MarkThisDate

INDIANA FEVER 81, DETROIT SHOCK 73 The Indiana Fever spoi
led the homecoming of former Notre Dame standouts Bill Laimbeer, Ruth Riley and Niele Ivey in South Bend, Indiana Tuesday evening, as they upended the Detroit Shock 81-73 in the first preseason game of the year for both teams . . . Kelly Miller led the Fever with 16 points and four rebounds and Tamika Catchings and Tully Bevilaqua added 15 points apiece . . . Bevilaqua made an early case for best offseason acquisition as she made all three of her shots (all from three-point range) and all six of her free throws . . . Cheryl Ford scored a team-high 18 points for Detroit, followed by Ruth Riley's 12 points and Stacey Thomas' 11 . . . The Shock were without 2004 starters Swin Cash and Deanna Nolan, while the Fever were minus Natalie Williams and first-round draft pick Tan White . . . Indiana won the battle of the boards 41-35, including a 17-11 advantage on the offensive glass . . . Indiana connected on 30 of 33 free throws to Detroit's 21 of 32.

DETROIT SHOCK 76, MINNESOTA LYNX 70 The Detroit Shock ove
rcame a 15-point second half deficit Saturday evening to defeat the Minnesota Lynx 76-70 at Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium. Minnesota led 56-41 with 13:46 remaining in the second-period before the Shock went on a 27-11 run to take its first lead of the game. Six different players scored for Detroit during the run led by Barb Farris' eight. The Lynx led by as many as 17 in the first half on the strength of 61.3 percent shooting from the field, connecting on 6-of-10 from beyond the arc. Detroit was able to hang around via the free throw line where the Shock shot 17 of 22 in the first period and 42 of 57 for the game. Minnesota's Katie Smith showed no ill effects from last season's knee injury sustained at the 2004 Olympic Games, opening the game with back-to-back three-pointers for the Lynx as Minnesota opened the game on an 11-0 run. Smith finished with 13 points on 4 of 8 shooting from the field including 2 of 5 from three-point range. The Lynx long-distance shooters went cold in the second half, however, combining to hit just 1 of 10 three-pointers and 6 of 23 shots overall in the period. The pregame hype surrounded the return of Minnesota's Nicole Ohlde (Kansas State) and Detroit's Jenni Lingor (SW Missouri State). Ohlde finished with 13 points on 6 of 10 shooting from the field while Lingor scored three points in her 13 minutes of action. Elaine Powell led the Shock with 11 points, while Cheryl Ford posted a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) and Stacey Thomas contributed her second consecutive double-figure scoring effort with 10 points and eight rebounds. Notes - Deanna Nolan met the team in Kansas City this morning after flying in from Poland. She did not dress out for the game . . . Detroit out-rebounded Minnesota 51-23 on the night including 23-4 on the offensive glass.

DETROIT SHOCK 68, NEW YORK LIBERTY 62The Detroit Shock
had four players score in double figures, along with a near double-double from first-round draft pick Kara Braxton, as they beat the New York Liberty 68-62 Sunday afternoon at Albany, New York's Pepsi Arena . . . Ayana Walker's 12 points paced the Shock while Ruth Riley, Deanna Nolan and Braxton each scored 10 . . . Braxton added eight rebounds and Nolan chipped in with six boards and six assists, as the Shock finished the preseason with a 2-1 record - the first winning preseason in the club's eight-year history . . . The Shock took control of the game late in the first half using a 12-0 run to turn a 19-17 lead into a 31-17 advantage . . . Six different players scored during the run, and Detroit took a 34-21 lead into the locker room . . . Detroit's defense held New York to 24.2 percent shooting (8-of-33) in the first half as the Liberty missed all 10 of their three-point attempts in the frame . . . The Shock still led by 13 with 18:21 to go in the game, when the Liberty went on an 8-0 run to slice the lead to five at the 13:16 mark . . . A three-pointer by Shameka Christon, who scored 17 of her 19 game-high points after the break, cut the lead to three with 34 seconds remaining in the game, but that was the last bucket New York was able to produce . . . La'Keshia Frett added 12 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field and grabbed six rebounds for the Liberty.

Final Score: Detroit 78, Connecticut 67Radio Broadcast:
1310 AM WDTW
TV Broadcast: FSN Detroit
Giveaway: Baseball Hats 5,000 Fans
Theme: Opening Day

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., May 21 (Ticker) -- Deanna Nolan was a triple threat for the Detroit Shock. Nolan recorded the first triple-double in team history as the Shock beat the Connecticut Sun, 78-67, in the opening contest of the WNBA season. Nolan, who collected 11 points, a career-high 11 assists and 10 rebounds, became just the fourth player in league history to post a triple-double. Reserve Kara Braxton scored 18 points and Ayana Walker added 14 for the Shock (1-0), who won the WNBA title in 2003 but lost in the first round of the playoffs last season. Braxton had 14 points in the first half to stake Detroit to a 41-34 lead at the break. Connecticut pulled within 45-44 just under three minutes into the second half but Detroit responded with a 16-3 run and led comfortably thereafter. Taj McWilliams-Franklin contributed 25 points and 10 rebounds for the Sun (0-1), who shot just 35 percent (22-of-63). Last season, Connecticut won the Eastern Conference before falling in three games to the Seattle Storm in the WNBA Finals.

