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WNBA FINALS: DREAM v STORM

September 16, 2010

Marynell Meadors

ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Game Three

STORM Â– 87
DREAM - 84

MARYNELL MEADORS: Well, I tell you, the three games that Seattle and Atlanta have played have been exceptional games. You really didn't know who was going to win for sure until the very end, and for our team, Atlanta, I think that we have grown up quite a bit this entire season.
Like I said, we're a very young team, never been in this situation before, Eastern Conference Champions. We played hard, we just didn't make some shots in the end. When they went on that run in the third quarter I thought it hurt us, but I can't lose sight of where we have come in three short years: From 4-30 to the Finals of the WNBA Championships in 2010.
We have exceptional players that are gaining experience with each and every game, and I think that you'll probably see a much better team and a more poised team maybe in the beginning of the 2011 season.

Q. Coach Meadors, congratulations on the season. You gave the press crew something to report on all season. I noticed in the first half Seattle was applying pressure at the first point of the outlet pass. I asked Coach Agler the same thing. Did that give you difficulty in running the fast break?
MARYNELL MEADORS: No, that wasn't really key. I thought rebounding was the reason we didn't get very many breaks; we didn't rebound like we normally do, and I think Seattle had a lot to do with that. Let me congratulate Seattle on winning the Championship. They did a great job all season long, Sue Bird, Lauren Jackson and Swin Cash are Olympians, and they proved it tonight with their experience. I thought they did a really good job tonight.

Q. Coach, I know it might be a little early to digest this, but if you had a wish list with two things, three things that you would like to change for next season to take it to the next level, you've come so far so fast, what would they be and why?
MARYNELL MEADORS: Well, I really think that experienced players that have been in the WNBA Finals and playoff series for several years would be a wish list. We would like to have someone that we could count on to do that.
I think leadership is what they give you when they have that experience because they've been there and gone through the series and things, but, you know, I don't know what lies in front of us as far as making changes with our team, I don't want to discuss that at this point.
As a G.M. I'll take that coaching hat off and put the G.M. hat on a little bit, but you've got to get better every single year. If you sit still and are satisfied with what we did this year, chances are you won't be back here again. I want to continue to get better, and whatever we have to do to make those decisions, that's what we have to do. Free agency is always out there because you have experienced players coming out, maybe they want a different location, I don't know.
I haven't even addressed that and looked to see who might be available. So I'm real pleased with the players that we do have, I think our core is very good, and we just need to continue to get better and solid, and if it stays at 11 players then you have to get depth, but we played our bench the entire year.
They see considerable minutes, and they got better as the season progressed. So we will have to sit back, evaluate, look at game film, watch the series. I thought we did a great job of defeating Washington in the first two games, and then we turned around and defeated New York in two games, and we played exceptional basketball in those series, but we have to continue to get better. That's what we do.

Q. Coach, how does it feel to bring a Championship series to a city like Atlanta?
MARYNELL MEADORS: You have to look at it -- they've opened their arms to us and they have given us great support all season long. But especially now, I think us making it to the Championship round, I think people are beginning to look at us and say, you know, wow, this is a pretty good team. High school coaches are coming up to us all the time wanting to bring their teams to our games just to show the game and the skill level and the role models that we have.
We've been instrumental in being in the city with appearances and things with our players, and I think that we will continue to do that. We've got some great role models on our team and we expect and they will definitely be in the community.

Q. Coach, what did you tell your team in the locker room?
MARYNELL MEADORS: I told 'em I was very proud of 'em. We're all disappointed, we're all competitors. That locker room was quiet as a mouse and the reason being is they're so competitive. They want to and they think they can win every game. That's the way I want 'em to think.
They're aggressive, they play hard and they play all the way to the end, and maybe another minute on the clock might have made a difference in the outcome of this game. The same thing with the two games in Seattle.

Q. Coach, if I could follow up on the G.M. hat? My perspective I would say that Atlanta has one of the strongest front courts in the league. Would you be looking for perimeter shooting, for example?
MARYNELL MEADORS: We don't have that consistent 3-point shooter, that is a possibility. Those players are very hard to find because most people already have some of those. If we got a 3-point shooter then we would probably have to take a younger player or a free agent but I definitely would be looking at that.
THE MODERATOR: Coach, thank you very much.

End of FastScripts

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