After returning to the Western Conference Finals for the fourth time in five years, the Sacramento Monarchs finally overcame their greatest obstacle and earned a trip to the 2005 WNBA Finals. Perhaps most impressively, Sacramento was able to sweep the Comets in the Conference Finals without one of their veteran leaders, guard Ticha Penicheiro, who missed the series with an injured ankle.

Not only did Penicheiro come back for the Finals, but she was up to some of her old tricks as well. The eight year veteran tallied eight assists in Game 1, the pivotal game for Sacramento, in retrospect, as the win in Connecticut allowed them to wrap it up at home in only four games. Not bad for the all-time leader in career assists in WNBA history who had never before played in a WNBA Finals until 2005.

A Monarch seemingly forever, Penicheiro led the Old Dominio Monarchs to the Championship game in 1998 before joining the professional team. En route to her first championship in the WNBA despite playing on the hobbled ankle, Penicheiro still managed 4.0 assists per game in the Finals. She has moved into third place on the career postseason assist rankings behind Teresa Weatherspoon and Nikki Teasley.

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