DETROIT 78, NEW YORK 71Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDTW\
nNEW YORK, May 22 (Ticker) -- Cheryl Ford helped the Detroit Shock exact some revenge. Ford scored 15 points and grabbed 18 rebounds as the Shock spoiled the season opener for the New York Liberty with a 78-71 victory. Detroit (2-0) won the WNBA championship in 2003 but became the first franchise in league history to fail to defend it's initial title when it lost to New York in the first round last year. Although they once again played without forward Swin Cash, the Shock jumped out to a strong start, leading 37-22 on a running layup by Chandi Jones with 1:59 left in the first half. They led 40-29 at the half. The Liberty (0-1), who shot just 26 percent in the first half, went on 22-11 run to start the second, tying the score at 51-51 on a layup by Ann Wauters with 10:36 to play. New York never took the lead but stayed close until Detroit's Deanna Nolan made two free throws for a 72-68 lead with 34 seconds remaining. She was fouled four seconds later rebounding a missed jumper by Becky Hammon and sank two more from the stripe to seal the win. Nolan, who became the fourth player in league history to notch a triple-double in a win over Connecticut on Saturday, scored 17 points. Ruth Riley and Elaine Powell added 10 points apiece for the Shock. Hammon scored 15 of her 24 points in the second half and Vickie Johnson chipped in 16 for the Liberty, who finished 31 percent from the field.

Detroit 74, San Antonio 65 Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDT
W
TV Broadcast: Comcast Local

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- With the Detroit Shock trailing San Antonio by nine points late in the second half, coach Bill Laimbeer turned the reins over to assistants Rick Mahorn and Laurie Byrd. \"I excused myself,'' Laimbeer said. \"I wasn't able to motivate them, so I decided to let Rick and Laurie try.'' Detroit outscored the Silver Stars 20-2 in the final 4:27 to post a 74-65 victory. \"When a team is walking around lackadaisically like we were, you have to give them some direction,'' Mahorn said, \"I told them that the game wasn't over, and that defense was going to win it.'' Andrea Stinson, a former Charlotte All-Star who signed with Detroit in the offseason, hit two 3-pointers in the final 3 minutes to help rally the Shock. Rookie Kara Braxton also had six points in the final run. \"That was exciting, but I don't think we want to have very many games come down to the end like that,'' Braxton said. \"It was big to have a vet like Andrea out there to help us.'' Cheryl Ford led Detroit with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Deanna Nolan had 11 points and 10 assists. Wendy Palmer-Daniel and LaToya Thomas led San Antonio with 16 points each. \"We put ourselves in a position to win, but we didn't close the game out,'' said San Antonio coach Dan Hughes, who was ejected late in the first half for arguing a call. Detroit led by seven early in the second half before San Antonio staged a 9-0 run. Marie Ferdinand had six points during the stretch to put the Silver Stars up 45-43 with 17:10 left. Palmer-Daniel followed with San Antonio's next 10 points to stretch the lead to 57-52. Detroit turned the ball over 14 times in the second half, leading to 11 Silver Stars points, but rallied to pull within 65-64 on Ford's free throw with 1:52 left. After Shyra Ely missed a 3-pointer, Braxton's baseline jumper put Detroit back in front, and Nolan's steal set up Stinson's 3-pointer to make it 69-65 with 53.5 seconds to go. The Silver Stars missed their last eight shots, while Detroit made its last six. \"In the women's game, there is always the possibility of making big comebacks,'' Mahorn said. ``You never give up until the final buzzer.'' The Shock, the 2003 WNBA champions, have opened the season with three wins in four days. San Antonio, the worst team in the league last season, are 0-2.

DETROIT 68, NEW YORK 66 (OT)Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WD
TW
Giveaway: Ruth Riley Book, 3,000 Fans

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Detroit Shock coach Bill Laimbeer believes Deanna Nolan might be the most talented player in the WNBA. This season, she's finally living up to that billing. Nolan scored 27 of her franchise-record 34 points after halftime Friday night to lead the unbeaten Shock to a 68-66 overtime victory over the New York Liberty. \"The team knows and the coaches know that Deanna can be the best player in this league when she wants to play with that level of energy,'' Laimbeer said. \"We still haven't seen a limit to how good she can be.''

The Shock (4-0), coming off a nine-day layoff after playing their first three games in a four-game span, came back from 13 points down to beat the Liberty (1-3) for the second time this season. Detroit won at New York, 78-71 on May 22. \"I thought we had a terrific effort for about 35 minutes,'' New York coach Pat Coyle said. \"Then we broke down offensively and defensively.''

Nolan, who had Detroit's first triple-double on May 21, broke Sandy Brondello's six-year-old team record of 33 points. \"We all know that Deanna is the greatest player in this league,'' Cheryl Ford said. \"The only thing that is stopping her is her.'' Crystal Robinson led the Liberty with 13 points. New York forced 12 turnovers in the first half on their way to a 28-18 lead. The Liberty extended their lead to 13 at 46-33 with 9:10 remaining before the Shock began their comeback. Elaine Powell's three-point play cut Detroit's deficit to 48-43 with 5:07 left, but New York scored the next four points from the free throw line to push their advantage back to nine. The Shock rallied again, and Nolan's 3-pointer with 32 seconds left pulled them within 1 at 52-51. After Elena Baranova hit two free throws with 29 seconds left, Chandi Jones hit a tying 3-pointer 8 seconds later. New York turned the ball over with 2.7 seconds left, but Ruth Riley's shot rolled off the rim as time expired. Nolan had seven points in Detroit's 9-2 run to start the extra session.

