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Shock stun Sun in Connecticut, then trade for Katie Smith

4 min read

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) – Deanna Nolan scored 19 points, reserve Plenette Pierson added 17 and the Detroit Shock dealt the Connecticut Sun their first home loss of the season, 75-66 Saturday. The Sun had won 10 straight at home this season and had a 15-game home winning streak dating to last season. Connecticut lost for the first time at Mohegan Sun Arena since Sept. 17, 2004.

Elaine Powell finished with 14 points and five assists, and Cheryl Ford added 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Shock.

“I think our heart played a role today,” Detroit coach Bill Laimbeer said. “We played really hard from start to finish and we did what we needed to do. We controlled the glass and we were very patient, and that was the key to the ball game.”

Margo Dydek led the Sun with 16 points, nine rebounds and two blocks. Taj McWilliams-Franklin had 15 points, six rebounds, and two blocks. Lindsay Whalen shot just 1-for-8 but finished with 12 points.

The Shock led 30-19 at halftime and extended their lead to 15 just 1:46 into the second half.

The Sun shot 8-for-33 (24.2 percent) and 1-for-6 from 3-point range in facing their largest halftime deficit of the season.

“We had a bad offensive game,” Connecticut coach Mike Thibault said. “We had a lot of good open looks and we didn’t make them.

“We had really good open shots and it’s normally the strength of our team, but when you combine Katie Douglas, Nykesha Sales, and Lindsay Whalen shooting 5-for-30 between the three of them, it’s hard to win. When you get that many open shots and don’t make them, you are probably not going to win.”

The Sun used a 15-2 run in the second half to close within 63-60 with 2:55 left.

Detroit held Connecticut without a field goal in the final 4:44, limiting the Sun to 11-for-12 shooting from the line.

“Of course we knew they were going to make their run at the end,” Nolan said. “The fouls almost hurt us, but we made a couple of (three-point plays) down the stretch which I think broke their confidence.”

The Sun shot a season-low 16-for-59 (27.1 percent). It was the second fewest field goals in a game in the Sun’s seven-year history.

The Shock had lost five of six games since the All-Star break, but remain in contention in the Eastern Conference. The Shock are now 71/2 games behind the first-place Sun and 11/2 games behind the idle New York Liberty for fourth place. The top four teams in each conference earning playoff berths.

“We saw this game as a new start for us,” Nolan said. “We were just trying to go out and play hard and make a push for the playoffs.”

There were no heated exchanges between Thibault and Laimbeer this time around. The two had a heated argument after the Shock beat the Sun 66-57 in Detroit on July 20, but when the coaches met at half-court for the customary post-game handshake Saturday, they both smiled, said “Good job.”

Shock deal for Katie Smith

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – The Detroit Shock acquired five-time All-Star Katie Smith in a trade with the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday night, adding the WNBA’s career 3-point leader to a lineup trying to earn a postseason berth.

Minnesota dealt Smith and a second-round draft pick in 2006 for Chandi Jones, Stacey Thomas, and a first-round pick next year.

“Katie brings a toughness, a work ethic, and a style of leadership to our ball club that will push our younger players to improve on both ends of the floor,” Shock Coach Bill Laimbeer said in a statement.

Detroit trails fourth-place New York by 11/2 games in the Eastern Conference. The top four teams in each conference advanced to the playoffs.

Minnesota is a half-game behind fourth-place Los Angeles in the Western Conference.

In seven WNBA seasons, all with Minnesota, Smith averaged 17.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists. This season, she’s averaging 13.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 22 games for the Lynx.

Smith ranks 12th in the WNBA in points per game and fifth in 3-point field goals made with 35. She’s also the league’s career 3-point leader with 460 and ranks fifth among all players in career 3-point field goal percentage.

Smith has been named to five consecutive All-Star teams and was a member of two U.S. Olympic gold medal teams in 2000 and ’04.

Jones is in her second season and averaged 6.3 points and 1.3 assists in 20 games for Detroit this season.

Thomas is averaging 0.8 points, 0.5 assists, 0.5 steals and 8.2 minutes in 16 games for the Shock this season.

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