WNBA FINALS: MONARCHS v SUN

September 20, 2005

Joe Galvin

Yolanda Griffith

Colleen Maloof

Donna Orender

John Whisenant

HEATHER COX: Ladies and gentlemen, 2005 proved to be one of the most exciting seasons in the nine-year history of the WNBA. And this Final series perhaps one of the most exciting ever. Here to accept the championship trophy for the Sacramento Monarchs, the ownership group, the Maloof family, represented by Joe, Gavin and Colleen Maloof. Now, to present the WNBA Championship trophy, I am pleased to introduce WNBA President, Donna Orender.

DONNA ORENDER: Thank you, Heather. What a night, what a series, what a season. First, let me recognize the Connecticut Sun, the Mohegan Tribe Counsel, the Mohegan Tribe, Coach Thibault, the entire Connecticut Sun team. You have done a great job this year. A great job. Now, let me turn to Sacramento. To the Maloof family, to your ownership and management organization, who so passionately and with such great commitment by Gavin and Joe, your leadership has led them to the top this year and so it is with great pleasure to present to Coach Whisenant and the entire Sacramento Monarchs team the 2005 WNBA trophy. (Applause). Congratulations on the first basketball title in the history of the city. What made this time different and enabled the Monarchs to bring home the championship?

JOE GAVIN: First, I would like to thank the Connecticut Sun. What an unbelievable competitive team. They're a great team. What unbelievable organization. I want to thank Coach Whisenant, Coach T, the entire organization, these beautiful ladies here, they're unbelievable. And I want to thank all of you for supporting this team all year. We love you and go Monarchs. (Applause)

HEATHER COX: Joe, you're not only owners but very passionate fans. How was the Maloof family able to will this team to victory.

JOE MALOOF: Because of all these fans. We love you. Ticha did it, all the women did it, Yo did it, they're the best team in the WNBA. We're world champions.

HEATHER COX: Congratulations to you all. And now to present the WNBA Most Valuable Player trophy, I'm pleased once again to give you WNBA President, Donna Orender.

DONNA ORENDER: She leads with her heart and her soul and it's her inspiration that makes this team go. Congratulations Yolanda Griffith on being the 2005 Most Valuable Player.

HEATHER COX: Yolanda, at the beginning of the season Coach Whisenant decided to reload with a lot of youth. At that time you actually requested a trade. You decided to stick it out and stay. At what point in the season did you know this would be a special year?

YOLANDA GRIFFITH: I knew this was a special team when everybody reported to training camp. I knew then that we had something special. I tell you what, this has been the best season of my career. My teammates made this year special. Because I know I'm their leader, but I trust my teammates so much, my teammates totally had my back today and I believe in them, no matter good or bad, we're going to always stick together. And this is just unbelievable. Oh, my God. (Applause).

HEATHER COX: Yolanda, you were a different player, this was a different team in the second half of this ballgame. How did you gain that refuse-to-lose mentality in the second half?

YOLANDA GRIFFITH: I knew in the first half we was not playing Sacramento basketball. I knew I was struggling, I was forcing too many things. I just kept my composure and like I said, my teammates are always going to have my back. We support each other and we knew the first half we were just not playing Sacramento Monarchs basketball. We did not want to go back to Connecticut. So we had to bring it the last 20 minutes, and we did. I just want to say, we have the best fans in Sacramento, in the WNBA. Oh, my God, I'm going to party tonight.

HEATHER COX: We'll let you go celebrate and we'll bring in 2005 --

YOLANDA GRIFFITH: 2005. 2005.

HEATHER COX: Now we'll bring in the leader of this group, the coach and general manager of the Monarchs, Coach John Whisenant, and Coach, you were a franchise best 17-2 right here in ARCO Arena. How much was this fan base, your sixth man, to win the title.

COACH JOHN WHISENANT: Greatest fans in professional basketball. We had very unselfish players, had great ownership and the very best fans in pro sports. So that's why we are here and we have won this trophy.

HEATHER COX: All season long you've preached defense, when your offense failed, you said, it is okay, defense wins championships. How proud are you of the defensive effort tonight and all season?

COACH JOHN WHISENANT: Well, I'm proud. It's what I believe in and that basket gets awful hard to make when you're under pressure situations like this game. But defense holds you in there. And that's what held us in tonight.

HEATHER COX: Coach Whisenant and the entire Sacramento Monarchs, congratulations Sacramento. It's time to celebrate. (Applause).