Katie Smith, Dorka Juhasz, and Kayla McBride | FULL Lynx Media Availability | August 12, 2024

uh I wanted to ask you kind of in advance of the Maya retirement coming up what was it like her entering the league as a veteran what was it like to see I mean she won she was so dominant in in college um a little like Stewie you know DT a little bit just what they did there um but just like Fearless partly I you know Maya just kind of plays one way you know what I mean she just is she competes uh we'll take big shots we'll block shots like she just plays hard um but it was just she was just non-stop I think that's probably the biggest thing is when you played against her it's like she keeps coming and that's on offense and defense like she's Relentless rebounding you know and and all of that so uh just what she did in a short amount of time in the W was impressive uh just she really did win on every level yeah as a veteran did you I mean is it fair to say that for the time she was maybe the Caitlyn Clark of her time just in terms of the notoriety she brought to the league yeah I mean she was she was a household name um just you know but her success she had just like was impressive what she did against you know being a youngster and coming in and just really dominating and not I guess no fear in a way like she just I think trusted in her prep and her work ethic and and everything that she knew that she could perform on this level um and and the effort obviously every single night um you know was really unmatched and obviously she has some good teammates too but she she was but she's also but you know I mean but she she she was another piece that you know put him over the top and you know helped them but she's I think just the way she prepped and and approached everything it was just uh really pretty you know Top Notch you played against her and coached against her yeah she's tough I mean again as I said she can make a mistake but she's coming right back at you and that's why I love you know you you appreciate it's not it's not about being perfect it's just about playing hard and competing uh willing to take big shots willing to make big plays you know what I mean I guess that's why I appreciate like not always going to be perfect but she competed every single possession you remember that 15 three-pointer yeah I remember all of them she's everything she's she was a problem CU she's big she's big athletic you know what I mean like she's got a skill set any effort on top of it so yeah she was uh special special in her time that's for sure you had any contact with any of the team yeah we keep up uh not really with the players you know re we uh we video practice um so I'm sure she's been watching just a little couple emails here and there but uh she's been pretty busy uh so not a ton but just to kind of stay connected you know kind of tell her what we're up to but she's she's been able to watch practice um but probably not put a ton of thought into it but yeah she's she's given us a couple couple responses here and there so and how much you now this break is over and it's the home stretch so to speak it's a little ways but yeah no it's it's time to go um every single game matters uh positioning towards the end like it doesn't matter anybody's record uh it's going to be a battle down down the stretch and and we know what we want to accomplish so hopefully we're going to you know come out the gates you know strong uh we've had some really good work here uh but yeah we're Thursday we're going to lace them up and it's back at it so uh you know again you can't take a day off that game maybe the difference of your matchup in the end uh and we're looking forward to it because again we've put ourselves in a great spot we put in really solid work so far now it's time to finish off uh finish off the season so we got really solid work in uh fellas were great you know got to stay sharp um execution you know defensively just a lot of just just trying to really emphasize like let's just stay sharp so when everybody gets back we're ready to hit the ground running is it hard to work on things at least in a team concept when when three of your players aren't there yeah I mean obviously threee starters in big pieces of of what we do but it was it was good too for reps um different voices uh just put people in different situations um and challenge them in different ways so it has a lot of benefits too of just like having those pieces away um and making sure that we're getting better and then as I said hopefully when you add them that everybody's elevated what was your viewing experience withs TV most of it was in here um I was I would get my workout and walk on maybe stress reliever while I was watching especially the last couple games last yeah that one was tough uh but I was I was enjoying all of it I really did enjoy the Olympics and just try to you know I kind of have my alarm set for some events to to watch live and then uh but we had we had fun um we watched one of the games together at a bar of their own uh you know we went there and supported them there so um had some fun you know watching everybody and sharing them on at yeah so awesome I mean obviously didn't start out great for Australia but then they put a put a run together and she did great I mean it was so much fun to see her out there kind of playing the role that she had uh with the Opals you were talking about just kind of keeping