Shock honored in Detroit for third title in six years

DETROIT -- The Detroit Shock won the WNBA title Sunday at the end of the most chaotic season in franchise history. A day later, they were honored by a mayor and City Council that understood exactly how they felt.

After all, while the Shock were overcoming injuries, fights and suspensions to win their third title in six years, the city was dealing with the Kwame Kilpatrick scandals and an economy in turmoil.

"This is the start of my third week on the job, and we are facing a great number of challenges right now," said interim mayor Ken Cockrel Jr., who took over after Kilpatrick was bounced from office in a deal with prosecutors that will send him to jail and put an end to a sex scandal that embarrassed the city.

"That's why it is so important that we can host a celebration like this for a team that has given the city something to smile about."

The Shock spent most of the season in Auburn Hills and played their last three playoff games in Ypsilanti, but they held their victory celebration in front of hundreds of fans on Campus Martius in downtown Detroit. The party took place less than 24 hours after Detroit finished a finals sweep with a 76-60 victory against San Antonio.

"It is very important that the city gets to celebrate this," said City Council member Kwame Kenyatta. "They belong to all of us."

The Shock players were certainly in a mood to celebrate, even as many of them shivered on a chilly October afternoon. Taj McWilliams-Franklin, who joined the team in an August trade, did a dance routine before taking the podium.

"I've only been on this team for eight weeks, but I'm still amazed at how much they care about winning," said McWilliams-Franklin, who won her first WNBA title at the age of 37. "This has been amazing."

Detroit traded a pair of young players for McWilliams-Franklin during the monthlong Olympic break -- a move that turned around what appeared to be a doomed season.

The Shock came into the year looking for a third straight Eastern Conference title, but didn't have the appearance of favorites. Swin Cash was gone to Seattle after feuding with Shock coach Bill Laimbeer, Cheryl Ford was recovering from knee surgery and Deanna Nolan was nursing an ankle injury. Early in the season, Elaine Powell injured her foot, costing her 20 games.

Nevertheless, Detroit was in first place in the East on July 22 when the worst brawl in league history broke out during an 84-81 loss to Los Angeles.

Detroit star Plenette Pierson was suspended four games, but the biggest blow came when Ford tore her right ACL while trying to break up the fight. With two key players sidelined, the team staggered into the Olympic break on a four-game losing streak.

With a month to decide what to do next, Laimbeer pulled the trigger on a trade for McWilliams-Franklin, sending promising rookie Tasha Humphrey, Shay Murphy and a second-round pick to Washington.

McWilliams-Franklin slipped right into Ford's role, helping Detroit go 6-1 after the break and regain the East's top seed. The Shock were headed for their third straight WNBA finals when a flagrant foul by Ebony Hoffman in Game 2 of their first-round series against Indiana left Pierson with a dislocated right shoulder.

She missed three games with the injury, then played through so much pain that assistant coach Rick Mahorn had to help her put on a championship T-shirt after Detroit clinched the title Sunday against the Silver Stars.

"It was really tough to play through this," said Pierson, who was back in a sling at the victory celebration. "But winning another title made everything worth it."

Now the Shock go into the offseason with two major question marks -- Ford's health, now that she has two bad knees, and Laimbeer's future. His contract expired at the end of this season, and he isn't sure if he'll be back next spring or hand the reins over to Mahorn and fellow assistant Cheryl Reeve.

"I've got to think it all over," Laimbeer said. "I love what I'm doing, but I know that I have to find a way to give Rick and Cheryl the opportunities they deserve. I don't know what I'm going to do."