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Detroit Fans Celebrate WNBA Championship at Rally

September 12, 2006
DETROIT (AP) -- The Detroit Shock are starting to feel right at home in downtown Detroit.

Three days after winning the WNBA championship in front of more than 19,000 at Joe Louis Arena, the team was honored at a rally in front of the Spirit of Detroit statue.

"The fans helped us win on Saturday, and they came out again today," said Shock captain Swin Cash. "It feels great."
Detroit beat Sacramento 80-75 after being displaced from its usual home, the Palace of Auburn Hills, because of a Mariah Carey concert.
Tuesday, they were back, as a couple of hundred fans braved rain to join Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his mother, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick and members of the Detroit City Council at the event.
"The Pistons and Wings didn't win and the Tigers are falling apart," said Janie Campbell of Detroit, who came to watch during her lunch hour. "The Shock won."
While All-Stars Cheryl Ford and Katie Smith missed the rally after joining the U.S. national team in Brazil, Cash was joined by coach Bill Laimbeer, finals MVP Deanna Nolan and players and coaches.
"I can't believe you all came out in this terrible weather," Nolan told the crowd while holding the championship trophy.
Cash presented Granholm with a Shock jersey, while Nolan and fellow starter Ruth Riley did the same for the Kilpatricks. A much bigger jersey was draped over the Spirit of Detroit statue.
"This is more than a championship for the city of Detroit -- this is a championship for the entire state of Michigan," Granholm said. "These ladies are role models for girls all over this state."
Kilpatrick, just hours after helping settle the Detroit teachers strike, agreed with the governor.
"We've had the Pistons and the Red Wings and now we have the Tigers, but it has been our ladies of the court that have won two championships for us," he said. "Girls in the neighborhood want to be like Swin or be like Ruth or be like Deanna."
At that point, Kilpatrick was interrupted by reserve forward Kara Braxton.
"What about me?" she asked the bemused mayor to the delight of her teammates.
After Kilpatrick figured out who Braxton was, he put his arm around her and paid the brash second-year player his ultimate compliment.
"You have got to be from the city of Detroit," he said, drawing cheers from the crowd.
The mayor's mother presented the team with a proclamation from the U.S. House, and they received another from the Detroit City Council.
The crowd was nowhere near as big as the sellout at Joe Louis Arena for the Game 5 win over Sacramento, but Laimbeer wasn't complaining.
"This is at least as many fans as we had at our rally in 2003, and it wasn't raining that day," he said. "So I'm thrilled by this crowd."
For Cash, the title was her fifth major championship since 2000 -- two at Connecticut, two with the Shock, and a 2004 Olympic gold medal -- more than any other basketball player, male or female.
"It never gets old," she said. "This is all about 12 players coming together and winning a title. That's always special."
 

SHOCK ARE WNBA CHAMPIONS AGAIN

Team adds title to the one it captured in 2003.

David Goricki / The Detroit News

DETROIT - The Shock can thank Deanna Nolan's shooter's mentality for their WNBA championship victory Saturday afternoon before 19,671 at Joe Louis Arena.

Nolan finished with 24 points in the Shock's 80-75 victory over defending champion Sacramento in the fifth and deciding game of the WNBA Finals. She was named Finals MVP, averaging 18 points.

Nolan made just 4 of 13 shots in the first half and the Shock trailed 44-36.

The Shock opened up the second half with a 16-3 run. Nolan was the catalyst, scoring 10 and making all five shots she took. She concluded the run by scoring six straight Shock points, a 15-footer from the left corner, a 17-footer from right corner and an 11-foot runner in the lane to open up a 52-47 cushion. The Shock led the rest of the way.

Coach (Bill Laimbeer) was very mad at us at halftime, Nolan said. We weren't diving for loose balls, we were making too many turnovers. He thought we just gave up.

We came out with desire and effort to start the second half. We showed a lot of heart and everybody made big plays. It's a great feeling to win this championship. Winning MVP is an added bonus.

When asked to talk about her shooter's mentality, Nolan replied: Bill (Laimbeer), Rick (assistant coach Mahorn), everybody kept telling me to shoot. A lot of my shots were going in and out in the first half. I was in the zone in the second half. Once I made my first shot, you have that focus and you want to see the second and then the third go in. My teammates were giving me the ball in the right place then, too.

The Shock limited the Monarchs to 27 percent shooting (10-of-36) during the second half.

Our defense was again outstanding, Laimbeer said. I felt we shut them down. You could tell they wanted to win. They came out focused and played physical (in second half).

I'm happy for Nolan. She has improved every year. I felt it was a toss up for MVP between her and Katie Smith. I'm happy Katie got her championship because the recognition had eluded her. I also felt Plenette (Pierson) played big. She attacked the rim and got them into foul trouble.

Nolan was one of six Shock players who earned a championship ring with the team in 2003. Katie Smith, the leading scorer in U.S. women's professional basketball history, wasn't on that team. She was acquired in a trade to the Shock midway through last year

DETROIT SHOCK WIN 2006 WNBA CHAMPIONSHIP


The AP reports: Katie Smith scored 17 points and had two crucial baskets in the fourth quarter to seal the Detroit Shock's decisive Game 5 80-75 victory over the defending champion Sacramento Monarchs. It was Detroit's second WNBA title in the past four years. Deanna Nolan was the finals MVP after a 24-point performance Saturday, but it was Smith who was getting all the attention after the game.

The AP reports: Saturday's game was the only one of the series not decided by double digits. Sacramento, for a half at least, looked like it would win two championships in a row. It held the lead for the entire second quarter and took a 44-36 halftime advantage thanks to Kara Lawson's running jumper with 1 second remaining. But Nolan scored 10 points during a game-changing 18-3 run to open the second half and the Shock never trailed again.

The AP reports: Trailing by eight at the half, Detroit made its first four shots of the third quarter and clamped down defensively, causing Sacramento to miss 17 of its 19 attempts in the period. The Monarchs were led by Lawson's 17 points and former Michigan State star Kristin Haynie's 13.

Ticker reports: Deanna "Tweety" Nolan scored 10 of her 24 points in the pivotal fourth quarter Saturday to rally the Shock to an 80-75 victory over the defending champion Sacramento Monarchs in Game Five of the WNBA Finals... Plenette Pierson scored 16 points and Cheryl Ford added 10 and 10 rebounds for the Shock. Kara Lawson scored 17 points for the Monarchs, who had a chance to win their second straight title on their home floor but lost Game Four.

NOLAN SPARKS SHOCK TO ANOTHER WNBA TITLE

By Herald Wire Services/ Sports in brief
Sunday, September 10, 2006 - Updated: 09:34 AM EST

 The Detroit Shock came back one last time and made off with their second WNBA championship in four years.
 

    Finals MVP Deanna Nolan scored 10 of her 24 points during a game-changing 18-3 run to open the second half and the Shock won the title with an 80- 75 victory over the defending champion Sacramento Monarchs in the deciding Game 5 yesterday in Detroit. It was title No. 2 for Nolan, fellow All-Star Cheryl Ford and captain Swin Cash, but it was the first WNBA championship for Katie Smith, one of the best players in the history of U.S. women’s basketball. Smith scored in double figures in four of the five games of the series, including 17 yesterday.

    She hurled the ball high in the air as time expired. In the first half the Shock were outplayed inmuch the same way they were during decisive losses in Games 1 and 3. But they came on strong when it counted.