Shock Squeak Past Liberty To Advance To WNBA Finals

By David Nows: SPM Detroit Writer
Posted Tuesday, September 30, 2008

The Detroit Shock celebrate their fourth Eastern Conference title in six years. Photo by Lynn Gregg.

YPSILANTI, Mich. - The Detroit Shock got 56 points out of their three veteran stars in Monday night’s Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and at the end of the day it was enough to cling to a 75-73 victory over the New York Liberty. With the win, the Shock advance to the WNBA Finals for the fourth time in six years.

"We’re where we expected to be," Shock head coach Bill Laimbeer said. "That’s who we are, that’s what we’re about, that’s all we talk about. Anything else is a lost season for us."

Led by eight-year veteran Deanna Nolan, who scored 21 points for Detroit, the Shock were able to hold on to a lead that once reached 20, but dwindled down to as little as two in the closing moments. Fellow 11-year WNBA veterans Katie Smith and Taj McWilliams-Franklin scored 16 and 19 apiece, respectively, for Detroit.

"It’s about us being a team, and keeping each other up," McWilliams-Franklin said. "When we get down, I don’t have to score, Deanna doesn’t have to score, Katie doesn’t have to score, somebody else can step in and hit the big bucket because that’s what veterans do."

New York dug themselves a hole early from which they simply could not recover. While only down seven after one quarter of play, their output of eight first-quarter points was the second lowest in WNBA playoff history. Couple that with being outscored in the second quarter 26-16 -- including a 12-0 run that ended a minute before the half -- and the Liberty found themselves down 17 going into the locker room at halftime.

"We didn’t play the solid basketball we’ve played all year," said Liberty center Janel McCarville, of the team’s first-half performance. "We kind of dug ourselves a hole."

McCarville played a solid game for the Liberty, contributing 21 points, five rebounds, and four assists. 12 of her 21 came during the fourth-quarter rally, in which the Liberty closed the gap all the way down to two points. Reserve guard Leilani Mitchell scored 14 points in 14 minutes of play, netting 12 of those in a third quarter which saw the Liberty cut a 17-point Shock lead down to five. However, Mitchell was played sparingly in the fourth quarter by Liberty coach Patty Coyle.

"We were just trying to keep the pressure up," Mitchell said when asked about her fourth quarter playing time. "Just rotating a lot of bodies, that’s been to our advantage all year."

New York’s season comes to an end almost exactly as it did last year, with a Game 3 loss to the Detroit Shock after leading the series 1-0. However, the Liberty advanced one round further than last year, and certainly don’t feel that their season was a lost cause.

"It’s definitely progress; Last year we only got to the first round, and this year we’re in the Conference Finals," McCarville said. "Playing with one of the best teams in the league, taking them all the way down to the third game, you’ve got to take that as beneficial."

As for Detroit, they advance to face a San Antonio Silver Stars team who had a league-best 24-10 record in the regular season. Led by Becky Hammon and Sophia Young, two 17-plus point per game scorers, the Silver Stars should prove to be a formidable foe for the Eastern Conference Champion Shock.

"It’s the Finals. We’re going to have to put everything we have into stopping them, just like they’re going to try to stop us," McWilliams-Franklin said. "We’re going to do everything we can, just like they are, to win it and bring it back to Detroit."

The Shock travel to San Antonio to begin their best-of-five series for Games 1 and 2, which will be held on Wednesday and Friday, both at 7:30pm. Game 3 will be held at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Sunday at 4:30pm. If necessary, Game Four will be held in Detroit on Monday and Game Five will be held in San Antonio on Thursday, both at 7:30pm. All games will be in front of a national television audience, on ESPN2.

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