Kate Martin and Megan Gustafson return to the Target Center for tonight's Aces vs Lynx game

is this a game where you guys feel like you see an uptick in fans or friends who are going to be coming to the games uh family members who are going to be hitting you up for tickets yeah absolutely I mean I'm from Wisconsin so that's really close by here and I have a lot of family and friends in the area in the Twin Cities and obviously a lot of hwk fans too to see this one anybody in particular that's coming tonight I mean I don't know if Jay and Lisa anybody's coming up up here uh coach Abby Abby's coming more coming in Chicago Taya and Raina coming to Chicago Hannah Stewart former Iowa player so is that right yeah so um you know just some you know former coaches and teammates and uh friends and family that are from around the area yeah okay I know you were on the grid a little bit with what you were doing over the break I how you throughout a first pitch and spend some time with family and stuff how do you feel like you're getting back in the group of things now you've had a couple games back after the break under your belt yeah I mean uh nice break I really haven't had that much time off since two Mays ago so it was uh really enjoyable I just spent a lot of time with my family and um traveled a little bit to you know different places uh but it was very refreshing uh very re ating and so I'm happy to be back and be back in the swing of things though it was obviously public injury that you had in your last game before the break you feel like I mean are you at 100% right now any lingering issues from that at all no no issues I'm at 100% sounds good U Megan how do you feel like you I mean does the Olympic break wear you out or do you feel like you are still back at full energy now that you're back with the team yeah the Olympic break definitely wears you out um I think personally for me I I got in a lot more better shape um but I did lose a little bit of strength because we're playing so many games and so many practices and a little bit but um yeah yeah just nice to be back settled back in with the team and I'll get that straightened back soon yeah was uh was that what you were was the Olympic break what you anticipated of it I mean your first time playing for a team during the Olympics so is that what you was it everything you dreamed yeah I mean I think nobody can really anticipate like your first Olympic time and your Olympic experience um it was just really special moment uh especially with the attendance I mean there was 27,000 people at our first game and um you know always in the 20,000 so just to be able to play in front of that kind of atmosphere a world audience is really really meaningful for me do you know I mean when you start plan what you're going to do in the offseason do you think you'll go back to London or do you have an idea of what you're going to do in this coming offseason not signing anywhere I'm going to take I'm going to take some time take some you know well-deserved rest my foot you know has some issues so I think every single person always has issues if you play in the WNBA um so just trying to be able to rejuvenate that and um you know just train as well how about you Kate do you have plans for the offseason are you going to try to go anywhere else or just hanging around in the states yeah no I have uh plans um I'm just not sharing them not sharing I didn't know we're allowed to talk about that stuff yet but that's I'm sure it'll come out soon enough but yeah I'm excited for the offseason okay um what are the biggest things that you want to work on I mean I know we still got a lot of this season left but between year one and year two what are the big things you want to focus on yeah well obviously I'm just where my feet are right now and focused on the rest of the season and you know we want to win a lot of games and uh you know make it really far in the playoffs you know that's our goal um but uh for me personally I guess you know there's a lot of things that I can work on you know the WNBA shows you your weaknesses really fast but it also shows you a lot of your strengths and so so um yeah I I know I want to work on you know being a better a better ball handler um being able to you know create and get to the rim you know get by really quick Defenders everybody's bigger faster stronger in this league so obviously that's going to be an emphasis as well you say that WNBA shows you your strengths what have you found to be your strengths that it's showing you this year um I think honestly it's just kind of what I've known is that you know like I can play with anybody and that you know I'm a I'm a really good shooter and um I find myself in good positions a lot and uh being able to knockdown and open three is super important whenever you have uh such great uh players surrounding you and so um I've been in that position before where you know I'm going to get open because they're going to have to help on you know Asia Chelsea Jackie Kelsey you know everybody else and so um yeah whenever I can knock down those open threes you know I I have to do that playing with Asia who's having maybe the best season in WNBA history this year what have both of you been able to learn from Asia what she taught you either as a player or somebody off the court I know you talked about her being such a good leader you guys learned I've gleaned some leadership abilities from her too yeah I would say for me is like um not only is she you know putting up tremendous season you know having MVP you know numbers everything and uh but she's just a really good teammate you know she's somebody who will come up to me and you know tell me not to stop believing in myself and to never doubt myself and um for you know one of the best players in the world to do that and you know one of the best leaders to do that and just like instill that confidence in the people around her I think that's just incredible yeah I mean I'd have to say the same thing you know she's such a great leader such a great teammate always positive that's why she's different that's why she's one of the greatest of all time um because she's she instills confidence in every single person that's around her um on the court off the court anything that you're going to pick pick up from her or that you feel like you're going to uh take from her that is either leadership or on court asset of her game I love to do everything a is doing literally everything next question uh aces are in familiar territory you guys are in what fourth fifth in the league right now now what do you guys have to do to finish it off strong down the home stretch and uh finish off a three Pat I just keep believing in each other um you know we know our strengths we know who our Superstars are and who our role players are and we just have to gel together as a team you know we've seen glimpses of it um we just have to get a little bit more consistent for sure yeah I think defensive end uh we really harp on that and so uh you know just putting together a full 40 like Megan said and just having each other's backs and believing never you know doubt ourselves uh so yeah it'll it'll be uh fun next uh 13 14 games and so um we're excited what's the biggest memory you have of this place at Target Center Kate oh man when in winning Big 10 championships obviously last year's Big 10 championship game was really exciting overtime win and so uh I think just you know seeing the confetti fall and you know being able to do confetti angels and just celebrating with the team so uh there's a a lot of good memories this place holds this this would you w your big title here or I don't know that was in Indiana Indianapolis at what is it called now gamebridge that the old one do you have any Target Center memories anything from college that you would have been when you were at Iowa um I don't think I actually ever played in Target Center um but I know I remember I think it was summer before my senior year I remember coming here to a lyx game and and just being like it could be me one day you know being able to playing in the WNBA so sure it's cool were the links of your team growing up I mean it was one of them you know for sure I mean just because of the closeness of of where it is to my home but um it was just fun to watch all the players then and and just to be a part of this amazing League now