Not having Monica hurt us. She makes a big difference on defense and it also really disrupted our ability to break up that press on the way down the floor.

Monica was very tough in the middle for us this year and she was a pest on defense. She did exactly what we needed her to do this year. She was pretty much our main weapon early in the year. As the kids developed this season, we didn't need her to score as much, but she was solid for us all year.

Now that we're in it, of course, we're not going to take the attitude that we're just happy to be there.

She had a really good year for us. She's a great kid and she has really committed to becoming a better all-around player.

Even when we were losing, this group has been so much fun to be around. They were so positive and so supportive of each other every day at practice.

The girls have been playing hard and they are starting to figure this system out. They've been finding the extra pass and making some good cuts on offense. We're still young, but they're starting to figure out who they are.