FIBA U19W - Quotes of the day - Day Three

PUERTO MONTT (2011 FIBA U19 World Championship for Women) - The line-ups for the Eight Finals have now been settled, and the pecking order at the FIBA U19 World Championship for Women is slowly becoming clear.

Here's what the players and coaches had to say about Day Three in Chile:
 
 "I love her, I think she is a great player and she played her heart out today," she said. "I have a lot of respect for her game and my heart goes out to her that she can't continue in this competition." - US coach Jennifer Rizzotti on Argentina point guard Melisa Gretter.

"No, I definitely did not expect to be playing this well at the world championship, especially today's game, that was completely unexpected." - Japan point guard Rui Machida after her team defeated Russia by a whopping 24 points.

"We all play extra hard because we are so small, and we want to make sure we don't get beaten just because we are small." - Machida again on how her team plays with such intensity.


"She works very hard every day, she trains twice a day, she is never absent, she is a wonderful young player." - France coach Jerome Fournier on star forward Valeriane Ayayi's work ethic at the Centre Federal in Paris, where he is also head coach.
 
"All us big players - Alexandra Bunton, Gretel Tippett, Sara Blicavs, Nadeen Payne and myself - we all love playing inside and making it hard for the other team in there." - Australia centre Tayla Roberts after Australia's skyscrapers crushed France 46-32 on the boards to record an easy victory.
 
"Today they played with huge heart. They showed they could match it with Spain who are one of the best teams in the tournament." - Slovenia coach Damir Grgic on his team's effort against Spain without star guard Nika Baric.

"She is a great opponent, a great player. She already plays division one in Spain, she was main player on the champion team at the U20 European championship, what more do you need to say?" -Grgic on Spain star Queralt Casas.

"I want to win a gold medal baby!" - Casas, who has already won three European gold medals, on her plans for this tournament.

"We have a very difficult day because Chinese Taipei is very fast, so I have to rotate the players so they do not get too tired." - Brazil coach      Luis Cicchetto planning for the speed of the Asian bronze medallists, who are through to the Eight Finals.


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