Q. For both of you, can you share a little bit what the biggest challenges have been kind of getting here for the first time and trying to learn all this stuff as soon as possible, and share a little bit about what you can -- what you've talked to Coach Johnson about as far as kind of roles and how you guys will fit into this scheme.
GEORGIA AMOORE: I mean, obviously when you take another step, as such, to the W, the pace, the physicality, that's obviously the first thing that everyone points out, which is true. But I think that the blessing for us is that we have a staff that is so receptive and that is so good with explanations of what's needed, what's wanted.
But we talk a lot about our bookends, Stef and Slim. They've been amazing, amazing leaders, amazing vets. I honestly couldn't have asked for better ones that have been so good at caring. They see the little details that not a lot of other people do, which amazes me, but we have people like Aaliyah and Jade, and on the younger side, but they still know. They've been in this situations for how many years.
It's a really good group to be around, and I'm just trying to soak up as much as I can.
SONIA CITRON: I would say Georgia kind of hit on it, but the pace, I think, has been the one thing that's like, wow. It's the pace alongside trying to learn new concepts and new plays and all that. So we're still trying to learn everything, but the pace is not slowing down for us. You know what I mean? It's kind of just being able to balance both.
And then I think in terms of fitting in, I kind of just want to pride myself in being able to do whatever Coach Johnson wants, so I'm not exactly sure what that looks like yet. I'm sure we'll have talks on that, and like specifically what he wants. But right now it's just, like Georgia said, taking everything in, being a sponge, learning from the coaches, learning from the vets, learning from our teammates, and just trying to be a good rookie, just get things right and keep learning.
Q. Obviously in the W, obviously it's a much more physical game than college, but how has college -- obviously both of you all played in the NCAA Tournament. How does that experience prepare you for the physicality of the W?
GEORGIA AMOORE: I think that's a known thing when you start practicing or getting ready for the draft process or before coming to Washington. The big focus in my individuals was playing against physicality, so I had two guys that I would play against.
So getting used to that, and I think even my time in the ACC was fantastic, but moving to the SEC my final year, it was a little bit more physical in a sense. So I was really grateful because I got little bits of tastes, and obviously you don't know until you play your first game, but it is more physical. It's a grown-women's league, and as long as you're mentally prepared, it's not going to shock us necessarily.
I know we'll be prepped for it, but until we get hit by that first blind screen, I'll let you know after that. But the people who -- I think Sonia can say the same thing -- I've surrounded myself with have given me good nuggets on what to expect, how to counteract, and just being in a situation here where that information is translated to you in a more specific way, what you can do to avoid it, what you can do to embrace the contact, we're in a good situation here with that, with all that detail.
SONIA CITRON: Yeah, honestly, I wouldn't say college prepared me too much just because it's not really realistic in the sense that, like, in games you just can't play how the W plays because refs are going to call that a foul. So in terms of that, I didn't really get any game reps at WNBA physicality because it's just -- again, it doesn't really translate.
But again, like Georgia said, I think my coaches at Notre Dame, knowing that this was the next step for me, this year a lot, they really focused on, okay, even if they're not being physical, okay, but you be physical on the offensive side, you learn how to be physical yourself.
Especially after the season when I was training with my position coach and my coaches at Notre Dame, she would have a pad and be like --
GEORGIA AMOORE: Having too much fun.
SONIA CITRON: Yeah, and doing things like that to help me prepare. And then even just like in practice and training camp, we had a defensive breakdown where I was working with Slim and we were working on guarding screens. I was the offensive player, and I was trying to get through a screen and Slim was guarding me, and I was like, oh, shoot. I was like, okay, like I definitely have a lot more adjusting to do because it took me like every ounce of my strength to just try and get to use the screen.
With the help of the coaches and our team, and again, we have a great support system, it's going to get there. But I still think I personally have some adjusting to do.
Q. I've got a different question for each of you. Sonia, I wanted to ask you about Elena Delle Donne calling in your pick on draft night. She was the one who said your name to the league, what that was like for you, and if you've been able to talk to her yet in her new role. Then Georgia, I wanted to ask you what training camp with Jade has been like and whether you've been able to lean on her as a fellow Australian.
