<b>Q&A with Anna DeForge</b>
<b>Welcome to the Minnesota Lynx family! Are you excited to have made your decision as an unrestricted free agent so that you can prepare mentally and physically for the upcoming season in the Lynx system?</b>
Anna DeForge: I am excited that I am now a part of the Minnesota Lynx family. I grew up not that far away from the Twin Cities, so I’m thrilled to be playing close to home again. Now that everything is finalized, I now have piece of mind about where I will be spending my summer, and I can finally prepare for my future with the Lynx and begin thinking about what the season will be like playing alongside Seimone, Lindsey, Noelle and the rest of my new teammates.
<b>Coach Z is really excited about your addition to our young and talented nucleus of players because of your veteran leadership both on and off the court, your ability to score effectively, your competitive nature, and your playoff experience. What do you think you will bring to our young team?</b>
AD: I will bring all the intangibles that Coach Z wants from me to help make the Lynx a contender in 2008. Look, I know the last few seasons have not been easy for the Lynx and did not end the way fans would have liked, but I want to win as much as any player who puts on a uniform in the WNBA, and I would not have come to Minnesota if I didn’t believe in Coach Z and his plan to lead the Lynx to a championship. After winning only 10 games in each of the last two seasons, I know it may be hard for people to believe, but I firmly believe that this team will be a contender much faster than most people outside of Minnesota expect.
<b>What’s your scouting report on Anna DeForge?</b>
AD: This will be my seventh season in the WNBA. Making it to the playoffs the last two seasons with the Fever, the first time in my career that I had been to the playoffs, I learned a lot about what it takes to win at the next level. We played in the Eastern Conference Finals last year and had a great chance to play the Mercury for the Championship. That experience taught me a lot about the dedication and drive needed from every player on the team in order to be successful in the regular season and in the playoffs. That experience is something that I want to share with my new teammates with the hope that it helps lead us back to the playoffs. At this point in my career, winning a championship is extremely important to me and was one of my highest priorities as I weighed my options this offseason. So, I plan to do whatever is needed to help our team win (and win often). As for my play on the court, I am known more for my ability to score from outside, but I am continuing to work on getting to the rim more and doing more off the dribble. I’m willing to do whatever it takes on the court if it means that it will help us win games.
<b>As an unrestricted free agent, you had an opportunity to sign with any of the 14 teams in the WNBA. Where else did you consider going and what impressed you most about Minnesota that inspired you to don Lynx blue starting in the 2008 season?</b>
AD: To me, there were many factors that made it a very easy decision to sign with the Lynx. I had other offers, but I ultimately chose Minnesota for the challenge to help this young talented team reach the playoffs and contend for the WNBA Championship. In my talks with Coach Z and the coaching staff, I felt a great rapport with them, and I also knew that I would have the chance to work with Coach Plank again if I came to the Lynx. Being close to home was also something that attracted me to the Lynx.
<b>You had a chance to play two seasons with one of the best players in the WNBA in Tamika Catchings. What was it like playing with her?</b>
AD: It was an honor and a privilege to play alongside Catch. She is one of the all-time great competitors in this league. She is the most complete player I’ve played with. On and off the court, she’s just an amazing individual. She was an awesome teammate and she’ll be someone I will always admire for the way she plays.
<b>With Indiana in the Eastern Conference, you had the chance to play the Lynx four times over the last two seasons. What were your impressions of players like Seimone, Lindsey, Noelle, and Nicole?</b>
AD: Seimone is better than advertised and has had to shoulder most of the offensive burden in her two seasons in Minnesota. Both of our games against the Lynx last season came before Lindsey’s knee injury. She showed a lot of promise before she was hurt. I’m excited to see what she will do in a full season now that she is healthy again. Nicole has great footwork for a post player and she has shown a great amount of versatility, playing the center position while Vanessa Hayden was gone as well as the power forward position. As for Noelle Quinn, she didn’t play a lot in the two games that we saw the Lynx last season, but what she did in the second half of the season was incredible. She’s one of the best passers in the league and is only going to get better.
<b>You spent your rookie season with the Detroit Shock then moved on to Phoenix and Indiana, respectively. What are some things that you learned with each team that made you the player that you are today?</b>
AD: Detroit was my first taste of the WNBA. I showed some signs of the player that I am today, but I still had a lot of improving to do at that point. By the time I got to Phoenix, I had spent a couple of years just working on changing my game. I got a chance with the Mercury to show my talent. With the Fever, the two seasons there allowed me to experience the next level because they were always a contender.
