Q. Both you guys had some great overseas experience. Lucy, you won a title and Maddy, getting a ton of minutes. How do you feel like your experience overseas sets you up well coming into camp this year?
LUCY OLSEN: Yeah, I think it was really fun going overseas. It was such a different experience. I feel like I learned so much just living on my own, meeting new people, a new playing style, as well. I think just taking all that and knowing that you can be in so many different roles on every different team, I feel like that helped me a lot.
And being from a championship team, that was great. Super grateful for that experience. I feel like you get to feel the culture and what it really takes to win that championship, so hopefully I can recognize that and help bring that to this team also.
MADISON SCOTT: What she said except for the championship part because I didn't win a championship. But overall a super great experience, being able to be in different systems. Again, it's different. It's a culture shock because we're not used to the language barrier and so forth.
It's allowed me to adapt and to grow as a person but also as a player. It was a really great experience and just to get out there and play great minutes and take back things that can help me be successful here in the W, as well. We're super happy about the overall experience.
Q. You came into the league last year when there were 13 teams and no developmental spots, now 15 teams and two developmental spots per team. For you guys as people still young in your careers, even though you've got a bunch of rookies on this team. What does it feel like to be in this moment of where the W is providing more opportunities for players who are still trying to find their footing and develop?
LUCY OLSEN: Yeah, it's exciting. I think we hit it right at the right time. Women's basketball is thriving. I'm just grateful to be a part of it.
I think the coaches here in the organization that we have really develops the younger ones well, and we're super young. We're probably the oldest on the team this year. I'm just excited to see how much we can be developed and how our team can grow together.
MADISON SCOTT: It's like she said. Everything she said, it's just a great time to be a part of women's basketball. We're super excited to be in this moment now, and just like those who came before us that paved the way, we want to continue to do the same for those that come after us.
We're young, we're the young ones but also the old ones at the same time on this team. So we want to continue to pave the way but do big things, so the ones that come after us can continue to excel.
Q. Maddy, last year you came into the team mid-season. This year you're going to have a training camp. How do you think that is going to really help propel you to show the best version of Maddy on the Mystics?
MADISON SCOTT: Yes, timing is everything. Last year coming in, very grateful for that opportunity. Like you said, it was mid-season. People were already settled in, and I had to come in and adapt on the fly. Thank God for great teammates like Lucy. They were there for me every step of the way, they brought me along, but also they were still playing the season and pushing hard for a playoff spot at the time.
Being here in this moment now where I have the time to really prepare myself. I am coming in at a time where everything is being taught to everyone at the same time, it puts me in a great position.
I don't feel like my teammates are having to yank me along, but we're coming along together, we're learning together. Not only is that helping me individually but helping the team build chemistry, allowing us to ultimately put the best product on the floor together.
I'm just happy to be here. I keep saying it to everybody I walk across; I just keep telling them how happy I am to be here, and I wouldn't want it any other way. Super excited to not only continue to excel in training camp but just for all that's to come. I'm really, really proud of the position we're in right now and that I'm in right now.
Q. Lucy, I know going to Australia, you were really excited to go back and play in more of a point guard role that you're more accustomed to. How does that help build your confidence heading into this version of training camp where there's a lot of roles that could be given on this team?
LUCY OLSEN: Yeah, it's been cool. Last year I wanted to play point guard on this team, but because I wasn't, I felt like I got to learn in a different role and then I got to go play overseas in the point guard spot. So now I feel like I have multiple roles that I could be thrown into and I'll be comfortable with it. It was a lot of learning, a lot of frustration last year both in Australia and here just getting back into that point guard spot, but frustration is learning. So I feel like it just helped me grow as a person and as a player.
And I'm excited. Whatever they need me to do, I'm happy for it. I'm happy to be here. No, it's been good vibes so far.
Q. With regards to how Sydney Johnson wants to play quickly, like the pace of play, how will you impact stylistically what he wants to see from the team?
MADISON SCOTT: Coach Syd harps on every single day, first eight seconds. We're drilling that already, one day into training camp and one of the drills that we did was first eight seconds. That's something that's very important to us and how we want to play here with the Mystics.
So I think that's great for, of course, us but everyone. I think that everyone that's here is able to play fast, is able to impact playing fast and playing at a high level, and also we have to continue to learn that playing fast isn't playing out of control. Knowing that it still means playing with pace, there's still getting the best shot possible. All of that we'll uncover and go through together as we go through training camp.
But I love playing fast, again, turning defense into offense, defense igniting our offensive production. I'm super, super excited to be here. I think it works well with me individually, and like I said, the whole team can thrive with playing in the first eight seconds, putting pressure on the defense, and ultimately putting a great product out there while we're playing.
LUCY OLSEN: To add on to that, I would say it's cool that we're really young because we all have fresh legs. There's a lot of us that are just super eager to play, and we have that energy and excitement. So I think playing fast fits right into us, as well.
We'll be able to go as fast as we can. If anyone gets tired, we're all going to be in great shape, but if anyone get tired, the next five are coming in and they're ready to do the same exact thing.
So I think that's super exciting, and like Maddy said, we're already working on it, and it looked good yesterday. If that's just day one, I'm super excited what's to come.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports