Miami's Trae Young on anyone who forgot he can score: "maybe I just have to continue to be more aggressive and be more myself. And that's all I'm gonna do this year." He involves teammates early so they attack late; age has made him better at "knowing when to pick my spots."
Every press conference, in notes.
What coaches and players said before and after every game, by game, club and player. Free.
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Jordin Canada wasn't satisfied after Atlanta's first-ever WNBA Finals win: "The stats looks like I had a triple-double, but to me, I know I could have played a lot better." She pointed to forced shots, overthinking on defense and turnovers down the stretch.
Another poor shooting night didn't sink Atlanta in its first WNBA Finals win. Karl Smesko said his Game 1 fixes worked: Golden State got fewer second chances, and "even though we didn't shoot it great again, our shot quality was better, our pace was better."
"I think I let the team down last game by only getting 2 shot attempts. And that was on me." Angel Reese answered with 30 points and 16 rebounds in Atlanta's first-ever WNBA Finals win. Coach Karl Smesko gave her "a couple more breaks" to keep that intensity going.
Gabby Williams' late limp in Game 1 didn't hold her back in Game 2, Natalie Nakase said after the Valkyries' loss to Atlanta: "Oh, no. She was aggressive. Yeah, she was fine." Nakase said Williams just missed: "I thought her looks were the same as usual."
Duke has a four-to-six-week injury, and Tasmania JackJumpers coach Scott Roth leans to the long end: "It's probably closer to 6 weeks. So I don't know if we'll see him until mid-November."
"It's fixed enough so he can breathe." Tasmania JackJumpers coach Scott Roth on Dakota Mathias, who told him: "I'm not missing games." Benny gets one more week out as a precaution, having not played five-on-five with the group. If all goes well, "he should be ready."
Ben Gold's role is growing. Tasmania JackJumpers coach Scott Roth spoke of "the luxury of Ben Gold continuing to increase his minutes." With three games in six days coming, Roth said "this will be about us and our approach."
James Tedesco will play for Australia against Fiji and "make a headache" for Kevin Walters, Reece Walsh thinks. Walsh says Walters isn't "sold on anyone's position" and offered him hooker; he declined, saying Blayke Brailey "is good to get a game there".
Reece Walsh says "the body's a bit sore" after his first game back for Australia from a long layoff. Kevin Walters checked his ankle and promised him a chance once it was right. Walsh doesn't know his role against Fiji but will play wherever Walters needs him.
No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa rolled his ankle during preseason, Wizards guard Trae Young said, giving no status or timeline. Young raised it as a setback: "we fell short of that, obviously, with the number one pick AJ coming down, rolling his ankle."
Kel'el Ware says he can play power forward for the Bucks if needed alongside Myles Turner, who spaces the floor and contests shots, letting Ware sprint out in transition: "I'm able to be agile a little bit more." He calls Taylor Jenkins's system "pretty much the same" as Miami's.
Nate Ament went through everything in the Bucks' Oct. 19 contact practice, and Taylor Jenkins will see how he responds on Oct. 20. The G League hasn't even come up: "right now I want him thinking about carving out a rotational spot for us." Everyone else was available.
Kyle Kuzma has made progress recently in the Bucks' offense and on defense, Taylor Jenkins said, calling it "a big year for him." Asked if Kuzma, who started much of the preseason, starts opening night, Jenkins didn't commit: "We're still working through our starting lineup."
Ryan Rollins says his role with the Bucks is much bigger this season: "Controlling the offense, playing with pace, being the initial thrust on both ends of the court." He also said opponents' scouting reports are "more aware of me than they were last year."