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WNBA ALL-STAR GAME

July 10, 2010

Geno Auriemma

UNCASVILLE, CONNECTICUT

USA Basketball Â– 99
WNBA - 72

THE MODERATOR: We'll begin with Coach Auriemma.
COACH AURIEMMA: Coming into today, not exactly sure what we were gonna see. We kind of had an idea going in that some of the older players would play really well. They've been together a while. They know each other. They feed off each other pretty well.
I thought the fact that we had 30 assists, 32 assists, something like that, is just an incredible number. To be able to spread the ball around like that, share, make the extra pass, all the things you would want to see a team do.
Obviously we got a lot of work to do, but for the first time being with this group, we got a chance to be pretty good.
THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Would you like to see this game played in this format every year, the U.S. versus the WNBA All-Stars, to give you that four or five days every year to get together and see how good you are?
COACH AURIEMMA: It would certainly be helpful, worthwhile for us a little bit. It's unfortunate that we don't get any time together. We don't get a chance to spend quality time, given the way the league season runs.
So, yeah, something like this would be extremely beneficial to us. I don't know who makes that decision. I thought it was pretty good today. It's the WNBA versus the WNBA, so it's not playing an outside entity. It's us against us. So I think it could work.

Q. Coach, what were the areas you were happiest about today and what were the areas you feel need the most work?
COACH AURIEMMA: Well, as I said, I thought the way we passed the ball and how smoothly our offense seemed to get generated. It wasn't just one thing, you know. It was baskets in transition, it was baskets inside, threes, a little bit of everything.
As I said yesterday, Diana is such a pivotal player on this team because when she's locked in like she was today, you know, I had so many people say, Man, I didn't know Diana could play like that. Well, you know, when Diana decides something's really important and she gets that look on her face, the game's gonna be played a certain way and she's gonna dominate the game. That's what happened in the beginning of the game.
I didn't like the fact that we gave up a lot of layups early on. We fouled a lot. I don't think we rebounded the ball that great. Our transition defense wasn't that great. So all the things that come from spending a lot of time in practice, you know, we'll get that fixed.
But today, you know, more good than bad, for sure.

Q. What was your strategy for Maya today? She was last off the bench. What did you want to see from her today? How do you feel she played?
COACH AURIEMMA: I didn't really have a strategy going in. I didn't have any plans on how or how much. I just knew she wasn't gonna start. I knew I would sub everybody else in before her. They deserved it, they've earned it.
And she played in that first half like a college kid. Didn't look like she had her legs. Didn't look like she was comfortable yet. But by the time the second half rolled around, by the time the game started...
Great thing about Maya, when you look at our team, you can't tell who the college kid is. If you line up all our players and say, Pick the one who's in college, you would never figure it out. She blends right in. She plays like them. She handles herself like them.
You know, I think it was a great way for her to get started today. She accomplished a lot just from a jump in there, get your feet wet. I was really, really proud of her. Really proud of her.

Q. Coach, could you tell me how many Connecticut players were on the court at one time?
COACH AURIEMMA: You know, it's funny you mention that. I was kind of conscious of not having them all out there at the same time because then it would look like, you know, I was trying to do it on purpose. Even though I looked out there a couple times, I think the most ever there was three maybe at one time. I don't think it ever got more than three.
But they're spread out over a lot of different positions. We got a couple guards, we got some forwards, got a center. So it's easy to all of a sudden look out there and, Wow, there's a whole bunch of them out there because they play a lot of different positions.
I think that contributed some to how well the offense went because they know each other, they're familiar with each other. So even if you play 10 years ago and you play now, the same concepts exist. Like the other team struggled with their offense, you could tell, because they don't know each other. They're being thrown together for the first time. Our offense was a little more familiar because the people running it have done it.
No disrespect to the other team. We had the best players on the floor. It's the U.S. national team. We better have the best players on the floor or we're picking the wrong guys.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, coach.

End of FastScripts

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