Ignatius L Hoops
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http://www.startribune.com/gophers-...ng-out-what-works-with-her-players/505948882/
Whalen would've known this if she'd read last years article on Bell, Marlene and Nikki.
And the interview with Barreiro has provided a lot of material.
But it’s not been all feel-good stuff. Whalen also challenged her team. It was underachieving, and that had to end. Another thing Whalen has learned is the need to be direct, even if a player doesn’t exactly love the message.
“I had to change from teammate to coach,’’ Whalen said. “Cause they need a coach. That’s a big, big difference. All I’d ever been was a teammate. Yes, I was a point guard, the coach on the floor. But I still always wanted to make sure everyone is feeling good. And there are some days here where I have to leave and be OK knowing some people are mad at me. I didn’t always like Cheryl [Reeve, Lynx coach] every day. I didn’t like her after every game. But she sure made me play hard.’’
Whalen said she played some of her best games when mad. Turns out she and her players can agree.
“I definitely play better mad,’’ said Bell, who has played very well during the current winning streak. “And when we’ve got something to play for. She wants us to play for each other, learn from our mistakes. We started playing with a chip on our shoulder.’’
Said Pitts: “She knows how to push our buttons to get us going.’’
This isn’t to suggest Whalen has become a tyrant. But she has become direct in telling her players what she needs.
Whalen would've known this if she'd read last years article on Bell, Marlene and Nikki.
And the interview with Barreiro has provided a lot of material.But it’s not been all feel-good stuff. Whalen also challenged her team. It was underachieving, and that had to end. Another thing Whalen has learned is the need to be direct, even if a player doesn’t exactly love the message.
“I had to change from teammate to coach,’’ Whalen said. “Cause they need a coach. That’s a big, big difference. All I’d ever been was a teammate. Yes, I was a point guard, the coach on the floor. But I still always wanted to make sure everyone is feeling good. And there are some days here where I have to leave and be OK knowing some people are mad at me. I didn’t always like Cheryl [Reeve, Lynx coach] every day. I didn’t like her after every game. But she sure made me play hard.’’
Whalen said she played some of her best games when mad. Turns out she and her players can agree.
“I definitely play better mad,’’ said Bell, who has played very well during the current winning streak. “And when we’ve got something to play for. She wants us to play for each other, learn from our mistakes. We started playing with a chip on our shoulder.’’
Said Pitts: “She knows how to push our buttons to get us going.’’
This isn’t to suggest Whalen has become a tyrant. But she has become direct in telling her players what she needs.
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