Stephanie White, Monique Billings, Caitlin Clark & Sophie Cunningham — Postgame Media vs. PHX

[0:00] Steph, how would you assess the first quarter and then how your team responded after a weird first [0:06] quarter? I thought our energy was low. I thought we were tight. I thought we settled for a lot of [0:14] jumpers and when they weren't going in you could almost kind of see us getting tighter. You know [0:19] and it just we just had to loosen it up and we talked in the time out about look our shots are [0:24] going to fall but we have to find more energy. We have to find more energy. You know and I'm proud [0:29] of the way that our team responded. About technical foul, the kind of skirmishes that [0:36] happened in the game. How aware do you have to make her or she has to be about the eight technical [0:41] fouls and you get suspended for a game. That was her fifth tonight. Yeah I mean she's got to be aware [0:45] certainly. I think there are some that we could do without. You know there are natural things that [0:51] happen that you know the energy of the game creates when you do get those but there are some that we [0:57] can be a little bit more in control. And so yes we'll remind continue to remind her and I think [1:03] she has to have an awareness. Obviously with Caitlin getting that tech that then kind of led into that [1:09] whole skirmish just what was your perspective of what happened there or what you know the officials [1:15] told you? Yeah I mean you know they said that Caitlin got it for clapping and so I guess that's [1:20] taunting. And then I was talking to the officials about it when the other stuff happened so I didn't [1:26] really see exactly what was happening at the time. You know but but look like it's competitive sport [1:32] like that stuff happens. You know I felt like the officials did a good job you know after everything [1:38] of getting it under control. I appreciate the way they called it after that certainly. But as a group [1:45] we have to be able to have our moment and then regroup and play with poison composure. It can't continue [1:52] to to go on. Kind of in that same vein obviously. Myesha got her second tech in the next session. [1:58] Was that something that will be a lesson about you know composure as well? Absolutely. Absolutely. [2:03] You know we certainly talked to Maya about it. You know and and it's it is it's poison composure [2:08] and it's okay. We have we have some moments but then we got to regroup and we and we've got to get [2:13] locked in and we've got to get focused. You know we we have to grow in some of those areas and [2:18] sometimes losing our poison composure looks like that. Sometimes looking at losing our poison [2:22] composure looks like uh breakdowns. It looks like turnovers and and for us you know we've got to [2:28] continue to to grow in those moments. Steph Mo obviously had a big game tonight. Early in the [2:34] season when she's going through rough paths you talked about the importance of her giving herself [2:37] grace. What did she demonstrate during that hard time that gave you faith that she'd persevere? [2:42] Well selflessness number one um because she was always still a consistent voice pouring in and [2:49] encouraging others um holding one another accountable giving us great energy even if she didn't [2:54] feel it physically. She was giving it to us vocally um you know in practice and and and in the games [3:00] and staying engaged um you know when the minutes you know went up and down and and that's a vet number [3:06] one and that's a selfless teammate number two um you know I'm really happy for her. You know I thought [3:10] um you know she did a great job of being active on the glass and defensively early um and then we did [3:16] a good job and and C did a great job especially of finding her on her dives. She got out of screens and [3:21] her movement and her activity level were terrific tonight and that's what we need from her. [3:26] Steph along those lines how much chemistry do you see continue to get built between [3:31] Mo and C? Yeah I mean there's it's still growing um certainly you know I liked um I liked how we [3:36] were able to get her a little bit more involved in some of that stuff here today. Um we've got to [3:41] continue to hunt opportunities to do that. Some of that has to happen organically. Um you know some [3:45] of that we can we can manipulate but some of it has to happen organically. But I just thought [3:49] Mo's energy level um overall from the jump was really good. And just one more on Caitlin. When [3:56] she got subbed back in with about two minutes left what's the balance of okay we do have a lead but [4:01] it's chippy. Like how do you kind of do that or grade that as a coach? Well I think it was like 12 [4:05] points with two minutes left which is a lot of time. So she was gonna go back in the game. How would [4:11] you assess your performance tonight and what went into just having that all-around effect on the game? [4:15] I would just say I had good energy, good hustle. My teammates um found me in the pocket. Cece [4:21] specifically had some really good passes and um yeah I would just say