PHOENIX– With Game 3 between the Phoenix Mercury and the New York Liberty being a winner-take-all, both teams have all the star power they could have. But Phoenix might have the edge when it comes to depth. However, rookies like Kathryn Westbeld have stepped up to the plate in a big way.
She started earlier in the season and has helped Phoenix win a handful of games this season. The former 2018 national champion with Notre Dame knows all about experience.
Still, her first WNBA playoffs have been everything she could've imagined. Without further ado, here is the exclusive interview with Kathryn Westbeld.
Westbeld spoke with ClutchPoints about her rookie season with the Mercury and embracing her first WNBA playoff experience.
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Hayden Cilley: Have you seen any parallels with sort of that Notre Dame team and the Phoenix team in terms of their approach?
Kathryn Westbeld: As far as their approach, I feel like there's always going to be a similar approach in terms of just kind of that dog mentality. A single elimination and it's single elimination tonight, so you're definitely going to get the best out of go games, and really you have to have to bring it in every single night.
I feel like that's the parallel there. I know at Notre Dame, we had a lot of injuries, and so we were only playing with I think about six players, and here, our rotation kind around eight. But it’s just like getting really comfortable with each other in that small rotation. I feel like you get the best out of everyone at this time of the year. And so it's just so fun to be in this environment again. I mean, it really is the best time of the year.
Hayden Cilley: Has there been anything in particular you’ve been seeking from this veteran group?
Kathryn Westbeld: I wouldn't say I go out and seek, but I'm very observant. I do have a lot of playoff and championship experience. Not just said at Notre Dame, my freshman year, I made it to the championship game. We were in the Elite 8, the Sweet 16, and then they finally won the championship. Even in high school, I made it to the championship three years, won the third year, one when I was overseas.
So I do have a lot of that championship experience, and I feel that mentally. So I'm definitely using my own experience and just listening in on what the vets are saying because they've done it at the highest level, many times before. So, it is fun, just to be around just such great talent and this environment because, I mean, this is the best basketball in the world, so it's just a fun opportunity.
Kathryn Westbeld explains her role with the Mercury
Hayden Cilley: I know that minutes have fluctuated throughout the year, and even in the playoffs, you might be called in the third quarter, you might be called in the fourth. You might have a couple of minutes. How do you not let that get to you and make the most of those limited minutes when you are out there?
Kathryn Westbeld: You just have to try to impact the game as much as you can because you don't know how much time you have out there. So whether it's, you know, getting stops on defense, rebounds, making the extra pass.. Like, I'm just trying to keep myself pretty even keeled. Don't get too high, too low.
Like you said, I don't know what's going to happen. I guess it kind of keeps it fun, too. You don't know what's going to happen every game. People are missing their shots. People are making their shots. So it's like, we'll see. But yeah, just do what I do and trust the work that I put in. I think that's the number one is just being confident in myself because I know what I've done and what I play for. So whenever I get my chance, I'm ready to show it.
Hayden Cilley: Last question for me, what's been the most fun moment you've had this season?
Kathryn Westbeld: Honestly, the last game (Game 2 vs Liberty) was pretty fun. I feel like we've shown a different team that many times this season. Our word has been ‘us’ this whole, this whole year. It's all about us. And I feel like last game, we were us on our tour.
Our defense was incredible. We were together, we were connected. Everything about the last game was what embodied us. And I feel like that was such a great moment for us to continue to go off and go on and just play off the stuff. I think that being fresh in my mind, that's probably the best moment right now.