\"You expect great players to make great plays and she did,'' Coyle said. Hammon's 3-pointer with 11 seconds left cut New York's deficit to 67-64. The Liberty quickly fouled Nolan, who made 1 of 2 free throws to push Detroit's lead to four. Hammon made a pair of free throws with 1 second left to close the scoring. Nolan's 12 points in the overtime session tied Mwadi Mabika's league record, set for Los Angeles last season. \"I was just trying to bring us some energy,'' Nolan said. \"The records are great, because now I have to try to break them.''

SEATTLE 76, DETROIT 61Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDTWTV
Broadcast: Comcast Local
Giveaway: Deanna Nolan Poster, 3,000 Fans Theme: Mother/Daughter Day

AUBURN HILLS, Mich, June 8, 2005 (Ticker) -- In a matchup of the last two WNBA champions, the Seattle Storm were the ones who looked like champions. Janell Burse scored 18 points and the Storm jumped out to a big lead and cruised to a 76-61 victory over the Detroit Shock. The 2004 champion Storm forced 12 turnovers in the first half en route to building 42-33 lead. Seattle, which won for the fifth time in six games, led by as many as 22 in the second half. The Storm played without point guard Sue Bird, who suffered a broken nose in Tuesday's loss at Connecticut. Deanna Nolan scored 23 points to lead Detroit, which won the 2003 title. She scored nine points in a 14-3 surge early in the second half, pulling the Shock within 46-36 with 15:55 to play. Kara Braxton added 15 points for the Shock, who lost for the first time in five games this season. Lauren Jackson scored 15 points and Betty Lennox 13 for Seattle (5-2).

DETROIT 69, CHARLOTTE 55Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDTW
TV Broadcast: FSN Detroit
Giveaway: Team Calendar 3,000 Fans

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., June 10 -- The Detroit Shock showed their ability to bounce back. Elaine Powell and Cheryl Ford each scored 12 points as the Shock pulled away for a 69-55 victory over the Charlotte Sting. Coming off their first loss of the season, the Shock led by four points at the half before opening things up over the final 20 minutes. They led by as many as 19 points in the second half. Chandi Jones drilled a 3-pointer and made two free throws in a 6-0 spurt early in the second half, giving the Shock a 51-39 cushion. Jones and Ayana Walker added 10 points apiece for the Shock, who shot 55 percent (23-of-42) in winning for the fifth time in six games. Sheri Sam and Teana Miller each scored eight points for Charlotte, which lost for the sixth time in seven games.

NEW YORK 72, DETROIT 69Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDTWN
ational TV Coverage on ESPN2

NEW YORK, June 12 (Ticker) -- The third time proved to be charm for the New York Liberty against the Detroit Shock. Vickie Johnson scored a season-high 21 points and Ann Wauters added 12 and 11 rebounds as the Liberty posted a 72-69 victory over the Shock. It was the Liberty's first victory over the Shock in three meetings this season. Johnson, who finished 8-of-16 from the field, gave New York (3-4) a 39-35 lead with 16:21 remaining behind a jumper and a three-point play over a 31-second span. New York extended the lead to 52-42 on a 3-pointer by Becky Hammon less than six minutes later. Detroit (5-2), which had won the first two meetings with New York by just 11 points, moved within 70-69 with 20 seconds left behind consecutive baskets by Deanna Nolan. After Shameka Christon made two free throws for the Liberty, Nolan's 3-point attempt with 16 seconds left went wide but Ruth Riley saved the ball from going out of bounds and the Shock called a timeout with 4.3 seconds remaining. With New York closely defending the inbounds play, Riley was forced to take the pass after setting a screen and attempted an off-balance shot from the arc that missed. Nolan scored 16 points and Cheryl Ford recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 17 and 11 boards for Detroit, which lost to New York for just the third time in their last 11 regular-season meetings.

INDIANA 84, DETROIT 79 (OT)Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDT
W

INDIANAPOLIS, June 15 (Ticker) -- The Indiana Fever had to play an extra period, but they remained among the unbeaten at home. Ebony Hoffman scored four of her career-high 16 points in overtime as the Fever improved to 5-0 at the Conseco Fieldhouse with an 84-79 victory over the Detroit Shock. Indiana (6-3) is one of three teams unbeaten at home this season. Western Conference-leading Sacramento (4-0) and Connecticut (3-0), the top team in the East, are the others. Hoffman, who had failed to reach double figures in the first 38 games of the her career, tied the score at 77-77 on a hook shot just 29 seconds into the extra period. Her putback off a missed free throw by Tully Bevilaqua with 1:46 left gave the Fever their first lead in the overtime at 80-79. Tamika Catchings and Kelly Miller both made two free throws down the stretch to seal the win. The Fever almost won in regulation when Miller's 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds left put them ahead 75-73. But the Shock (5-3) answered back when Chandi Jones took a bump from Bevilaqua and banked home a runner as time expired. Catchings, who had shot just 6-of-39 (15 percent) from the field in her previous three games, scored 20 points, grabbed 16 rebounds, handed out eight assists and collected six steals. Deanna Nolan scored 32 points, including all four of Detroit's points in overtime. Elaine Powell added 14 points and seven assists for the Shock, who lost for the third time in their last four games.