energy and hustle plays. [4:26] Caitlin can you speak to the chemistry you have with Mo and you've been developing through the [4:30] last few games? Yeah I mean obviously it was great. I got to play with her at Team USA and [4:34] you know it's fast in the WNBA. You don't get like a lot of time to develop with one another. So [4:38] just really proud of her and how she came out tonight. I thought she was like diving hard which was an [4:42] emphasis coming into the game. It was like get out of screens. We want to get dives. We want to get [4:45] rolls. Especially even coming out of halftime. She did that really well. She finished through [4:49] contact. She made free throws. So uh and then she rebounded the ball really well. Especially early [4:53] in the game. She got us a few extra chances when things were not going our way at all. So I'm just [4:57] really happy for her. Pick up the tech tonight. Fifth of the season. Yeah it's ridiculous. I got a technical [5:03] for clapping. So like if we should all just go on the calendar now and pick a game that I'm going to be [5:09] suspended for. If I'm going to get technicals for clapping. I asked Gerda. She said Gerda said that I got a [5:13] technical for clapping. So if any technical should be taken away it should be that one. If it's truly [5:18] for clapping. That's what they said they gave it to me for. It was for clapping. So it's just [5:21] ridiculous. I don't I don't understand it at all. So even within that though how aware do you have to [5:26] be of the eight technical fouls? I mean I'm going to play with emotion. I'm going to play with passion. [5:31] And if they're going to give me a technical foul for clapping then so be it. That's that's their choice. [5:35] And the league can come back and review that play and I'd love to hear what they say of the reasoning of [5:41] why I got the technical foul in that situation and why other players on their team didn't get a [5:44] technical foul in that situation. If anything split it. Okay fine. Everybody gets technical foul. [5:47] That wasn't how they were handed out. So I'd love to know. But obviously that's what I went to [5:53] Gerda and said. I said why did you give me a technical foul? She said because I was clapping [5:56] and instigating. I said okay then you just don't like competitive basketball. And that's just facts. [6:01] That's just reality. So disappointing from them. [6:02] Yeah obviously it was a pretty dismal first quarter with only three points until Kelsey [6:09] Mitchell hit that three-pointer. Just what from your guys' perspective went throughout that first [6:16] quarter? I mean I didn't think we came out with much energy. I thought the way they really packed [6:23] the paint bothered us early on. I think we let it bother us. We kind of just got stationary. We were [6:27] just standing. You know we got to cut. We got to move. We got to do things like that. And then we [6:31] probably let you know missed shots affect us too. Like you know I looked up I think nine of our [6:35] first 13 shots were threes. And we made one. And so and I'm pretty sure it was might have been [6:40] Kelsey's last attempt of of the first quarter. So you know can't live and die by the three-point [6:45] line. But also like get cutting get moving. And then also they were scoring the ball at will. [6:48] And like that was the difference in this really the rest of the game. Is we played in transition. [6:52] We got stops. We passed. We cut. We moved. Even when they went zone. We were able to exploit that. So [6:57] you know can't get stagnant. Got to keep moving. I think is probably the focus [7:01] going forward. Because I'm sure they'll guard us in a similar manner. [7:04] Just what was the message from Steph or just in the huddle in general after that first quarter [7:09] for you guys to come out with 35 point second quarter. 30 point third quarter. [7:13] She challenged our energy. We just came out a little flat. I think we let our offense dictate [7:18] our defense. Shots weren't falling. So we were kind of on our heels on defense. Not bringing as much [7:23] energy. So yeah she just challenged us to wake up. [7:27] From both of your perspectives what kind of turned in that second half once you established a really big lead [7:32] started playing better that kind of led to the kind of kerfuffles going on between the two [7:37] teams there. I think hustle plays. Hustle plays really got us going. Kept us in it. [7:44] Second chance points. Being the first to the ball. Diving on the floor. Just that brought energy. [7:50] That brought like a spark to us that we needed. [7:53] Mo where does your calmness come from? How do you stay even? Because I feel like you're like the [7:58] calmest person on earth. Even when things go good bad whatever. Where does that come from? [8:01] Yeah. I meditate a lot. Meditate. We do box breathing here and different breathing techniques. [8:09] So just trying to keep that in mind and just stay even. [8:15] Caitlin, DB posted you that kind of started that whole incident. What did you just see from [8:20] I guess your vantage point and then what did you hear on the court afterwards? [8:26] I thought