WNBA FINALS: STORM VS. ACES

October 6, 2020

Bill Laimbeer

Las Vegas Aces

Game 3: Postgame

Seattle Storm 92, Las Vegas Aces 59

THE MODERATOR: Coach, we'll go ahead and get started. Congratulations on a great season for the Aces. Any opening statement about the game, the series and maybe the season?

BILL LAIMBEER: Give all the credit in the world to Seattle. They're a very fine basketball team. They played very well in this series. It was very obvious that they have more weapons than we do. It was clear that they were the better team in this series.

For the whole season, yeah, I'm so proud of our players. We came in shorthanded, then got more shorthanded. Three of our top six players are out. We accomplished a lot. Not only did we get to the Finals for the first time, we also learned a lot. Our players learned a lot.

I think A'ja grew up. I think she understands what this league is about and her responsibility. We got to know Angel McCoughtry. She's going to work on her body and come back stronger next year.

Overall, I think the season was a great positive. I'm very happy with the performance of everybody on our team. They all understood their roles, they all executed their roles. My assistant coaches did a hell of a job in this environment of preparing them. The whole package was a success for us this year.

It hurts right now for our players. I've been down this road numerous times, winning and losing in the Finals. This was not a brutal beat. They beat us. This wasn't an emotional, brutal loss at the last buzzer. This is, we understand, what our task ahead of us is now and we're on to next year already.

Q. You got off to a good start tonight again, A'ja dominant in the first quarter. What happened in the second quarter?

BILL LAIMBEER: We just started to turn the ball over again. 11 turnovers in the first half. That's been our bugaboo throughout this season, against this team, Seattle. Careless turnovers.

We couldn't get our shots to go in. Our guards were struggling. They didn't give us any open looks at the guard position. They played a solid team defense. We couldn't capitalize. Like I say, we needed another post player. We could have used another guard. Obviously Hamby.

We have our full contingent next year. We're more than happy to tee it up with them again.

Q. You talked a little bit about having a great season, not the way you want it to end. What was the message to the players in the locker room? They're probably disappointed right now. What did you try to say to put things in perspective?

BILL LAIMBEER: They have everything to be proud of this year. Nobody expected us to do anything this year. They came together as a team. They executed their roles. We had some individual awards that were handed out to our team. We had the overall best record, got to the Finals. There's so many things that were positive this year.

Yeah, everybody is going to dwell on the fact we didn't win. We're still a young basketball team and we're growing. I think at the end of the day we did a hell of a job as an organization and as a basketball team.

Q. Stewart got in foul trouble in the first half. Were you disappointed you weren't able to take advantage of it, make a run?

BILL LAIMBEER: Yeah, that was basically the end point of the game right there. We didn't take advantage of our opportunity. We turned the ball over way too many times. Four turnovers in the last two and a half minutes when we could have been in a ballgame.

When you do that, like Angel said in one of the huddles, it sucks the life out of you. That's what happened to us. It just deflated us. We couldn't take care of the ball and get good looks.

Q. You mentioned next season. How long of a break do you get before you start planning for next season?

BILL LAIMBEER: You're always planning. We're planning for next season this season.

We have a pretty talented squad if we're at full strength. Every team makes changes, two or three here or there. We have a very sound nucleus of eight, nine players that are very solid. I think we have a first-round draft pick, No. 12. We'll look around.

But making our team is going to be very difficult. Free agency is going to be interesting this year. We are a very good destination not only for basketball but also for the quality of the town, the organization.

Q. Knowing the what ifs, what if we had Dearica, Kelsey, is there a what if factor with this team or you take it on the chin, learn from it and move on to next season?

BILL LAIMBEER: We came in shorthanded. It is what it is. Losing Dearica late in the season hurt us from a Finals perspective. But I think overall we came in here to find out who we are, for some players to grow up and learn. And we did.

I'm very proud of A'ja. She deserved the MVP by far. She carried our basketball team to no end. Dearica getting the Sixth Woman of the Year again, that was really solid.

Don't underestimate Dan Padover, got Executive of the Year. Not only what he did for this basketball team, but this league in the bubble. He was the go-to person for representing all the basketball teams, talking to the league, getting stuff done. Our franchise really showed their true mettle and I'm proud of everybody.

Q. Looking at it from a progression standpoint, from last year to this year, what is it this team needs to get over the hump next year?

BILL LAIMBEER: All our players. I was definitely convinced we were going to win the championship if we were a full squad. You can't guard us. Strong across the board, every position, size, shooting. You name it, we had it. It just didn't work out for us this year because of the virus, got a little injury there at the end. Yeah, we have a solid future right now.

Q. Speaking of the future, you touched on it a little bit. How active do you see you guys being in the free agent market in the off-season?

BILL LAIMBEER: That remains to be seen. I think we're going to be a player. We'll get somebody, maybe two. I'm not sure what caliber. Looking to fill role playing positions, I believe. Our starting situation looks pretty solid with our players coming back.

There's a lot of players going to want to come to Las Vegas. We're just going to have to go around and try to find the right mix and match of who can fit in, understand their roles, accept their roles for a championship ballclub.