CONNECTICUT 73, DETROIT 63Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDTW
TV Coverage: WB20

UNCASVILLE, Conn., June 18 -- Nykesha Sales helped the Connecticut Sun avenge their only loss of the season. Sales scored 17 points and the Sun took control in the second half en route to a 73-63 victory over the Detroit Shock. After opening the season with a 78-67 loss at Detroit, Connecticut has reeled off a franchise-record seven straight wins. Sales made just 3-of-15 shots in the first meeting between the teams. However, she was much better in this one, going 6-of-10. Following a close first half, the Sun used a 14-3 surge in just under a six-minute stretch to open a 48-34 lead with 11:00 remaining on two free throws by Lindsay Whalen, who scored 10 points and grabbed a career-high nine rebounds. Chandi Jones scored 11 points to pace the Shock, who got as close as six points with just over a minute remaining. Detroit lost its third straight game.

WASHINGTON 69, DETROIT 55Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDTW\
nGiveaway: Swin Cash Visor 3,000 Fans
Theme: Father/Daughter Day

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., June 24 (Ticker) -- Rookie Temeka Johnson extended the struggles for the Detroit Shock. Johnson scored 15 points and Delisha Milton-Jones added 13 as the Washington Mystics extended their winning streak to three games with a 69-55 victory over the Shock. Coming off a convincing 77-56 triumph over Phoenix on Tuesday, the Mystics (6-6) took early control in this one, scoring 11 of the first 15 points and leading 39-28 at the half. After the Shock (5-5) rallied to pull within 52-48 with 5:58 to play, Johnson hit a jumper, grabbed a defensive rebound and assisted on a layup by Milton-Jones to make it 56-48 just 53 seconds later. Johnson, who shot 6-of-14 from the field, added another jumper with 3:44 remaining to push the lead to 58-49. Chasity Melvin scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds and Coco Miller chipped in 10 points in 18 minutes off the bench for Washington, which never trailed in winning on the road for the second time in five games. Deanna Nolan was the only Shock player in double figures with 16 points. Detroit has lost four straight and five of its last six games since a 4-0 start. Overall, Detroit shot 35 percent (19-of-54) and made just 16-of-28 free throws.

DETROIT 79, LOS ANGELES 73Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDTW
National TV Coverage on ESPN
Giveaway: Swin Cash Book 3,000 Fans

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., June 26 (Ticker) -- The Detroit Shock needed to break an WNBA record to halt their slump. Deanna Nolan scored 12 of her 22 points in the second half as the Shock recorded the largest comeback in league history with a 79-73 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks. Erasing a 25-point deficit in the first half, Detroit (6-5) surpassed the previous record of 23, set by the Shock in an 83-79 triumph at Indiana on June 9, 2004. Losing five of their previous six games, the Shock witnessed the Sparks dominate the first half. Los Angeles (7-6) scored 11 of the game's first 15 points and built a 35-10 lead with 7:21 to play on a layup by Lisa Leslie. Behind eight points by Nolan, Detroit chipped into that deficit, moving within 45-32 at the half. The Shock started the second half with a 9-4 run, and closed within 62-57 on a three-point play by Cheryl Ford with 9:35 remaining. Ford scored 11 of her 15 points after halftime and grabbed 15 rebounds. Nolan followed with a 3-pointer on the next possession and Chandi Jones added a shot of her own from the arc, giving Detroit a 63-62 lead with 7:25 left. The Shock added five more points over the next two minutes to push the lead to 68-62, capping a 14-0 run. Chamique Holdsclaw, who scored 17 points for Los Angeles, was forced to leave the game with an ankle sprain with 5:15 left. She did return to the game but finished with just two points in the second half. Tamika Whitmore scored 19 points and Leslie finished with 16 and 10 rebounds for the Sparks, who lost for just the second time in their last six games. Detroit has now won seven of the nine home meetings against Los Angeles, taking a slight lead in the all-time series at 8-7.

SACRAMENTO 80, DETROIT 63Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDTW\
nGiveaway: Bad Boys/Bad Girls 3,000 Fans
Theme: All-Star

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., July 1 (Ticker) -- Nicole Powell paced a balanced attack for the Sacramento Monarchs, who may be needing more balance in the future. On a night where leading scorer DeMya Walker went down with a knee injury, Powell scored 17 points to lead five players in double figures as the Monarchs rolled to an 80-63 victory over the Detroit Shock. Averaging 14.8 points per game, Walker went down with an apparent right knee injury with 16:05 remaining. Already wearing a brace on the knee, she had to be helped off the court, finishing with 10 points. Walker scored four points in a 10-0 burst that opened the game. Sacramento never trailed, shooting 53 percent (29-of-55) from the field and forcing 22 turnovers. Yolanda Griffith scored 15 points and Rebekkah Brunson added 14 off the bench for the Monarchs, who improved to 3-1 on their road trip which ends Sunday in Seattle. Sacramento held a 38-31 halftime advantage and led by at least seven points in the second half. Detroit closed to 68-61 before a 3-pointer by Ticha Penicheiro rebuilt the margin to double digits with 2:31 to play. Recently acquired Plenette Pierson scored 22 points off the bench and Deanna Nolan added 14 for the Shock, who have lost five of their last six games. Detroit coach Bill Laimbeer was ejected for arguing with 3:49 left in the first half. Assistant Rick Mahorn also drew a technical foul in the final minute.

