Thirteen games left, and they're all winnable, says Natalie Williams.
With that in mind, a 9-10 Utah Starzz team that has lost its last two games and five of its last seven, spent much of Tuesday re-dedicating and retooling itself toward that end with three separate meetings sandwiching a productive practice in the Delta Center.
"We definitely should have won the Detroit game, and I think the L.A. game, we weren't prepared, we weren't focused," said Williams following a players-only meeting Tuesday that followed a post-practice team meeting. Coach Fred Williams also had a pre-practice meeting with captains Natalie Williams and Jennifer Azzi.
The Starzz embark on their last 13 games Wednesday night in the Delta Center at 7 when they host a 6-12 expansion Portland team that is fresh off the biggest upset in the WNBA so far this season. The Fire ended the Los Angeles Sparks' winning streak at 12 games Tuesday night and became the first WNBA team to beat L.A. in the Forum this season in an 80-77 victory. Utah lost there by 20 Sunday.
"I think we dealt with some things today," said Natalie Williams about the trio of meetings. "We looked at our schedule, and we know that it's very possible to win the last 13 games. There's no reason that we couldn't. We've covered the biggest bulk of our season, the hardest games. So a lot of it is up to ourselves. We've been blaming other people. We had a talk with the coaches today, and a lot of things are going to be changed, and hopefully they'll be for the better and they'll be noticed and we'll get some W's."
"A lot of things can happen in the last 13 games," said Fred Williams, noting that Tuesday's team meeting was the first of 2000 for Utah.
He said the Starzz must step up their defensive intensity and "focus on what we have to do," rather than worrying about opponents. In Tuesday's practice, he said, "we were really getting after it." Other Starzz needs include doing "little things like setting screens and letting the basketball find the open player. Myself," he added, "I'm going to be on them a lot down the stretch as much as possible."
Coach Williams said he thinks most WNBA teams are having similar meetings this week approaching the All-Star Game break and WNBA trade deadline. Williams said he is not seeking trades.
Natalie Williams said the focus of the meetings regarded the way practices are run, the way the Starzz prepare for games "and accountability within the coaches and with each other. It needs to happen; hopefully it will happen for (Wednesday night). We need to be more aggressive, have more competitive practices where we're in game situations, 5-on-5. We just need to know what to do in tight situations and know everyone knows. We all have to be on the same page."
Natalie Williams said all programs have kinks in them, but, "there's some things we needed to change and to address. Obviously, it's later than sooner, but at least it's been addressed, and hopefully we can get to where we want to be and make the playoffs."
Azzi, the point guard who returned two games ago after missing the first 17 games with a broken hand, said, "We just need to kind of hang together for the last 13 games." She added that her hand and game are coming along well, but, "I don't want to focus on me any more but on what we need to do to get better." She said that includes better team defense and making on-the-fly adjustments in games. She voiced confidence in the group's ability to stay together. "It's a great group, a really positive group," she said.
NOTZZ: Forward Adrienne Goodson sat out Tuesday's practice with a strained right Achilles tendon that Fred Williams said apparently was aggravated by a shoe and came on her sometime Monday. Goodson indicated she would play Wednesday night . . . Fred Williams jokes that he will be out in front of the Delta Center holding a tin cup, soliciting donations to help him pay the $1,800 bill the WNBA handed him Monday, a result of two technical fouls he drew in Utah's last home game, a loss to Detroit. . . . The Starzz host 12-6 Phoenix (minus injured Michelle Timms and Maria Stepanova) on Friday and travel to 13-6 Sacramento Saturday before the All-Star break begins.
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