, a certain gentleman you guys know very well based in stores texted me about how -- he's like, wow, look at all those UConn people out there, and I know you guys answer that question a lot, but when you consider it's Sue [Bird], 15 years, and Diana [Taurasi] , all the way down to you, Stewie, what about that particular legacy, and obviously [Stefanie] Dolson out there, too, and Tiffany Hayes, what about that legacy about how long that lasted and how that was on display today? BREANNA STEWART: Well, Coach Auriemma texted us this morning, the seven of us in a group, just saying congrats, have fun, that type of thing. You know, it is a big deal for seven of us to be here, and like you said, it's over a long period of time, whether it's Sue's 15th, 16th season or my second season in the league. You know, it just goes to show that at UConn obviously we want to have long careers, and this is what we would. We love to play basketball, and we want to do it as long as we can, and we want to do it at the highest level for as long as we can. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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