HOUSTON 75, DETROIT 66Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDTW
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., July 5 (Ticker) -- The Houston Comets continue to roll while the Detroit Shock just keep getting rolled over. All-Star Sheryl Swoopes scored 22 points and the Comets used a big second-half run en route to a 75-66 victory over the Shock. Houston (9-5) has won a season-high five straight games while Detroit (6-8) has now lost six of seven. The Comets trailed 36-31 at the half and were down 51-41 with 13:37 to play before going on an 18-2 run to take control of the game. Sancho Lyttle scored seven points and Tari Phillips added six in the spurt. Swoopes had 12 in the first half to keep the Comets close and Janeth Arcain added 14 for Houston. Kara Braxton scored 20 points in 26 minutes off the bench and All-Star Deanna Nolan added 19 for Detroit, which shot just 7-of-14 from the foul line compared to 18-of-24 for Houston. Two-time All-Star forward Swin Cash made her season debut for Detroit and scored two points in 18 minutes. The Shock activated Cash from the injured list Tuesday, 10 months after she suffered a torn ACL.

DETROIT 76, WASHINGTON 62Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDTW\
nTV Coverage: FSN Detroit

WASHINGTON, July 7 (Ticker) -- All-Star Cheryl Ford helped send the struggling Detroit Shock into the All-Star break with a surprising victory over the surging Washington Mystics. Ford scored 15 points and matched a season high with 18 rebounds as the Shock pulled away in the second half for a 76-62 victory. Detroit (7-7) had lost six of their previous seven games, while Washington (8-8) had won five of their last six. Ford scored five points during a 10-0 run late in the game, capping it with a free throw, for a 67-53 lead with just over three minutes to play. Ford shot 6-of-11 from the floor, added four assists and six offensive rebounds. Elaine Powell had 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Shock, who outrebounded the Mystics, 44-24. Chasity Melvin paced four players in double figures with 14 points, added four blocks and seven rebounds for Washington, which tied a franchise record with 10 blocks. All-Star Alana Beard added 12 points.

MINNESOTA 71, DETROIT 61Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDTW
MINNEAPOLIS, July 13 (Ticker) -- Svetlana Abrosimova's perfect shooting performance continued an outstanding home stretch for the Minnesota Lynx. Abrosimova scored a season-high 22 points on 8-of-8 shooting as the Lynx captured their sixth consecutive win at the Target Center with a 71-61 victory over the Detroit Shock. Making two of her career-high five 3-pointers in the second half, Abrosimova helped Minnesota (9-8) snap a two-game losing streak overall. Nearly lost in the sizzling shooting by her teammate, Lynx guard Katie Smith set a major milestone in women's professional basketball by becoming the first American player to reach 5,000 points. Mustering just four points in the first half, Smith hit her only 3-pointer of the contest to give Minnesota a 61-53 lead with 4:19 remaining. She added a running jumper 35 seconds later to extend the lead to 63-54, reaching the 5,000-point plateau exactly. Smith scored 11 points and Nicole Ohlde added eight and grabbed eight rebounds. Deanna Nolan scored 13 points and Plenette Pierson chipped in 12 for Detroit (7-8), which shot just 38 percent en route to its third loss in four games.

INDIANA 62, DETROIT 57Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDTW
INDIANAPOLIS, July 15 (Ticker) -- All-Star Tamika Catchings collected 20 points, a career-high 14 rebounds and five assists as the Indiana Fever posted a 62-57 victory over the Detroit Shock in the opener of a home-and-home series. Catchings made just 4-of-11 shots from the floor but connected on all but two of her 14 free throws and managed to control the boards, despite battling All-Star Ruth Riley and Cheryl Ford in the low post. Indiana never led by more than seven points in the second half with Detroit getting as close as one point on a few occasions. However, the Fever overcame a 35 percent (19-of-55) shooting performance by hitting 24-of-31 from the line. Jurgita Streimikyte added 13 points for the Fever, who beat the Shock for the fourth straight time. All-Star Deanna Nolan scored 19 points and Sheila Lambert added 13 for the Shock, who lost for the eighth time in their last 10 contests. The teams will meet again Sunday in Detroit.

INDIANA 59, DETROIT 58Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDTWGi
veaway: Ruth Riley Jersey 2,500 children
Theme: Kids' Day

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., July 17 (Ticker) -- A change a scenery did not alter the outcome for All-Star Tamika Catchings and the Indiana Fever. Catchings scored 21 points to lead the Fever to their second victory over the Detroit Shock in three days, a 59-58 triumph. After scoring 20 points and collecting 14 rebounds in Friday's win over the Shock, Catchings' jumper with 7:02 remaining gave Indiana a 49-42 lead. Deanna Nolan made a layup with 1:29 to go, pulling the Shock within 58-55. After Catchings and Detroit's Kara Braxton each made 1-of-2 free throws, Cheryl Ford converted layup with 5.2 seconds remaining to reduce the margin to one. Following a timeout, Detroit fouled Tan White, who missed both foul shots but grabbed her own rebound and dribbled out the clock. Off to its best 17-game start in franchise history, Indiana (11-6) beat Detroit for the sixth consecutive time and raised its conference record to 8-1. Ford scored 16 of her 18 points in the second half for the Shock (7-10), who committed 24 turnovers for the second straight contest and have lost five of six. Both teams shot 40 percent (21-of-53) from the floor. Detroit lost despite a 40-26 rebounding advantage.