<b>Coach Z and Coach Prohofsky really enjoyed talking “the game” with you. Do you consider yourself a student of the game?</b>
AD: I am an x’s and o’s player. I really enjoy the mental side of the game. I enjoy the unique challenge that each game brings. Even though I was an All Star in 2007, I still consider myself to be a student of the game. I am constantly learning new things from the teammates that I play with and the coaches that I have played for, and I am constantly working on my game to find new ways of finding success on the court.
<b>Over the last two seasons, you made the playoffs and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals with the Fever. The Lynx are definitely planning to keep your playoff streak alive this year! How much different did you find the experience of playing in the playoffs versus the regular season?</b>
AD: The one thing that I found in the playoffs in each of the past two seasons is that you must value every possession of every game. You have to execute at the highest level or you will be planning your offseason much faster than you expect. The playoffs are where reputations are made. I still am looking for that ring, so I am expecting big things while I am in a Lynx uniform.
<b>You’ve had some games that players dream of, including during last year’s first-round playoff matchup against the Connecticut Sun where you were draining big shot after big shot. For those of us who will never be fortunate enough to experience an offensive display like that (at least while we are awake), can you tell us what’s going through your mind on nights like that?</b>
AD: I think every player dreams of games like that. Whenever you get an opportunity like that to be successful, you have to take advantage. You can’t pass on opportunities like that if you want to help your team win a game, whether it is in the playoffs or the regular season. As I said earlier, reputations are made in the playoffs. If you let those opportunities pass you by, you’ll always regret it.
<b>While playing with the Indiana Fever the last two seasons, you had a chance to work with Julie Plank, who was hired last month as one of the new assistant coaches in Minnesota. How much are you looking forward to continuing to work with her and what does she bring to the Lynx staff?</b>
AD: I had a great working relationship with Julie while we were both in Indiana. She brings a lot of experience and a wealth of knowledge about this game from almost every level, college, USA Basketball, and the WNBA. Julie has turned programs around at every stop in her career, and I’m thrilled to be back with her in Minnesota where we get the chance to help build the Lynx into a contender together.
<b>You also played in Phoenix, a city where Grandmama continued her legendary playing career. What do you think Jen Gillom brings to the Lynx staff?</b>
AD: Jen’s reputation speaks for itself. She will definitely improve our post play with her teaching ability and with her tremendous enthusiasm. But, I hope she can divert some of her attention to the guards just so she can teach me her fade shot.
<b>Now that you’re a member of the Lynx, what do you think it will take for the Lynx to hoist the WNBA Championship Trophy in the near future?</b>
AD: It will not be an easy process. The players that we have on the roster all need to improve, including myself. Roger and Coach Z can also improve the team through the draft, trades, and free agency. It will take a total team effort, but I am confident that it will happen and I am excited to be a part of the building process.
<b>What number do you plan on wearing here in Minny? Is there any special significance of that number?</b>
AD: I have worn No. 30 throughout my basketball career. I can’t imagine wearing another number. However, the significance of that number in Minnesota isn’t lost on me. Katie Smith is a future Hall-of-Famer. It will be an honor to wear that number. I hope that I can do my part to add to the legacy of the number in Lynx history.
<b>What are some of your favorite memories of playing in the WNBA?</b>
AD: My best seasons in the WNBA have been the two that I spent in Indiana. Not only did I get the chance to play in front of some of the most passionate fans in the WNBA, but I also had an incredible opportunity to play alongside one of the best players in the history of the game in Tamika Catchings. Playing with the Fever allowed me the best chances that I had in my career to date to win a WNBA Championship.
<b>Tell us a little about what you are currently doing. Where are you playing? Who’s on your team? How do you like playing overseas during the off-season?</b>
AD: I am currently playing in Krakow, Poland, playing my third season for Wisla Can-Pack. Candice Dupree, Kara Braxton, and Marta Fernandez are the other WNBA players on the team. Luckily, everyone speaks English because my Polish is pretty poor. The language is really hard. Practices are even conducted in English.
<b>You grew up in Niagara, a small Wisconsin town on the border with Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, so after going away to college at Nebraska and making various stops in the WNBA, are you excited about playing closer to your hometown and friends and family?</b>
AD: I am very excited because this is the closest that I have ever been to home in my professional career. I went to college at Nebraska, so this is really the closest that I have been to home since high school outside of when I was in town with an opposing team. It will be nice to see my family and friends from Niagara in the stands at Target Center for our home games.
<b>Should we expect any busloads of DeForge fans to roll into the Twin Cities from Niagara?</b>
AD: I don’t think I can promise busloads of fans, but I can promise a few fans visiting Target Center throughout the 2008 season. It’s a little less than six hours to get here by car from Niagara, but I’m certain that it will be worth it for them to come see me and my teammates and the excitement that we are expecting this season.
