WNBA FINALS: PHOENIX VS. CHICAGO

October 13, 2021

James Wade

Chicago Sky

Game 2: Postgame

Mercury 91, Sky 86

Q. The Mercury tonight did their best to just slow down Kahleah Copper. She had 15 points out of 14 attempts. What did you see from them tonight where they were able to slow her down and contain her?

JAMES WADE: I mean, when you shoot four free throws in 45 minutes and you have 50 points in the paint, yeah, you can call it slow down. I just think they played more physical, and I think they were allowed to. We shot four free throws. Four free throws. Call it what you will. I've never seen that ratio in a league game before. You score that many points in the paint, that means you're attacking the basket, and you shoot four free throws.

Q. Coach Wade, did you feel like this was sort of a let-them-play type of game --

JAMES WADE: I've never heard of a let-them-play. I think when you attack the rim and you get fouled it should be called. That's it. I don't understand what "let them play" means. I've never heard that in a game. If they're going to the free-throw line, we should.

Q. What did you feel like was the biggest difference in the overtime?

JAMES WADE: I thought they scored the first six points. I didn't feel like -- I thought they had momentum and getting in spots where they wanted to get to, and we didn't. It was tough. Sometimes stuff doesn't go your way when you're not in the spots, especially in the last five minutes, execution is really important, so you have to execute. The team that doesn't, they can get a run ran on them really quick especially in a game like this.

I felt we didn't execute in overtime, and especially at the beginning, and it kind of gave them a cushion.

Q. I wanted to ask you about that initial start that the Mercury had. Allie [Quigley] came out firing, Taurasi had that four-point play, but then your team is able to climb back and tie it up. How is it that that initial burst the Mercury were able to get, do you think it gave their players that confidence that even when the game was tied right after that to know that they could jump back out again?

JAMES WADE: I don't know. I have no idea what they were thinking. I don't care. I just know we didn't execute.

Q. What kind of challenge did Brittney present for you guys?

JAMES WADE: I mean, she's a tough player. She was able to get deep position and get to spots on the floor. She's big time, so we just have to do a better job of being physical with her without sending her to the free-throw line. I mean, she got more free throws than our team, so that says a lot.

Q. Can you talk a little bit just about what transpired in the overtime period where you guys started to see the game kind of get away from you and started to see Phoenix build a lead and momentum?

JAMES WADE: It's very key that you start off fast in overtime because after -- if you don't start off fast, it's going to be an uphill battle in an amount of time that you kind of see it slipping away. But we fought back, it's just that we weren't ready to execute at the beginning of the overtime, and I felt like we should have been able to.

You know, they got good minutes off their bench, and so I felt like we probably need to get better minutes off of our bench, and we just weren't able to. I'm not going to say we were tired because I don't believe that was the case, but we just weren't executing.

Q. They held the team to 31 percent from the three-point line. How were they able to disrupt you tonight so you weren't able to shoot your typical 37 to 40 percent?

JAMES WADE: We just shot a lot of threes with first intention, so we could have got better looks at the three-point line. The fact that the ball didn't move enough for us to get threes, we normally are a rhythmic team where the ball has to come to you, but I think we were a little impatient, and we shot the first three that was there. We didn't move the defense enough. I think we have to find rhythm in that regard.

Moving them first, and if we get an open shot, we want to get a better shot. Good to great. We got some good threes but we want to get great threes, and I don't think we got great threes tonight.

Q. Although you weren't able to get the win, Courtney Vandersloot did come up with 14 assists, moving her in the top 5 in the all-time assists for the WNBA playoffs. What do you think about that accomplishment for her?

JAMES WADE: I think it's special. It really is hard for me to focus on individual accomplishments. She's done a great job. Great player, a lot of accolades, and that's great. Yeah, but it's time to play Friday.

Q. Can you expect the same effort in Game 3?

JAMES WADE: From?

Q. In Game 3 from Courtney Vandersloot and the rest of the team.

JAMES WADE: Yeah, I mean, we're in the Finals, so I don't expect anything less than 100 percent, so I don't know -- if you mean effort, do you mean results or --

Q. Effort and results.

JAMES WADE: I expect better execution. That's what I expect.