ANNE DONOVAN

I don't know that I ever could've imagined just how blessed my life would be.

My parents thought I was crazy. When I graduated, you didn't hear of basketball players going to Japan. Everyone went to Europe somewhere.

When it does not click offensively, it is very easy to get down defensively.

When my playing career stopped and Old Dominion asked me to be an assistant, I was reluctant about it because I didn't aspire to be a coach, and I didn't know if I had the qualities to be a coach.

If I had to compete against someone almost two feet taller than me, I wouldn't want to play.

I'm the youngest of eight kids in my family. All tall, we all played basketball, so at my earliest memory, I was bouncing a ball in the backyard.

I've been playing as early as I can recall. I don't even remember the first time I picked up a basketball.

I have been with some great organizations, crossed paths with special people, and made numerous lasting relationships.

It is very exciting to have the opportunity to return to the East Coast and join the Liberty family.

I am so thrilled about the opportunity to coach the Storm for years to come.

I don't think I understood how deep the Big East was. That was probably something I wasn't prepared for. It's not easy to part rank and make the first step into the middle of the pack.

I think it's imperative to keep your focus on why you're in school. You're in school to get an education.

There are times I'd like to be incognito, be someplace where I might not stand out.

At the end of the game, coaches always talk about what could have been done differently with the game plan.

The prospect of coaching two of the game's most exciting and decorated players in Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson was incredibly appealing to me, and I look forward to beginning this new chapter in my career.

I think that the significance of the WNBA is that it has given women a different platform and a different level of respect as professionals, both as players and also in our coaching.

The contention is if you don't do it in the first quarter, if you don't box out and control the glass in the first quarter, you are not going to do it in the fourth quarter and overtime.

If you play in this country, live in this country, and you grow up in the heartland - and you put on a Russian uniform - you are not a patriotic person.

No coach wants to sit back and not have control of the team.

You don't just go and pick up a gold medal anymore.

I've been around the coaching circuit far too much.

My heart is with the WNBA. I've had success in the league, I've loved the league. I'm a true fan of the league.

I will miss the ladies and the passion of the Sun fans. I was proud to serve as their head coach.

I thank God every night for David Stern.

My time at Seton Hall has been extremely rewarding. I commend the staff for their tireless and successful efforts in recruiting and elevating the program.