SONIA CITRON: Yeah, honestly, it's truly special. It was definitely an honor having someone of that caliber -- she's had an amazing career, so hearing that, it was, again, just really, really special.
I haven't gotten to talk to her yet. I'm sure that'll come. But yeah, it's really cool. I'm pretty sure, like small world, but she went to Ursuline Academy in Delaware, and I want to the Ursuline School in New Rochelle, and a couple years ago in high school -- more than a couple years ago, in high school, we went to play against Ursuline Academy and had a scrimmage and went to the school. So just small world. But yeah, it was really cool.
GEORGIA AMOORE: Yeah, being with Jade is amazing. She's such an infectious person off the court and on the court. But it's kind of crazy, we were joking before, I am older than her but she's my vet. She's been in the league for three years, and she knows. She's been in different situations and adapted really well. So I applaud her for that and just being a fan from afar being here, I always thought she was so good at adapting to those situations and just being the same consistent Jade that everyone loves no matter where she's at. So I think coming in here, I have such respect for her. She's so amazing.
It's cool to be able to watch her and see how she navigates these situations. She's been so cool to come up to me to share some knowledge and we'll have discussions. She's been in my shoes three years ago or however many that was, so I think it's just really nice to not only have a fellow Aussie but to have someone who is like Jade personality-wise, care-wise. She's absolutely amazing. I couldn't have asked for anyone else to be with and to learn from because she's really good.
Q. This question is for both of you. I know Kenny Brooks at Kentucky and Niele Ivey at Notre Dame, what was the biggest advice from them, not necessarily for the physicality and pace of play from spot A to spot B but the fluidity of thought and how quick you're going to have to make your decisions on the floor?
GEORGIA AMOORE: Yeah, I think there was emphasis definitely placed on trying to condense -- obviously in college I played a role where I could have the ball for as many seconds as I wanted to and create for other people, but now it's like, that maturity of realizing, is it a shot, no, pass. Just kind of condensing those decision makings. But he's been so good throughout the whole year for me when we're doing individuals and we're working out, he's like, okay, that's good for college but when you get to the W you probably need to do this. So we've always kind of had that vision and then spoken it into existence throughout many years, at both schools. So he's been really good with bigger picture and bigger goals. I think that in a college coach is amazing because he could have just used me for whatever -- I was there, right, but every single individual, every single workout, he's like, that's fine, but if you want to get to the W or you want to do that in the W, you're going to have to tweak this and do this, everything from my shot release getting quicker, my pull-up getting quicker and trying to find those spaces of, all right, I see a window and I'm going to pull.
Especially being in the SEC this year, that kind of helped me take a baby step. Obviously I'm going to have to take more steps in the league, but just getting ready like that, he was so intentional with making it known like all right, that was good, but for the W... That was always his quote. I'm super thankful for him.
SONIA CITRON: Yeah, I think a lot of that Coach Ivey also said, but I think the biggest thing she told me was just be you. She was like, just remember, yeah, you're a rookie, yeah, it's going to be a lot of learning, a lot of growing, a lot of ups and downs. Embrace it all, give yourself grace, but know that -- she took me to lunch, and she was like, you are that leap; remember that. So just -- I think that was just emphasis on confidence, again, just through it all, yeah, it might be rough sometimes or again, we might not have the best day, but just keep your confidence up, you're still a great player, and know that you belong there. That was her big spiel.
Q. I believe it was Georgia that brought up how you guys texted each other and wanted to be playing with each other at some point later on in your careers. What is it about each other that makes you guys want to play together and how your games coalesce?
SONIA CITRON: One thing I can say is I don't want to guard her anymore, so that was a plus. I don't have to guard her.
But I think it is Georgia's vision that really was something that I could really see as an off-the-ball guard. I love to play with a point guard that just has vision, that really looks for her teammates, that pushes the floor, that runs in transition and just finds her teammates.
I think her passing ability is amazing, so I know that when I cut or when I'm open in transition, she's always going to find me, and that was something that really stuck out to me, and then obviously she can create for herself and for others, which is a plus, and her shooting is phenomenal.
But just the joy that she plays with and her vision, it's just contagious.
GEORGIA AMOORE: It's not because she said the first part, but I hated her playing defense on me, so now I'm happy that she's on my team.
