Here's a brief interview of Jayne ...
How difficult has it been to sit out this week and what have you gotten out of it?
I definitely think it’s a good idea to be out here. It’s been really hard to be on the sidelines watching, especially when I’ve been so close to playing. I think it’s been a great experience for me to come out here. I’ve learned a lot just from talking to the players and picking their minds about the next level. Watching them on the court almost has its advantage. It’s definitely been worth it.
Has it helped having other injured players out there with you?
Yeah, it would be a lot harder if I was the only one. We were saying that if we all got healthy we’d have a full squad.
On today’s clinic (at Walter Reed):
It was fun. They were really excited to be interacting with us, playing with us. It wasn’t so much about basketball as it was about having fun with them, letting them get out there and bounce the balls around a little bit, get their minds off of other things for an hour.
... and an interview of Candice ...
How has training camp been for you the past three days?
It’s been great. It’s been nothing but great since day one. Geno is the man. It’s my first time playing for him and he’s probably one of the easiest people I’ve ever had to play for my whole life. That’s a compliment because there are a lot of great coaches out there, but I think he’s the perfect guy for this. He’s going to get the best team together. He’s going to have everybody playing hard. The offense is brilliant to me. It’s very reminiscent of our offense at Stanford. Everybody’s playing hard, playing together, playing smart. We’re our biggest competition. Whatever our national team looks like, whoever’s on it, the first five is going to be the best team in the world. The second five’s going to be the second best team in the world. It’s just been great, a lot of fun.
How different is your confidence level in this training camp from the first USA National Team you were on in 2007?
Night and day. I think that’s just how it is. That’s what experience does. It makes you more confident. It makes you more aware and able to do things that you weren’t able to do before. Because now you know what works and you’re more sure about what you need to do.
Do you feel this is your chance to help mold the future of the USA National Team?
I think so. I’ll take on that responsibility. I know that obviously it’s the national team, it’s not about just one person, but I know that me, Candace (Parker), Sylvia (Fowles), Crystal (Langhorne), we have such a tight connection and rapport with each other. Obviously with other people, too, but seeing them you have that sense of family a little bit. I think that that are the same characteristics that Dawn (Staley) and Lisa (Leslie) had. All of the great teams of the past have had. What Sue (Bird) and Diana (Taurasi) have. Those kinds of things are important. It’s more than just playing basketball on the court. It’s also having that sense of family and making it that special experience.
... and more photos of Jayne and Candice ...
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