LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Las Vegas Aces are starting the season off in the win column. The squad set a WNBA record after defeating the Seattle Storm on Saturday.
KTNV sports reporter Tina Nguyen caught up with head coach Becky Hammon who may not have been at the arena but was definitely there in spirit.
The full interview is transcribed here:
TINA NGUYEN: 105 points against Seattle on Saturday. What stood out to you about the win?
BECKY HAMMON: Oh. I mean, just their professionalism, their tenacity. When the lights go on, they know what to do. So it doesn't matter if myself or Big Bird is coaching them. They know what to do so I feel really good about them. But I was also really excited for the opportunity for our assistant coaches while I'm serving my little suspension. So Natalie will be up next. I told her no pressure but she only has to beat L.A. by 42.
NGUYEN: How many times did you scream at the TV?
HAMMON: Not too many. There was a few things here and there. But overall, I thought they did a great job. Obviously, it was our first really kind of game action so I thought we kind of played into it a little bit. But once they found their groove, especially defensively, I thought they were really difficult to guard.
NGUYEN: A couple of newcomers are on this team. What did you make of Candace Parker and Alysha Clark out there on Saturday?
HAMMON: They're ballers so they fit in seamlessly. Even personalitywise, they fit in really well with the group. So I'm excited for what each one of them brings individually. Obviously, Alicia brings a lot of defense, really great shooting. And then Candace, I mean, there's really not a lot she doesn't do but just getting her acclimated to it. So our system, what we do offensively and defensively but then just letting her be her and she's figuring out her spots where people like the ball. We've communicated where she likes the ball so I think we're on a really good page and moving in the right direction with everybody.
NGUYEN: You're sidelined for one more game. Then you're back out there with your team. But how do you put into words how your staff has prepared and just kind of kept things going as normal as possible?
HAMMON: Well, like I said, we've put a system in place and the system is there to withstand the hard times or when things don't go our way. And so, with me being on the sidelines, we feel like we have everything in place that we need to to still be successful. So the girls, like I said, they've been so awesome through this whole thing. And so, we're going to roll into L.A. and play a great game and then come back here and get some rings.
NGUYEN: What do you want to see from your team on Thursday?
HAMMON: Same thing that I saw this past Saturday, which is just playing together, playing out of our defense a lot. I've really challenged them this year. We all know what they can do offensively but I've really challenged them, defensively, as a group, to really up the physicality and the discipline and the locked-in factor out on the court because I think if we can get better on that end of the court, we'll overall be a better team. And so, we're always in the business of getting better.
NGUYEN: Six scorers reached double figures on Saturday. What does that say about the depth of this team?
HAMMON: Well, that was one of the things we wanted to get this off season. I ran our starters last year a little bit into the ground. I don't want to do that again. It's just not sustainable. So not only getting more depth in our bench, but, like I said, they kind of bring their own little niche, little specificity skill. And so, we want to utilize everybody. We feel like we have a solid bench. Once Bay gets back in, it'll be an interesting run in practice, who wins some of these scrimmages because the bench group is just that talented.
