WNBA Connecticut Sun

Sun Post Game Notes

Published on May 22, 2009 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Connecticut Sun News Release


Tonight's game marks the 2009 pre-season opener for the Connecticut Sun. It is preseason game #2 for the New York Liberty. Yesterday morning (May 21), the Liberty played the Washington Mystics in Madison Square Garden at 11 am.

In 2008, the Connecticut Sun and the New York Liberty met three times during the regular season, with the Sun taking two out of three. But the tables were turned in the post-season with the Liberty taking two out of three in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The final post-season score on Sept. 22 was: New York 66, Connecticut 62.

First Quarter Score: New York 20, Connecticut 15 - Shameka Christon topped the Liberty with 5 points; Tamika Whitmore led the Sun with 4 pts.

Halftime Score: Connecticut 31, New York 30 - The Sun outscored the Liberty, 16-10, in that quarter. In that quarter, the Sun's Asjha Jones scored 9 points. Overall, at the half, the game's leading scorer was the Sun's Jones with 11 points. Jones was 5-of-10 from the floor.Top overall scorer for the Liberty was Christon with 5 points. The Sun outrebounded the Liberty, 17-12, at the half. The Sun's rookie, Chante Black, was the game's leading rebounder with 5.

Third Quarter Score: Connecticut 53, New York 47. The Sun outscored the Liberty, 22-17, in that quarter alone. In that quarter alone, Amber Holt led the Sun with 5 points, while Janel McCarville and Kia Vaughn led the Liberty with 4 points each.

Final Score: Connecticut 74, New York 62 - In the final quarter, the Sun outscored the Liberty, 21-15.

CONNECTICUT SUN QUOTES

Head Coach Mike Thibault

Opening Statement: "When we took care of the ball, we were really good. We gave them the lead by throwing the ball all over the place. I don't know if it was first game jitters."

On Chante Black: "I thought our first round pick, Chante (Black), for her first pro game, did a nice job. She's a legit 6-5...The blocked shots are a huge weapon. I think it frustrates teams."

Thoughts on some of the other young players: "I'm going to reserve my judgment for awhile. It's hard. It's their first game. They weren't bashful, and that's a good thing. They were optimistic at times, but they weren't bashful."

On Kristi Cirone and Ashley Hayes: "We took them for different reasons. Kristi we took her for her point guard skills, her hustle skills. You saw her ability to get a deflection, run a pick and roll, find the right person. Ashley we took because she is a shooter, a really, really good shooter, she took two shots and made them both. As my son said in warm ups, she must have made 95% of her shots."

On Danielle Page "She did well, they are going to make our decisions hard, hopefully one way or the other they separate themselves in the next week or 10 days."

Chante Black On her play "I had a lot of fun. Just trying to get into the groove of the system here. A lot of things have been thrown at us, just trying to come out and use my strengths. It's not guessing as much as over thinking and over analyzing. It's about just getting in the flow of the game, not over thinking, just playing. I'm still trying to learn how people play. It's all about learning each other's strengths. My strength is rebounding so I'm definitely trying to get this team more shots and looks on the offensive end. If I have the opportunity to take a shot on the low block I will take it but otherwise I'm here to rebound."

Asjha Jones On Chante Black "I think it's awesome not doing jump ball against 6-5 people. Every other team has a true center and neither Whit or I are. We are not shot blockers, I had one but that is what happens when someone shoots it into my hand. It's nice to have that center and I'm not it. It's nice to have someone around the basket at all times. I think she's going to be awesome, she's tall, and she's long. She works hard, it will take a little time to get as aggressive as people want to see. I think she does enough right now to get by but she is going to be good."

NEW YORK LIBERTY QUOTES

Head Coach Patty Coyle

"We can't turn the ball over 21 times and our bench can't have 17 of them."

On the play of Kia Vaughn in her first game after graduating yesterday "She has a learning curve, when you go from level to level there is a learning curve and she is going to be a good one."

On the Sun "They have a veteran team, they are well coached. They are going to be right there, every year, they will be right there."

Kia Vaughn On playing in her first game "I had a little big of jitters, but it was great."

On the goal for New York this season "Overall, we need to find chemistry with each other and build the chemistry so we know each other like the back of our hands. There are new players, the team lost great players, we gained better players, we have to put it together and mesh well to be where we want to be.

Janel McCarville On training camp so far "It's been really good for us. We have not gone as hard as some other teams, but we have come in and done what we needed to do. Unfortunately tonight it didn't really show. Yesterday we played a lot better than we did today, but I think people needed to get minutes and see where they are, development and that's what the purpose of today's game was."

On the difference between last year's team and this year's team "We are still a young team in some aspects, but the people who have been here, we are all experienced and know what it takes to win. We know what we need to do, we just have to get everyone on the same page. We have only had four or five practices and two games, so we have not looked to bad, but we do have things to work on for sure."

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