DETROIT 66, CONNECTICUT 57Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDTW
Theme: Summer Camp Programs Day

AUBURN HILLS, Michigan (Ticker) -- Deanna Nolan was in the middle of everything down the stretch. Nolan scored 10 of her 14 points in the final 2 1/2 minutes, took a flagrant foul and sent a message at the buzzer as the Detroit Shock defeated the Connecticut Sun, 66-57, in a heated matinee. In a matchup between the last two Eastern Conference champions, the Shock (8-10) improved to 2-1 this season against the Sun (15-5), who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Held without a basket for the first 37 minutes, Nolan had a three-point play with 2:23 remaining that gave the Shock the lead for good at 57-55. She added three free throws around a hoop by the Sun's Taj McWilliams-Franklin for a 60-57 edge with 22 seconds to go. Lindsay Whalen committed a turnover and Cheryl Ford split a pair of free throws. Teammate Swin Cash rebounded the second foul shot and was fouled by Whalen, sinking 1-of-2 from the line for a 62-57 bulge with 20 seconds left. In the closing seconds, Whalen flagrantly fouled Nolan, who made 1-of-2 free throws. On the ensuing possession, Nolan drained a 3-pointer instead of dribbling out the clock. After the buzzer, Sun coach Mike Thibault and Shock coach Bill Laimbeer exchanged heated words. Reserve Chandi Jones scored 14 points and Ford added 12 and 12 rebounds for the Shock, who shot under 40 percent (23-of-58) but made 17-of-24 free throws. Nolan made just 2-of-6 shots but sank 9-of-11 free throws. Nykesha Sales scored 17 points, reserve Asjha Jones added 15 and McWilliams-Franklin 12 and 11 boards for the Sun, who shot below 36 percent (24-of-67) and made 6-of-11 from the line. Whalen and backcourt mate Katie Douglas combined for seven points on just 3-of-15 shooting.

SEATTLE 74, DETROIT 71Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDTWNa
tionally televised on ABC

SEATTLE, July 23 (Ticker) -- The Detroit Shock's first-half comeback was impressive. Their second-half run fell just short. Betty Lennox hit a go-ahead jumper with 18 seconds left to lift the Seattle Storm to their fourth straight win, a 74-71 win over the Shock. Lauren Jackson, who left Tuesday's win over New York with a sprained right ankle, scored 21 points for the Storm (12-10), who had to weather a late charge in both halves. Deanna Nolan scored four straight points and Ruth Riley added a free throw to pull Detroit (8-11) into a 71-71 tie with 39 seconds to go. Lennox, who finished with 10 points, responded with a basket off an inbounds pass with 18 seconds left, Seattle's first basket in more than five minutes. Nolan missed a long 3-pointer with seven seconds left and Lennox grabbed the rebound before being fouled. She split two free throws and Nolan was off on a desperation heave at the buzzer. The Storm raced to a 29-14 lead in the first half before the Shock rallied to tie it at halftime, 44-44. Detroit took the momentum into the second half and took a 54-49 lead less than six minutes in on two free throws by Nolan, who finished with 22 points. After a series of lead changes, Suzy Batkovic and Sue Bird made a free throw apiece and Jackson added two to give Seattle a 71-66 lead, its largest after the break. Bird scored 14 points for the Storm, who have won eight of their last 10 at home. Cheryl Ford scored 15 points and Chandi Jones came off the bench to provide 10 but the Shock lost for the 10th time in 13 games after a 5-1 start.

SACRAMENTO 91, DETROIT 51Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDTW\
n
SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 24 (Ticker) -- Nicole Powell's sizzling shooting led to a very bad loss for the Detroit Shock. Powell scored a career-high 25 points as the Sacramento Monarchs used an early second-half run to cruise to a 91-51 victory over the Shock. The Monarchs (14-7), who avoided a third straight loss, shot 45 percent (31-of-69) with seven 3-pointers to hand the Shock their most lopsided loss of the season. Powell, a possible candidate for the WNBA's Most Improved Player award, made five of her team's shots from the arc, tying a season high. After scoring 13 points in the first half, Powell sank her fourth 3-pointer 21 seconds into the second, igniting a 17-2 run that turned a 33-27 halftime lead into a 50-29 advantage with 15:04 left. Yolanda Griffith, who was limited to just seven minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, scored nine of her 10 points during the spurt. Reserve Kara Lawson finished with a season-high 14 points and Rebekkah Brunson recorded her first double-double with 11 points and a career-high 14 rebounds for Sacramento. Kara Braxton was the only player to score in double figures for Detroit with 11 points. The starting frontcourt of Swin Cash, Cheryl Ford and Ruth Riley combined for just 15 points for the Shock, who shot 34 percent (17-of-50) and committed 24 turnovers. Detroit (8-12) has lost 11 of its last 14 games.

