WNBA FINALS: STORM VS. ACES

October 2, 2020

Bill Laimbeer

Las Vegas Aces

Game 1: Postgame

Las Vegas Aces - 93, Seattle Storm - 80

THE MODERATOR: Let's start with an opening statement, please.

BILL LAIMBEER: One game down. One or by 21, it doesn't really matter, we lost the game. A lot of things didn't go right for us today. We struggled to score, struggled to make shots. Give their defense some credit, they switched a lot. But at the same time a lot of those shots we have normally been making. It would have been a little bit different, tighter ball game and I would have liked to have seen what happened at that point.

But twice in that game they got very comfortable because we couldn't score and our frustration of not scoring carried over to our defense and that was our undoing. We can't get frustrated. We have to keep playing our solid defense. Clawed our way back into the game, but then ran out of gas. Starting that fourth quarter we came out flat. They came out making shots and we couldn't score and we got frustrated again. So that can't happen. Every series is different and this is a different basketball team than when we played in the last series. I think a little bit of fatigue on our part, but overall I think having seen them play now and they see us play, we're going to go make some adjustments and be ready for Game 2.

Q. That fourth quarter Stewart took over to start the quarter. What could you guys have done differently, if anything, I mean, she was hitting shots from three and all over, to maybe make sure that doesn't happen again for you guys?

BILL LAIMBEER: More energy. We came out in the fourth quarter just flat. We worked so hard to get back in that game in the third quarter. I think it took a lot of gas out of us. We took a breather. You can't take a breather against this team or in the playoffs, in the Finals especially. If you take a breather, the other team's going to spurt and that's what they did. They spurted.

And they're tremendous frontrunners. When things are going good for them their shots go in. And so things started going good for them and it just snowballs. That's what their team is all about.

Q. Just to follow on that, just sort of what you were saying. How tough is it when you're not making shots? And then how good Sue, in particular, is in transition. Because that seemed like that was a really big key for them how well she directs their offense in transition.

BILL LAIMBEER: Yeah, in the second quarter and fourth quarter they found the right combination. And like I said, we weren't making shots so it affected our defense. That can't happen. I get why it happened today. I understand it. I understand a little bit of our fatigue and a little bit of our more mental fatigue than physical fatigue. I get it.

And we got a little frustrated and we just kind of, we just stopped playing the way we need to play. And they have good players and Sue's going to find those players and make the right plays and they're going to make the right shots at the right times and that's what happened in the game.

Q. With the way that both teams do like to get up and down the floor, is that maybe going to be one of those, could this be a series where it is kind of just one run after another going back at each other?

BILL LAIMBEER: Maybe. It remains to be seen. When we play a 40 minute game I'll let you know. But there's no question that we missed Dearica today for energy. She really could have helped us guard and get some easy baskets and running the floor and attacking the glass. So, we're going to have to find a solution there to get a little bit more energy off our bench.

Q. You talked about not making shots, but I think it was 17-56 on two-pointers, how difficult is that and especially a lot of times you're getting second rebounds or second shots and just weren't able to cash them in?

BILL LAIMBEER: Yeah, A'ja struggled tonight, there's no question about that one. Her shots that normally go in didn't. That got her a bit frustrated, it affected her defense, it affected all of our defense. Angel kept it in as best she could by draining three balls, but we missed a lot of open shots that we normally can make. And also followups, we didn't finish some of the followups that we got off the offensive rebound. That just gets frustrating and that affected us.

Q. As someone who has been around the game of basketball for some time and has played alongside and against and coached and coached against some of the greatest talent that this game has seen, what do you make of Breanna Stewart's game tonight, the first player in WNBA history to record 35 and 15 in a Finals game. What do you have to say about her performance tonight?

BILL LAIMBEER: I thought she played very well, she made shots, after the first quarter. She got open looks. We gave her a look because we were a little frustrated and it affected our defense. Our defense wasn't there the way we normally play and they took advantage of it. Especially Stewart. Once her shots start going in, she's a good front runner, she's going to start knocking in a bunch more.

Q. What do you take away from that third quarter, I mean your team did have an incredible run, so what is the key to reproducing that same level of play for the next game?

BILL LAIMBEER: Well we got to get some rest and just have more concentration. This is our first game for many in the Finals and it showed. We got a little, the frustration, I can't express enough the frustration factor of us not making our shots affecting the rest of our game. And we're going to have to overcome that. We may have another game like this, but our defense has to remain constant and it did not tonight and that was the defining moment of this ball game.