<b>How soon can Lynx fans expect to see you return to the United States and make your move to the Twin Cities?</b>
AD: I won’t make it into Minnesota until my season here in Poland is over. With the playoffs here, that will probably keep me away until May. It will be warm in Minnesota by then, right?
<b>The Lynx will celebrate their 10th season in the WNBA in 2008. How excited are you to be a part of that celebration?</b>
AD: I always enjoy a good party! Honestly, though, the fact that the Lynx are celebrating 10 seasons in the WNBA speaks volumes about the commitment to the Lynx organization by the fans, season-ticket holders, sponsors, and the people of the Twin Cities.
<b>Do you have any nicknames?</b>
AD: Really, AD is the only one that I have.
<b>Minnesota is known as the Land of 10,000 lakes and the Twin Cities is known for the Mall of America. Are you a shopper or do you like to spend time at the lake?</b>
AD: Being that I grew up close to three of the Great Lakes (Michigan, Superior, and Huron), I have always enjoyed the opportunity to spend some time relaxing by the lake. I also won’t turn down a trip to the mall to do some shopping either. In Minnesota, I’m real happy that you get the best of both worlds. However, I anticipate a lot of time spent in the gym this summer as we work together on leading the Lynx back to the playoffs.
<b>During your trips to Minneapolis as a visiting player, what are some of your favorite things to do and places to eat?</b>
AD: My family has always met me in Minnesota. Since I spend my offseasons overseas, my visits here to play against the Lynx gave me one of the few chances that I had to spend time with family. I’ve looked forward to those opportunities every season. I always enjoyed catching up with them and eating at the great steakhouses here in Minneapolis.
<b>What do you like to do for fun?</b>
AD: I enjoy traveling and visiting with my friends family, since that doesn’t happen too often, but I also love to shop and my spa days too.
<b>Packers or Vikings?</b>
AD: I’m a lifelong Packers fan, and since Coach Z’s a Vikings fan, we should have some fun talking football this summer.
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<b>Special Delivery from Anna</b>
Hi Lynx fans and Season-Ticket Holders!
I cannot tell you how excited I am to be joining the Minnesota Lynx. Not only is it an exciting time for the organization with the 10th Anniversary Season right around the corner, but I am also coming to a team that has a lot of fantastic young talent that is on the cusp of great things. After speaking with Coach Z, I am eager to play alongside Seimone, Lindsey, Noelle, Nicole, Shay and the rest of the team, and I hope to bring some veteran leadership that helps turn this team into a playoff contender in 2008.
Believe me, there would be no better way to celebrate our 10th Anniversary than to end it with a trip to the playoffs. However, as thrilling as it would be to help lead the Lynx back to the playoffs, I will not be satisfied with just making it there. The goal for me every season is to win a WNBA Championship, and I am coming to the Lynx to bring the trophy home to Minnesota.
At the same time, we need your support more than ever before if we are to make that dream a reality this season. While we will be making every effort on the court to make this a special season, a big and loud crowd in the Target Center could make a big difference between wins and losses. Believe it or not, you are very much a part of this team. You are our X-Factor, especially at home. At this level, each possession makes a huge difference throughout the game and especially in the closing minutes. Your energy and support behind us can give us an extra lift in the final minutes of those close games that could make the difference between a win and loss.
I cannot wait for training camp to begin in two months. For me, I will be looking forward to begin work with Coach Z. In my discussions with him during this process, he made it clear to me that this team is on the verge of great things. He has a plan for turning this team into a championship contender. We are going to play with an up-tempo style, and we have a lot of players on this team who can shoot the 3-pointer, which will translate into a lot of points. I am thrilled to be a part of his plan, and I hope to be able to help him raise a championship banner inside Target Center in the very near future. I am also looking forward to training camp so that I can reunite with Coach Julie Plank. In the two seasons that we worked together while with the Fever, we developed a great relationship on and off the court, and she taught me a great deal in those two years that helped me become the player that Coach Z was looking for to help the Lynx.
The 2008 season will be an exciting one for me, for the Lynx, and for all of you. If it was simply just the celebration of the 10th Anniversary, sure, that should be exciting enough to pack the seats in the Target Center. However, I am convinced that the excitement on the court will be unlike anything that Lynx fans have seen in this team’s history. We have the tools to return to the playoffs in 2008. I am certain that we will contend for a championship while I am a part of the organization. I hope to be able to finish my career with the Lynx, and I would love to be able to help bring a championship to you, our fans, and to this organization.
As you can see, 2008 should bring a lot of excitement to the Twin Cities and the Lynx, and I am thrilled to be a part of that. I cannot wait to return from Poland this spring to begin working in the Minneapolis community and to start meeting all of you. I hope to see you all in the Target Center stands this summer.
Anna
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