it was just an arm entanglement I guess. And I thought it was fine like [8:30] whatever. Like I don't I don't think initially there was technicals handed out for that I guess. [8:36] I think it was maybe the scuffle that ensued between both teams after that. Honestly I don't [8:44] remember hearing anything directly or specific words. But I don't know. I appreciate my having [8:50] my back. You know it's nice to have a teammate like that. That's always going to go to battle [8:53] for their teammates. And you know I thought we did a good job of refocusing and trying to [8:57] you know obviously they called everything from that point. Which is kind of what they have to do [9:01] to be able to control the game. So I don't know how long the fourth quarter was but it felt really [9:06] long. So. Sorry. Have to also ask. Did you ask to go back into the game with like two-ish minutes [9:16] left or? I did not. No. Why did you go back in? I guess you can ask. I don't know. It was a 12 point [9:26] game at that point. But yeah. You can ask Steph. I don't have an answer for you to win the game I guess. [9:31] So if you've never been afraid to defend your teammates. Why is that always something that's [9:36] been so important for you throughout your career? No. Yeah. You know I think that when you love [9:40] people you just want them to be good. Be their best selves and worry about scoring the basket. [9:45] And you know what? I know my role. Myisha knows her role. I think everyone on our team knows [9:49] our role. And so it's just kind of who we are. It's in our DNA. You had that first quarter. You guys [9:54] only six points. But then you really bounced back with 35 and then 30. What was Steph's message [9:59] after the first quarter and just going forward? You know I think it was obvious. We just weren't [10:03] playing with the intensity and the energy that we needed. And yeah we've had a lot of games [10:08] kind of game off, game off, game off with the Holy Cavs. And so that's not an excuse. And [10:13] we just got to come out. That first group they've got to punch first. We've got to have them [10:17] call the first time out. But you know what? I'm proud of how we responded. I think in the [10:21] past we would have just kind of let that snowball. But we didn't. And so I'm proud of our group. [10:26] The ability to win kind of ugly. Is there something you can take from that? [10:30] You know yeah. I think when you're kind of in the trenches and things. There's no rhythm. That [10:35] you know you got to win ugly games. And they're not always going to be pretty. But honestly I think [10:40] offensively when we got the ball moving. You know C had a heck of a game. Kels always does. And so [10:45] I think when those two are going off. Everyone else just has to know their role. We'd love to see [10:48] AB kind of get in it a little bit more. So we can extend that lead. But truly we can't let them get [10:53] to the free throw line. We got to do better defensively. And get in transition more. And so [10:57] I think if we clean that up. And we kind of focus on us. Hopefully Wednesday will be a good game for [11:03] us. And what do you think that Mo gave you on both sides of the ball today? Mo had a heck of a game man. [11:07] And you know what? I want to shout her out because she has you know sometimes it's hard to be on a new [11:12] team and trying to find your rhythm. Trying to find your chemistry where you belong. How to use your [11:15] minutes. And I think she had a hell of a game tonight. Her crashing the boards. Her making her layups. [11:20] That type of stuff right there is huge. And we need her to do that. So I apologize that it's [11:24] already been asked. But the fourth quarter. It's fine. You know I think sometimes that's [11:30] part of the game. I think we kept our heads. You know I think we could have [11:33] stopped it a little bit sooner. But at the end of the day we kept our heads. We [11:38] finished the ball game well. And that's what we need to do moving forward. Last year you made a comment about [11:42] the you know just wanting professionalism about the one learning a text message or [11:51] something. Did you ever get an explanation after that? It's old news. Old news. No. And we never [11:55] will. And I really don't care anymore. Could you feel the tensions simmering a little bit [12:01] in the fourth quarter leading up to that? Or is it kind of a flashpoint? No. You know what? I think that [12:05] in games that's professional sports. Sometimes things get chippy. And that's okay. That's okay. [12:10] It's okay for women to stand their ground a little bit. And to you know have some [12:15] extracurricular at times. Because you have to hold your ground. But we're not [12:19] worried about that. Like we need to focus on winning the ball game. We need to focus [12:21] on what we can do better defensively moving forward on Wednesday. And then [12:26] offensively what we can do better. And so all that is just you know it's gonna [12:29] happen. You got to take care of it. But also you need to keep your heads and move [12:31] forward. So quick pack it up. Yeah. Yeah. It's done. We got the dub. Who cares?