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Anne Donovan chatted with storm.wnba.com about the team's performance, coaching against an old friend and more.
storm.wnba.com: How have the first two games of the tournament gone?
Donovan: I think really good. Challenging is what we expected and challenging is what we have. I think now that we're here and we see the competition, it was probably very beneficial to open up with Cuba, knowing that Cuba is one of the top teams here. I think it was good to come out with a really strong test in our first game rather than open against Jamaica and get confident and then try to face a really good Cuba team. I think we'll have another challenge tomorrow. Canada's playing good basketball. They were competitive with Cuba tonight. The medal round will be interesting.
I'm really pleased with where we're coming defensively. I think this team has made big strides at that end of the floor, which has been our biggest challenge. I'm really pleased with what I see now at the defensive end. Tonight we got the running game going against Jamaica. I haven't finished [charting] the fourth quarter yet, but we've already got almost 40 points in transition in the first three quarters, so our running game is definitely a reflection of good defense and good chemistry. I know that with every game we're together we're going to get better. Hopefully by the time we reach the medal rounds we'll be in good shape.
In 
Sue Bird's second year as the starting point guard, have you seen growth from her in this role and as a leader?
Yeah. What I see is a more experienced, confident point guard who understands that this team needs direction. Last year, she was still trying figuring that out - learning from Dawn (Staley) and tentatively taking control. This year, she's taking control of this team. She's very vocal. She's telling people what to do. At the end of the game, she's talking about the things we need to change for the next game - very vocal. I see a much more confident, ready leader than we had a year ago.
Is leadership particularly important given the youth of the team?
It's hard to really talk about the younger players so much as our older players still need direction. Our older players are players who don't have a lot of experience (in international competition). We have DeLisha (Milton-Jones), who's been in the Olympics in 2000; Sue and Diana (Taurasi) have had experience; Katie (Smith)'s our most experienced player and wasn't here until we got to Chile. So it's not just our younger players that need direction, it's our older players also that need somebody to lead them. Sue is really trying to step up and fill that.
What was it like coaching against Simone Edwards?
I couldn't wait to see Simone down here. We've been keeping in touch. We had talked during the WNBA season about meeting in the same pool. When I walked in the gym yesterday to scout the Jamaica game, I was so excited to see her. I sent her a lot of hugs and kisses from all the Storm fans that I know that have been asking me to do that. Today I saw her and I told her that everybody that's been in touch with me had told me to tell her they'd be watching on NBA TV to see the game. That made her more nervous before the game started, she said. But she was really excited to stay connected to Seattle and once again had a great game. She played very well against us. She made another three - she's 2-for-2 from the three-point line.
What have you seen from 
Iziane Castro Marques playing for Brazil?
I wish Storm fans could see Izi internationally, because she's such a freer player here. With her national team, she is a leader. She's the best player on the team. They look to her not only to score in transition but to really be the focal point of their offense. She plays with such confidence and the confidence of her teammates her. As much as Storm fans love Izi and they know what a great player she is, if they could see her in this environment, they would be amazed - as I am. As I watch her, I'm just so proud that she plays for Seattle.
What's your reaction to Paul Westhead joining the Sonics coaching staff?
I'm excited. Paul's a great guy. He did a tremendous job in Phoenix. Although Phoenix was the ones that knocked us out of the playoff race, I have ultimate respect for what he did in Phoenix. It will be great to have him in Seattle.
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