WNBA Standings Eastern 1. Connect. S. 26-8 2. Detroit S. 23-11 3. Indiana F. 21-13 4. Washingt. M. 18-16 5. New York L. 11-23 6. Charlotte S. 11-23 7. Chicago Sky 5-29 Western 1. L.Angeles S. 25-9 2. Sacram. M. 21-13 3. Houston C. 18-16 4. Seattle S. 18-16 5. Phoenix M. 18-16 6. S.Antonio SS 13-21 7. Minnesota L. 10-24 WNBA Stats Leaders Points 1 Taurasi    PHO   25.3 2 Augustus  MIN    21.9 3 Leslie       LAS   20.0 4 Jackson    SEA   19.5 5 Pondexter PHO  19.5 Rebounds 1 Ford          DET   11.3 2 McWilliams-F SEA 9.6 3 Leslie        LAS     9.5 4 Snow         HOU    7.9 4 Jackson      SEA    7.7 Assists 1 Teasley     WAS   5.38 2 Johnson     LAS   5.03 3 Bird           SEA   4.76 4 Whalen     CON   4.64 5 Taurasi,     PHO 4.09 Detriot Shock won WNBA title 2006 (Photo: Detroit Free Press) Shock players celebrating the championship title (Photo: Detroit Free Press)

Detroit Shock 2006
Laimbeer	Cash	Ford	Nolan	Riley	Smith

  ELECTRIC! Shock rallies for second WNBA title; Nolan wins MVP - Sep. 10, 2006
With a stern look on his face, coach Bill Laimbeer pursed his lips -- this time out of pure joy -- and pumped his right fist in the air. It was the look of a champion.
As the final seconds ticked off the clock, guard Katie Smith (5'11''-G-74, college: Ohio St.) scooped the ball in her hand and sent it airborne. It was the look of a first-time WNBA champion.
Forward Kara Braxton (6'2''-F-83) stormed the court with her 1 1/2 -year-old son, Jelani, cradled in her arms, joining the fray a few feet from the bench. It was the look of a first-time champion.
That it took several seconds for confetti to rain down from the hallowed rafters of Joe Louis Arena was irrelevant at that point. The Shock was officially WNBA champions.
Again.
In one of the most blood-tingling WNBA Finals, the Shock had one last rally in it -- then one last stand -- before it dethroned the Sacramento Monarchs, 80-75, in Game 5 Saturday before a thundering sold-out crowd of 19,671 to claim the franchise's second title in four seasons.
Forward Cheryl Ford (6'3''-F/C-81, agency: Ronsport, college: Louisiana Tech), who scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, said playing at the Joe was "claustrophobic."
Reserve guard Elaine Powell (5'9''-G-75), who also won the title with the Shock in 2003, described this championship as more emotional than the first.
"The first one you're just excited, you're happy," Powell said. "This one's more emotional because you never know when you're going to get back in this situation."
And the Shock might not have been in this position had it not been for guard Deanna Nolan (6'0''-G/F-79, agency: Ronsport, college: Georgia) -- who led the team with 24 points on 10-of-23 shooting to earn the Finals MVP award -- and Smith, whose pinpoint shooting down the stretch enabled the Shock to hold on.
Detroit Shock rallied from an eight-point first-half deficit and later almost squandered a 13-point fourth-quarter lead.
Sacramento wouldn't go quietly. Monarchs swingman Nicole Powell sank a three-pointer with 33.2 seconds left to cut the Detroit edge to 78-75 and hush the crowd.
On the Shock's next possession, Smith dribbled to her left, trying to kill some clock, before she drained a 17-foot jumper -- the title-clincher -- with 14.8 seconds left.
"I just knew we had to get a bucket," said Smith, who scored 13 of her 17 points in the second half. "But 'if not, I had faith in our defense."
This was another wacky, hold-your-breath victory for the Shock. How the Shock can go from dysfunctional at one moment -- as it was at times in the first half -- to as cohesive a unit there is in the WNBA the next is beyond explanation. The first half told one side of the story to this Jekyll-and-Hyde bunch.
Detroit Shock's shot selection (12-for-33) in the half was questionable, and Laimbeer was clearly upset with his team's lack of execution on the offensive end. Sacramento converted 10 Shock turnovers into 10 points. Detroit Shock's frontcourt, which returned to dominance in Game 4, was again missing.
By halftime, with the Monarchs ahead, 44-36, Ford had three fouls, forward Swin Cash (6'2''-F-79, college: Connecticut) had four turnovers and center Ruth Riley (6'5''-C-79, college: Notre Dame) hadn't even played 10 minutes.
"There wasn't anything I could tell them to do differently," Laimbeer said, "because they had to want it more than the other team and take care of the problems."
The way they came back onto the court -- starting the second half with a 10-0 run -- indicated Detroit wasn't going to let this opportunity slip away. And it didn't.
"It was just like, 'a job well done,' " reserve forward Plenette Pierson (6'2''-F/C-81, college: Texas Tech) said. "I think even after winning Game 4, everybody counted us out. We had that monkey on our back, and we threw him off tonight."
Courtesy of Detroit Free Press