DETROIT 75, CONNECTICUT 66Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDTW
Nationally televised on ESPN

UNCASVILLE, Conn., July 30 (Ticker) -- This was not the \"worst to first\" that the Connecticut Sun were looking for. The Sun scored a season-worst 19 points in the opening half en route to their first home loss of the season, a 75-66 setback to the Detroit Shock, who ended a four-game road slide. The Sun had won their first 10 games this season at Mohegan Sun Arena, matching their home win totals from each of their first two seasons in the Nutmeg State. They had won the first three of a four-game homestand to improve to a league-best 18-5. But Connecticut made just 8-of-33 shots in the first half, digging itself a 30-19 hole. Nykesha Sales, Lindsay Whalen and Katie Douglas - the team's top perimeter players - were a combined 2-of-18. The Shock pushed their lead to 61-45 with 7:45 remaining on a jumper by Deanna Nolan, who scored 19 points. The Sun put together a 17-4 charge to close to 65-62 on two free throws by Margo Dydek with 2:23 to go. However, Plenette Pierson and Cheryl Ford had three-point plays around two foul shots by Whalen to rebuild the lead to 71-64 with 1:40 left. It was at least a two-possession game thereafter. Pierson scored 17 points off the bench, Elaine Powell added 14 and Ford 11 and 13 rebounds for the Shock, who shot 47.5 percent (29-of-61) and held a 40-32 advantage on the glass. Dydek had 16 points and nine rebounds and Taj McWilliams-Franklin scored 15 points for the Sun, who shot a dismal 27 percent (16-of-59). The perimeter trio finished 5-of-30.

DETROIT 66, PHOENIX 63Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDTWGi
veaway: C.Ford/Mustang Bobble 3,000 Fans
Theme: Grandparents' Day

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., July 31 (Ticker) -- Kara Braxton scored 12 of her 16 points in the second half as the Detroit Shock staged a furious comeback for a 66-63 victory over the Phoenix Mercury. One day after acquiring former scoring champion Katie Smith from Minnesota, Detroit dug itself a 34-26 halftime hole. Phoenix opened the second half with an 11-2 surge, building its largest lead at 45-28 on two free throws by Anna DeForge with 15:24 to go. Braxton scored six points in a 10-0 spurt that got the Shock back in the game. They closed to 47-45 on a basket by former Mercury Plenette Pierson with 11:20 left. A basket by Braxton gave Detroit the lead for good at 51-50 with 6 1/2 minutes to go. The Shock widened the lead to 61-55 on Ruth Riley's hoop with 2:20 remaining and held on as DeForge fired an airball on a 3-pointer at the buzzer. Deanna Nolan scored 12 points and Riley added 10 for Detroit, which used a 38-19 rebounding advantage to overcome 25 turnovers. Smith, a five-time All-Star, scored six points in 23 minutes off the bench. DeForge scored 20 points and Diana Taurasi added 16 and seven assists for Phoenix, which made just six baskets in the second half and had a three-game winning streak snapped.

HOUSTON 62, DETROIT 61Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDTWTV
Coverage: ESPN2

HOUSTON, Aug. 2 (Ticker) -- Deanna Nolan nearly led the Detroit Shock to a second straight impressive comeback victory before coming up short when it mattered most. Nolan scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds but missed a wide open three-footer in the lane in the final seconds as the Shock dropped a 62-61 decision to the Houston Comets. Detroit, which rallied from a 17-point deficit over the final 15 minutes Sunday to post a 66-63 victory over Phoenix, nearly completed an identical rally in this one. The Shock (11-12) trailed 42-30 at halftime, but used a 22-2 run in the early portions of the second half to take a 52-46 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining. After the teams traded multiple leads in the final minutes, Detroit had the ball trailing, 62-61, with two seconds left with a chance for the win. The Shock ran a play for Nolan, who curled around a pick into the lane and missed an unguarded short jumper. She got the rebound, but had the ball knocked away as time expired. Nolan made 9-of-15 shots, but missed her final three attempts. Cheryl Ford finished with 12 points and newcomer Katie Smith added seven and three assists for Detroit. Sheryl Swoopes paced the Comets (14-11) with 17 points and five rebounds. Michelle Snow added 15 points and Dawn Staley scored five off the bench in her first game with Houston, which snapped a three-game home losing streak.

CHARLOTTE 82, DETROIT 73 (OT)Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM W
DTW
TV Coverage: WB20

CHARLOTTE, N. C. (Ticker) -- It took two overtimes for Muggsy Bogues to record his first win as coach of the struggling Charlotte Sting. Sheri Sam scored six of her game-high 26 points in the second overtime to lift the Sting to an 82-73 victory over the Detroit Shock. Charlotte erased a nine-point deficit over the final 6:45 of regulation to send the game into overtime. Trailing by two, the Sting tied the game at 65-65 on Tammy Sutton-Brown's layup with 21 seconds remaining. Sam, who led Charlotte with 11 rebounds and five assists, converted two free throws with 40 seconds remaining in the first overtime to again tie the game at 71-71. Led by Sam, the Sting outscored the Shock, 11-2, in the second overtime to snap their 10-game losing streak. Tangela Smith added 22 points and eight rebounds for Charlotte (4-22), which improved to 1-1 under Bogues. Detroit (10-14) had an opportunity to win in regulation, but Cheryl Ford missed two free throws with 0.2 seconds remaining. Ford missed all eight free throws for the Shock, who converted just 13-for-27 from the line.

