Rachel Banham and Michaela Onyenwere on the Sky's FAILED plan to stop Caitlin Clark in LOSS to Fever

desperate we need to play desperate like it has we have to give everything we have every single night every minute on the court it's not going to be pretty we got to learn how to play through adversity that's another thing that we need to grow from we were a younger team but who cares no one cares no one feels bad for us we got to play through it um we gota start with questions from players this is kind of for either of you but um you guys came out with energy and you guys have always preached you know punching first why what was kind of happening in the second half that you guys weren't able to bring that energy I mean I don't know I just feel like we came out exactly how we wanted to and then we just lost it like I don't we got to make that adjustment um out of the locker room you know you can't come out the second half like that against a team like Indiana who can score in such bunches and I mean I'm happy with how we started but we have to make it consistent throughout the 40-minute game I mean obviously film will show you you know what is going to be there but like how that's this has been a theme lately you guys you're either you guys are in for like 38 minutes and then it's gone so how do you guys try and find that consistency especially if with a postseason push on the line I mean all that it really comes down to is you have to play through it I mean there's not much practice time um to kind of replicate those kind of situations so we have to learn from game to game as cliche as it sounds um so yeah like you said it's been a theme for probably the last four games in a row we haven't really been able to close it out or we haven't been consistent um so it just has to come from in-game experience with to be able to adjust and make those adjustments a little bit quicker um so yeah jul U just kind of wondering first what was the defensive game plan that you guys were kind of looking at to try to contain Clark tonight and Boston kind of that tandem I mean go over as much as we could um on ball screens we know that they're very pick pick and roll heavy team um and so yeah really just go over on her make it difficult make her a passer um obviously she's a good player so she was able to get get a lot of things um for us on us but yeah that was pretty much the plan and then for both of you just when you're looking especially going into a road trip when you're looking at kind of a losing streak like this one how do you mentally prepare for this road trip and and trying to break that desperate we need to play desperate like it has we have to give everything we have every single night every minute on the support it's not going to be pretty we got to learn how to play through adversity that's another thing that we need to grow from we were a younger team but who cares no one cares no one feels bad for us we got to play through it um we got to stop fing um but we got to start playing desperate it has we have to take it to a whole another level of do we want to be in the playoffs or not are we going to just pack our bags and go home let's figure it out right now so we're about to play two really good teams you know mini in Vegas are tough and on the road so but who cares no one feels bad for us we got to figure it out we need to go on there and and act different like we got to be desperate for this guys fit straight loss but obviously unlike the last this is double digits um what's missing what what's missing from this team right now I mean obviously it hurts not having Kennedy too like that's an obvious like missing piece our leading score right um but I think in the locker room we discussed like it's defense I mean obviously offensively we got to take care of the ball and there's stuff we need to clean up we need to execute better but we're going to win games against teams like this playing defense and finishing possessions um yeah and I thought we just we a lack of effort at times like we we played through the whole thing we played through the whole shot clock and then we'd either foul or we would give them an offensive board score and that's kind of unacceptable yeah I don't know you this is really for both of you how do you stay uh I'm sorry how do you stay motivated after a game like this and what message do you like to tell to the locker room going forward I mean we're professionals I mean this is our job so I mean you come to work every day to be better and be the best version of yourself and that should be motivation within itself um you know losing something like this and losing you know five games in a row uh that for me motivates me I think in the locker room it's the same sentiment as well uh I don't want to be a loser we don't want to be losers um and we have we're in a position right now where we can be successful like we are still in playoffs even throughout the adversity and so that I know the people in the locker room are very motivated and we're going to go into Minnesota do our best go to Vegas do the best we can as well and hopefully we have a different outcome if you if you're not motivated getting your ass whoap we got a problem then don't put on the uniform CU you better feel this in your chest uh you both touched on this a little bit just offensively it seems like it's taking a little bit for you guys to get into your sets into your action and then you're having to kind of like push at the end of the shot clock what do you think is maybe the motivating factor in that and how do you break out of that especially with Kennedy being a little bit undetermined just in terms of her availability I mean we've kind of implemented um a little bit more of a offense that helps us move the ball because we have had situations where we are a little stagnant and we we have kind of addressed that um you know it's new for us you know obviously having you know rookie B bigs um we know not really used to coming out of the pain at times and so that's just really a work in progress um like I said it's kind of new for us that that we put that in but we'll get better at it um I think right now that's probably our best offense moving the ball cutting um using the screen and so I think we'll just as time goes on we'll get better at it um U Michaela you and Lindsay really were instrumental in getting out on that huge run uh at the beginning of the game you all worked really well as a tandem uh helping to fill the void um with uh Kennedy's absence could you just describe like the chemistry that you two have that went into uh that Collective performance tonight yeah I mean I respect your question but I don't really care about how we we didn't win you know that that for me is the most important to me um and so like you said with obviously Kennedy out um we offense has to come from somewhere else um she's a great player we miss her quite a bit um but yeah we just have to be better like I don't really care about the points like I just want to win at this point Proby turnovers these last few games have been something that's we haven't really seen this uh level of since about the start of the season I know film will probably show you something but what do you attribute these turnovers to is it just missing passes is it you know bad ball like bad team turnovers what do you think is leading to the uh lack of possessing the basketball um well for me I had three um so personally I have to be better in that and a lot of it for me I think comes from trying to get the ball into the post um you know obviously we have really really great bigs and Camila and Angel and put they put a lot of pressure on you know getting the ball into them um and so I have to be better in that in that way and so sometimes it can be that sometimes you know um guards are being physical sometimes lack of communication can come from all over um I think that we did better because I believe in the last game or maybe the game before we had like 20 something yeah so 13 is not great but uh it's better than 23 yeah we'll take it last question second your uh obviously to you know this is a big game and everything but emotions got a little high especially in the towards the ends of the game with all the uh calls and things of that sort how do you guys stay composed especially as a young team um going through a tough stretch such as this I feel like us leaders and like US Vets have to really step up in those moments we got to really keep us composed I think we could have done a better job of that like we all were just kind of like losing our minds at the end and frustrated and like we can't control that like the refs are human wasn't great not even gonna get in that because I can't afford a fine um I can't um but I really think US US veterans have to just like really step up and be composed in those moments because you could kind of see how it snowballed really quickly um so we got to be better in those moments of trying to like cut it down because I mean I don't know how many I they shot it felt like 300 free throws in the fourth quarter I don't even know if I cracked a sweat because we were standing at the free throw line the whole time but we got to be better that's have to step up and keep us composed but even through that it's just a level of consistency and I get it like refs are human I do understand we're trying to do the best we can but there's at times it feels like there's no consistency and so as a player it's hard when you're when you're just there's fouls every single possession and so like you said in the fourth quarter it felt like it was like what happened I don't even know what happened but they're calling a foul you know so that yes I do agree with Rachel like we have to be better we have to be as Leaders we have to H be held accountable for that but it's just like there's a level of consistency that it's just it's just not there so that's just the one thing we're just asking like okay call whatever but at least be consistent on both sides yeah thank you players thank you guys