September 14, 2008 - In the post-game
interview, interim coach, Jessie Kenlaw shared her thoughts on the season, her tenure as coach, and this evening’s loss
to the Minnesota Lynx.
On
losing to the Minnesota Lynx.
“I didn’t expect what I saw
out there.”
“We’re still immature in
a lot of areas. I had to learn how to deal with that and that was very difficult
for me because I am so competitive.”
“That has been the most difficult
thing for me, dealing with the losses.”
On
being the interim coach.
“It’s been an experience. I’ve never experienced anything like this in my life, I’ll put it
that way.”
“As I look back and as I know some
things that I know now, I’m not sure I would have accepted this position, to be honest, but it was a great experience
for me.”
Kenlaw wouldn’t disclose the items
that she knows in hindsight that would have altered her decision to accept the interim coaching position, but did go on to
say, “I learned a lot about our players and about stepping in as an interim coach, and trying to take over in a difficult
situation. It has forced me to grow in some areas and forced me out of my comfort
zone.”
“The thing that I regret the most
are the losses”, Kenlaw reiterated.
“I feel like a foundation was laid
for the team. We work hard and play with a lot of emotion.”
“No one else, outside of the locker
room, knows what we’ve been through.”
Her
best, and most memorable experience as interim coach.
Just seeing the difference in the team
working together.
"Beating Seattle, I would say that was
my best experience."
(The Mystics beat the Seattle Storm,
89-57, July 20th of this season.)
“That was an amazing feeling, and
something that no one can ever take away.”
Jessie
on the Mystics players.
“This is not the same team.”
“This is not the same team at all”,
Kenlaw said, citing the various personnel changes and loss of caliber players during the season.
“When the season started everyone
thought Nikki Teasley would still be here; and we thought DeLisha Milton Jones would still be here.”
“I
do appreciate the fact that they [current players] didn’t quit. They fought
through a lot of adversity, they didn’t make excuses. They just played,
and they did what we asked them to do, and they did it to the best of their ability.”
“We played with the hand that was
dealt to us, and we did the best we could do.”
“When I look at it that way, I’m
okay with it. I’m okay with it.”
“Hopefully they learned something
from it. “
On
the advice she would give to the team,
“Don’t look back. Just move forward.”
“Just build on the things they’ve
accomplished individually.”
On
her future with the Mystics.
“I don’t know if I’ll
be back next year. I just know that the season is over, and my tenure as interim
coach is over.”
Kenlaw said her future with the Mystics
is uncertain at this point, and she’s not sure in what capacity she will serve the team.
“I don’t know at this point
what my plans are, or what I am going to do.”
“I’ll just have to wait and
see what is the next chapter.”
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