DETROIT 72, NEW YORK 67Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDTWG
iveaway: WNBA B-ball CD Case 3,000 Fans
Theme: Girls Night Out

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Aug. 7 (Ticker) -- Deanna Nolan and the Detroit Shock quickly responded from a difficult loss. Nolan scored 20 points to lead the Shock to a 72-67 triumph over the New York Liberty in the opener of a three-game homestand. The Shock went two overtimes Saturday in an 82-73 loss at Charlotte. Detroit squandered a nine-point advantage over the final 6:45 of regulation and managed just two points in the second overtime. On Sunday, Detroit saw an 11-point lead with 11:33 remaining reduced to 67-66 after a pair of free throws by Catherine Kraayeveld with 1:09 left. But Nolan responded with a pull-up jumper with 44 seconds left, and after New York's Becky Hammon made 1-of-2 free throws, Nolan split a pair at the line for a 70-67 edge with 23 seconds to play. Hammon missed a layup with 16 seconds left and Cheryl Ford -- a 47 percent free-throw shooter -- sank two from the line to cap the scoring with 12 seconds remaining. Hammon scored 18 points and Ann Wauters added 12 and 11 rebounds for the Liberty, who were coming off Saturday's 79-67 win over Seattle. Detroit climbed within 1½ games of New York for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

DETROIT 71, CHARLOTTE 64Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDTW
TV Coverage: Comcast Local

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Aug. 9 (Ticker) -- Katie Smith made a huge impact in her first start with the Detroit Shock. Smith scored 21 points, including four free throws in the final minute, as the Shock avenged Saturday's heartbreaking loss against the Charlotte Sting with a 71-64 triumph. Acquired from Minnesota on June 30, Smith came off the bench in her first four appearances with Detroit, including Saturday's 82-73 double-overtime loss in Charlotte. In this one, Smith showed the form that has made her the all-time leading scorer in professional women's basketball. Smith connected on four three pointers and Deanna Nolan scored 16 of her 17 points as the Shock (12-14), who never trailed, built a 63-41 advantage with 4:37 remaining. Charlotte (4-23) stormed back with a 19-3 surge - 14 points coming on free throws. Tangela Smith scored 11 of her 25 season-high tying points during the run - nine at the line. The Sting fell to a league-worst 0-13 on the road this season.

DETROIT 72, MINNESOTA 66 (OT)Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM W
DTW
TV Coverage: FSN Detroit

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Aug. 11 (Ticker) -- Deanna Nolan's steal and go-ahead layup with 1:26 remaining in overtime lifted the Detroit Shock to a 72-66 victory over the Minnesota Lynx. Nolan made just 5-of-17 shots but scored four of her 12 points in overtime. She made a basket to give Detroit a 66-65 lead, then came up with the game's key play, stealing a pass by Svetlana Abrosimova and coasting in for a layup and a 68-66 lead. Kristi Harrower and Abrosimova missed shots on the next possession and Cheryl Ford, a 49 percent free-throw shooter, made a pair from the line for a 70-66 advantage with 33 seconds to go. Katie Smith scored 13 points, Kara Braxton added 10 and Ford swept 13 rebounds for the Shock (13-14), who erased an early 10-point deficit and stayed in the hunt for an Eastern Conference playoff berth. They are one-half game out of the final spot. Smith, a former WNBA scoring champion, was playing her previous team for the first time. She starred for the Lynx for six-plus seasons before being traded July 30 for Chandi Jones and Stacey Thomas. Abrosimova scored 18 points and Stacey Lovelace-Tolbert added 15 for the Lynx (13-15), who fell one-half game behind Phoenix for the final playoff spot in the West. The Shock used a 12-2 run to erase a 41-33 deficit and take the lead. Abrosimova answered Ford's three-point play with a hoop, pulling the Lynx into a 62-62 tie with 52 seconds left in regulation.

DETROIT 60, SAN ANTONIO 59Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDTW

SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 13 (Ticker) -- Ruth Riley made sure that the lowly San Antonio Silver Stars did not get in the way of the Detroit Shock's playoff hopes. Riley's follow-shot with one second left lifted the Shock to their fourth straight win, a thrilling 60-59 triumph over the Silver Stars. A 6-5 center, Riley scored a team-high 20 points and made 8-of-12 shots - but none bigger than her last. After Marie Ferdinand hit a 3-pointer to give the Silver Stars a 59-58 lead with seven seconds left, Riley responded with a tip-in on Detroit's third offensive rebound of the final sequence to draw the Shock (14-14) within one-half game of Washington, which currently owns the fourth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Deanna Nolan scored 10 points and Elaine Powell added eight and six rebounds off the bench for Detroit, which won its sixth straight game over San Antonio. Ferdinand finished with 21 points and Wendy Palmer-Daniel added 11 for the Silver Stars (7-23), who dropped their fifth straight game.

PHOENIX 58, DETROIT 51Radio Broadcast: 1310 AM WDTW
PHOENIX, Aug. 16 (Ticker) -- Maria Stepanova delivered a big performance in her swan song with the Phoenix Mercury. Stepanova and Anna DeForge each scored 14 points to lead the Mercury to a 58-51 triumph over the Detroit Shock. Phoenix's fourth-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder, Stepanova will miss the remainder of the 2005 season. She will return to her native Russia on Wednesday to begin preparation for the European Championships. Trailing 36-33 at halftime, the Mercury held the Shock scoreless over the final 6:06. DeForge's layup with 4:38 remaining snapped a 51-51 tie and put Phoenix ahead for good. Kamila Vodichkova netted four of her 11 points over the final 2:50 for the Mercury (14-14), who have won 11 of their last 14 games to climb into fourth place in the Western Conference. Phoenix managed the victory despite a silent night from Diana Taurasi. The All-Star guard was held scoreless for the first time this season, going 0-for-5 from the field. Katie Smith scored 11 points for Detroit (14-15), which missed its last 14 shots.