people sharp not letting any rusts accumulate waiting for the guys to get back I mean you kind of held your own maybe it didn't Excel but it held your own without fee as as you went into the break now you're going to have everybody back your depth back I mean do you think this team is poised maybe to do something hope so I mean it's going to every single night is is a challenge right you jump out the gates of Washington who who played so well going down into the break uh then we have two games against Vegas who has Chelsea Grayback who we haven't seen so um I hope so I hope you know fee love seeing her out there playing um I hope that we're we're excited about the position we put ourselves in and to take advantage of this last part to put ourselves in a great position going into the playoffs so I I hope they are pumped um you know to get back at it um but every single night is going to be its own Challenge and we got to show up um and do the little things rebound take care of the basketball you know knock some shots down which uh I know we will how practice go today dark it went well um you know I think as much as I think you know personally I would have loved to be in the Olympics I think it was fun to have this t kind of time of practicing together just you know While others are competing like I think it was good for us for the rest of the guys just to have this about sorry two weeks of practice and like just you know working through the place just getting in shape and kind of you know getting that team chemistry um so when they're coming back like we're ready to go so it's been fun a lot of competition a lot of lot of games lot of you know uh playing against the guys so it's been really useful what did you do with your time off so I actually went back home to Hungary so um I went back to my family uh I spent all all the time with them so it was great I haven't really been home since I don't know maybe last September like when I after this season like the perious season so I had like one week but like not too much time to be with them so it was nice to be home with them a little bit and just you know just get this energy and love from them when when you have uh three of your starters away is I mean does most of the workouts here become individual stuff and just kind of keeping the rust off kind of thing cuz you really can't work on team concepts with three starters up um I think you know it was it was a good balance we did both like we did in the beginning a lot of individual stuff but we we had team practice every single day so meaning obviously we had nine players it looked a little different but we could still put out you know five players and rotate and go against the guy so it was we I think we really focused on making this like an actual team practice because and today we're preparing for the second half of the season so we wanted to be in shape and you know we we were able to work a little bit more without the starters you know just getting gaining a lot of confidence um and working on those rotations so I think it was a good balance of both game coming up on Thursday after almost a month of not having a game was sort of like the biggest challenge in sort of resetting that mindset going into a game on Thursday where after that there probably won't be any more days off until the end of the season oh yeah definitely no more days off after this but I think you know it was a great break mentally physically uh for a lot of us obviously it's going to be tough to get our Olympians back I'm sure you know obviously they're happy and we're super proud of them but I'm sure it's just taking a lot out of them so hopefully just getting back uh getting them back and you know I don't know how many practices they're going to be able to have with us so it's going to be a tough turnaround for them and also for us just because we haven't played the game in a long time you know we obviously we play against the guys but it's is different you know once it's uh once it's actually for real game uh but it's exciting because I think you know most of the teams are in the same situation some teams are actually able to practice together you know with full team but I think it's it's fun um and hopefully you know other Olympians come back with you know a lot of happiness and we're super proud of them so hopefully that's just going to give them a little bit you know hopefully they can rest a little bit on the plane I know it's a quick turnar around with the jet lag but um it's going to be fun I think think we're super excited to start again and then it's kind of a a unique year you know just to have this long break and then start off so we just got to keep going and hopefully be able to where we left off and just you know just gear up a little bit and just trying to raise that level that we played that at the end of the that part of the season so it's going to be exciting uh it's definitely going to be a little bit Rusty but you know we've been working so we're excited how close was hungry to make super close uh it's kind of painful still we we actually lost by one point against Spain um in February so Spain was already going so it wasn't really an important game for them but it was either us or Canada um so because we lost Canada went so if we would have won we go in be's team out so it was just a heartbreaker we played in Hungary so it was in front of our um home Crown so unfortunately