But I even told her this morning, I was like, you're so intriguing to me because I cannot read you, and that's a blessing because when we played against each other, I didn't know if I had to be -- I didn't know if I had to beat her down or if she was still kicking. She was so solid, so consistent, and she just has that flow pace about her.
She was never necessarily the one where the media was like, oh, my gosh, she's this, she's that, but to everyone who scouted her and played against her, she was the core. Like she was the heartbeat of that team because she's so solid offensively and defensively.
It's so rare to find a two-way player like her, so it excited me to just be like, I want her on my team because I know offensively she is so solid. She's a phenomenal shooter. People don't give her credit for that. But her consistency is what really stands out to me.
And defensively, like I said, she's so long. She's so smart. She makes great reads. But it's just that killer face that she has where it's like, I can't tell if you feel great or you feel bad, but either way it's intimidating. So I'm so happy to be teammates with her.
I think just talking to her on an everyday basis, she's so thoughtful, such an intellect, and that's what stands out to me, too, is she sees the game in different layers, and once again, for a rookie, that's rare. So I think I'm so excited to play with her to continue to grow with her but to continue to have these off-court conversations that we've been having. We see the same things but we also may see different things, so it's only going to make each other better.
Q. Sonia, you obviously know there's quite a history of Notre Dame guards in the WNBA, especially over the last dozen years with Skylar, Jewell, Jackie, Arike, Marina, Lindsay Allen. I wonder how much you were inspired by those players knowing they all came from a similar system as you as many if any of them have reached out to you or given you encouragement?
SONIA CITRON: Yeah, I mean, they're all amazing guards, and I think seeing them play in the W definitely gave me a lot of hope that oh, that can be me some day, especially with the impact that they've had and also knowing that they went through what I went through and played four years at Notre Dame.
But yeah, I think just seeing that made me believe a little bit more that, okay, I can also be in that position. I know Skylar would come back to practice a lot and she would practice with us and be just -- she would always have things to tell us, obviously, and words of encouragement and words of wisdom. But just seeing her practice with us and seeing the pace and the intensity that she played at kind of showed me like, oh, okay, this is what it's like to be a W player. So it kind of set that stage for me, set that tone for me that, oh, okay, it's different over there, and just helped me kind of just embrace myself and get ready for that.
But again, it's just great to see players like that in the league because it just gives you a little bit more hope that you can get there, too.
Q. I know that your W career just started, but I wanted to ask both of you, what sort of legacy have you thought about leaving in the W?
GEORGIA AMOORE: I think for me, just being so consistent at the point guard position. Obviously there's a lot of greats. I grew up watching a lot of Sloot. I think she's amazing and what she's done to stay in the league for as long as she has, there's a great deal of consistency, and once again, the intellectual aspect of it. Just being so solid, I know I'm surrounded by greats, I know I'm surrounded by superstars. Just being around here, you feel that. You feel that energy.
Just learning as much as I can, studying it from different angles, but just being so consistent and so solid.
SONIA CITRON: I would say, yeah, I haven't really thought about it too much in terms of, like, the basketball aspect, but I think what I want people to remember me as is just a great teammate on every team that I play for. I just want everybody to be able to say, yeah, she was a great teammate, she put her team first, and you can just tell how hard she worked on the court. I want people to just, when they see me play, they think, oh, yeah, she's giving it her all for the game that she loves, and she has fun no matter what.
Q. Brittney was speaking earlier to how important the coaching staff has embraced the on-court/off-court balance and how more than they feel your personal successes are off the court. Can you speak to how much that means to you both, that this team is going to be so invested in you on and off the basketball court?
GEORGIA AMOORE: Yeah, I think finding that balance is so important. Obviously we give so much to the game and we love it, but I think one of the things that stood out to me is the other day we had an off day and Coach was like, sometimes you have to refill your cup to pour all of it into whatever you're doing what we're together. That mindset is amazing because it means when we're out here, we're out here, we're playing hard, we're trying our hardest, and then we're recharging ourselves to continue that cycle, and I think that is so important because it's a long season, there are so many games, there's going to be so many ups, hopefully not too many downs. But either way just being able to recharge ourselves, recenter ourselves so that when we are together for however many hours that is out of the day, we're our absolute best versions of ourselves.
SONIA CITRON: Yeah, I think Georgia said it all.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports