Tonight was a rare treat for those in attendance as the Minnesota Lynx faced off against the Detroit Shock. In this one night fans were able to witness Svetlana Abrosimova become only the 51st player in WNBA history to score 2,000 points in a career, Seimone Augustus break her own team record from last season for points in a single season for the Lynx and former Lynx hero, Katie Smith, score her 6,000 point combining both her ABL and WNBA careers.
We were also able to witness a very rare feat…little “Tuff Duff” Megan Duffy go for a jump-ball in front of the Lynx bench.
Yet, on a night full of career moments, another player continued her development and put on quite a show. Rookie Noelle Quinn, of whom I have been very critical throughout the season, played another solid game in replacement of the injured real rookie of the year, Lindsey Harding.
Quinn, who finished the game six points, seven rebounds and eight assists, has grown exponentially throughout the year and I must acknowledge her growth. Although I would personally like to see her shoot the ball more, she has done a more then admirable job at finding her teammates with beautiful passes--most notably Seimone Augustus and Svetlana Abrosimova.
“I was a little disappointed at halftime,” told me after the game at his press conference. “Four and three is not what we’re looking at from you and what I mean by that is four assists and three turnovers.”
Zierden continued with “Since she’s taken over the starting job, someone informed me today that she is 23 assists away from being the all-time single season assist person and that’s with just taking over (for Harding) and that’s pretty special.”
“Now I look and see that she was four and zero in the second half. When you’ve got a rookie point guard going against Detroit and they still had Nolan in there, they still had Powell in there and Latta played a good game…when you’re going against that and have eight and three, I’ll take that from her. The bonus tonight? She knocked down a couple threes early.”
In the locker room after the game, Quinn--like the rest of her teammates--was in a rather good mood following a rare win. Checking in with the rookie for the last time this season, Quinn reflected on the season and spoke on what she would like to improve for next year.
SL: Recently, you have seemed to be much more comfortable out there on the court. Is that just due to the increased playing time you have been receiving since Lindsey Harding’s injury?
NQ: Yeah, definitely. Just getting more experience helps a lot because now I know how to do things like who likes to get the ball where and what their strengths are. It’s helping my confidence.
SL: When the games are over and I look at the box score, I’m always surprised by how much you fill the stat sheet in points, rebounds and assists. Is that something you take pride in--going about your business on the court quietly and surprising people?
NQ: I take pride in that a lot. I like to pass the ball, so just being surrounded by great shooters and great post players in Nicole Ohlde, it’s great to know that I don’t have to score a lot. I can just help them score the ball.
SL: You have been more vocal out on the court lately. Are you becoming a leader on this team?
NQ: Yeah, I am. That’s one thing that I’ve really been working on, being more vocal. Having the ball all the time, I have to speak up. By nature, I’m a quiet person, but it is vital that I step up and vocalize so my team knows what we are doing.
SL: How hard is that for you?
NQ: It’s tough, but my coaches have always asked me to speak up. That’s one thing that I am continually working on as a person as well. Just being there and being assertive.
SL: What area of your game do you want to work on the most in the off-season?
NQ: More ball-handling and shooting, of course. I don’t want to be in a position where people aren’t going to play me because I don’t shoot, so I’m working on being more consistent with that. And, of course, I can always work on my ball-handling more.
SL: So, are Seimone, Lindsey and yourself going to be the three-headed monster on the Lynx for years to come?
NQ: Yeah, we’ve talked about that. With the experience I’ve gained these past thirteen games, Lindsey’s natural abilities and Seimone is great, so the future is very bright. I’m very excited to see what we all can do together.
SL: Now with only one game left, what is the biggest lesson you have learned from your rookie season?
NQ: Being patient. This is a new level of basketball and sometimes as a person and as a player you want things to come to you right away. It won’t come as easily as it did in high school or in college like it did before, so just being patient and knowing that my time will come. Having that faith in God and being grounded with all this is very important.
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The woman whose spot Quinn has taken for the remainder of the season, Lindsey Harding, also spoke highly of her teammate’s progress this year. “She’s done a great job for us. She’s a great listener. I’m always in her ear and she’s always asking me questions and trying to figure it out...she's been great."
It is because of the dedication to growth this year that Noelle Quinn has come to epitomize the Minnesota Lynx 2007 season. By fighting through the hard times and continuing to learn, gain experience and confidence, Quinn has set the table for both herself and her team to have a better season in 2008.
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