super close um but my goal personally is I have a 4-year plan so my goal is to be there in LA with my Hungarian team we're going to we're still young so hopefully by then we're all going to be at an age um where we ready and we can make it happen so do they have any other kids playing college ball over here no actually most of my team is playing in Euro league so like they're playing in professional teams and playing Euro league so you know you you saw the Fe a FBA competition is tough it's super physical so um I think it's it's good for them to get that experience early and everybody's playing in Euro league so it's tough to play in there but that's the goal four years I I want to be in La so that's I wanted to ask you kind of in advance just cuz I know we're going to be busy but you know they're going to retire Maya's Jersey little while here what was it like seeing her enter the league as as a veteran back in the day oh gosh uh I mean welcome to the WNBA moment was Maya you know just guarding her her Aura just in general I remember being in San Antonio just was scared I always end up playing the links here on my birthday I don't know why uh it's crazy but um you know it's just her Aura and what she represented for us as guards shooting guards and and threes um her ability to score at all three levels at a crazy rate um you know everybody knew who she was when you come in League it's like this Aura you know it's kind of like you know the Diana and everybody else she has this aura about her so I'm really excited that I get to be here and that was a big reason why I wanted to come here is because of those players that I played against when I was when I was coming up so I'm excited she was a tough guard oh yeah I mean cuz she's just she's big she's physical um she can jump she can like leap over you you know she can get to the rim she can pass she would you know she could play in the mid post and like that was just like seeing somebody have a complete game for the first time like actually going up against it I think um as a pro so yeah I mean I'm really excited and so happy for her and her family I know that the league is kind of been on this trajectory but I mean in in a way was she kind of like the Caitlyn clar for day M I mean yeah I mean in our eyes for sure I mean there was so many players at that time too that had so much AA like you would say then you said the Stewie you know the Skyler Diggins like they just had so much more coming into the league which creates a lot of pressure and I think Maya just handle it so well with so so much grace you know and I think that was that was something that stood out to me with her for sure as a as a fan watching the game did you watch the 15 finals I did I was there oh you were in Indie I was in Indie because I was at a oh yeah yeah so I was I was uh I was there I remember right after the season I had a chance to chance to go so it was it was pretty cool where were you sitting like right behind the bench the IND bench so unfortunately so I could I can see it I was at 12 and 15 so oh do you remember that shot yeah I remember the shot everything went quiet that was crazy amazing like and you just to see it live it's just unbelievable so thank you yeah for sure can I just quick get your thoughts on um um G and fee winning the gold I'm just so happy for them you know obviously I spent a lot of time with them here in mini but to see them doing it on that level and bringing home the gold I was pulling for him even Claire being out there Dame we have a lot of mini mini blood out there so I was I'm just so happy for them you know it's like uh it comes once every four years you never know what how the cards are going to fall so to be able to be there and bring home the gold is so special um and they mean a lot to me and you know in my life so I'm just super happy to for them to be coming home with a gold uh the last 15 games um and you know we want to maximize it obviously we have our Olympians coming back slowly but surely um and so I think our mindset is just like attack each day as best we can and make the most of it you know I don't think that Seasons like this happen all the time I've been in the league in a while um so have to be in a good position right now that basically like treat these last 15 games like they're playoff games um and move forward move forward with that mindset and see where that see where that takes us I think we have a a great group um mentality I think we all are kind of on the same page so um just taking it like te playoff games and see where we end up um you guys kind of held your own without fee mhm um held there five and five into the break I mean not bad but you know there was some injury issues um now you got everybody back um do you think this team is primed for a a good finish for sure like I said we want to get out this gate strong you know we we start at home which is great um but you know those first three games like that's going to traj us to where we want to be at so I think that you know this time together that we've had with our assistants was really powerful for us um especially myself you know getting some rest come back with that that fresh mentality and then we add our Olympians back in and you know just give it everything we got you know like I said I think as long as we keep it on the same mentality everybody stays healthy I think we have a great chance of of doing some great things