AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Sept. 16 -- On a team filled with heroes, in a game packed with many great moments, the player Shock coach Bill Laimbeer called "one of the quieter players" made a play that spoke volumes about the hustle of the 2003 WNBA champion Detroit Shock.
|
Elaine Powell added seven points and five assists to the Shock cause. Allen Einstein NBAE/Getty Images |
Powell could shout those words because she made the hustle play of the Finals.
With the Sparks up three, 73-70, Los Angeles guard Nikki Teasley found herself with nothing but open hardwood and a potential five-point lead with less than three minutes to go in front of her. And that's when Powell caught her from behind, knocking the ball off Teasley's leg and out of bounds. Possession and momentum belonged to the Shock. Soon, so did the title.
"It's all about wanting it," Powell said. "Teasley didn't want that layup, I wanted that ball. I know we needed that possession. I think if she would have ran a little bit harder and hit that layup, they would have won the game.
"There was no way I was going to let her get that layup."
After the game, Sparks coach Michael Cooper managed to both downplay and praise Powell's hustle at the same time.
"Again, we went up on this team and we were right there," Cooper said. "I'm not saying this play was a big play, but we're up [three] and Nikki T going in for a layup, she makes that basket and it's a different-looking game.
"That's what hunger and desire will do for you, it will make you do things that you normally don't do and that's what makes you win championships."
In a Game 3 of a WNBA Finals series, players and coaches live the cliché that there is no tomorrow.
Cooper treated every game of the 2003 WNBA Playoffs like it would be the Sparks' last of the postseason. Los Angeles' starters played 1,637 of the possible 1,800 minutes in the playoffs, meaning Cooper kept his starters out on the floor for a whopping 91 percent of the total playing time.
For example, until she fouled out with 43 seconds left in the season, Lisa Leslie played every minute of these WNBA Finals.
And with the Sparks setting a WNBA record for most games played in a single postseason -- nine, besting by a game the mark held by the 2001 Sting and the 2002 Liberty -- some wondered if the Sparks ran out of gas at the end.
"Nah, I don't think," Cooper said quickly, "it could be, a little bit. Our season isn't 82 games. We haven't gone through eight and a half months, nine months. It's three and a half months. "Smooth, [Leslie] she missed, what 11 games? two or three weeks off, in the middle of the season, too. Our starters can go 40 minutes. I just think it took a toll on us. Every game we played was a mentally tough playoff game. We just ran up a team who wanted it a little more than we did."
Cooper also expressed admiration for his team's toughness.
"You know what, I would go to war with these ladies," Cooper said. "I'd walk down a dark alley with these ladies. Anything you could imagine that would scare you, I would do with our team.
"Because when the time comes, they come to play. And we came to play tonight, but we just ended up a little short tonight."
In Game 2, she hit two free throws to seal the Shock win. In Game 3, she hit the three pointer that put the Shock up for good. When it counted most, Detroit could count on guard Deanna Nolan. Her two clutch performances left her at a loss for words.
"I'm just happy," Nolan said. "I can't even describe it. It's overwhemling. I can't even explain it right now."
No words were needed. Her smile said it all.
A WNBA record-crowd -- Finals or Playoffs -- of 22,076 saw what some WNBA experts said was one the finest Finals games they had witnessed played by men or women.
Many local celebrities attended Game 3, including Detroit Lions rookie wide receiver Charles Rogers and Lions defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, former welterweight and junior middleweight boxing champ Thomas "The Hitman" Hearns, former Pistons Vinnie Johnson and Greg Kesler.
Lakers guard and mega-Sparks fan Derek Fisher was in attendance again, and it took quite an effort for him to get to Detroit. Fisher was in New York City taping a "Wheel of Fortune" special featuring NBA and WNBA players. Sue Bird also flew back from New York after taping her segment on the show.
Lakers power forward Karl Malone, dad of the Shock's Cheryl Ford, was also in attendance, which was a surprise to her.
"I asked him if he was coming, and he said, 'Maybe,'" Ford recalled, "and that usually means no."
Malone, seated courtside, buried his head in his hands as Ford stepped to the free throw line late in the game.
After the contest, Ford lept into Malone's arms and shared words.
"I missed a foul shot when we played LSU our last game," Ford recalled. "And I took that to heart because I knew I could make those.
"And he just said, 'You remember the NCAA free throws. They just came back around for you. You didn't miss them.' And I said, 'I know.' And I told him, 'It's time to get yours.' And he said, 'Yeah, you're right.' So, we'll see."
One sign in the Palace said it all about the 2003 WNBA Finals MVP, Ruth Riley: "Remember Dr. J? We have Dr. Ruth!"
