Ford was 9-of-16 from the field and added 14 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season.
Despite committing 21 turnovers, Detroit (7-4) never trailed and jumped out to a 23-8 lead.
Charlotte (2-9) cut the deficit to 42-38 at the half and pulled within 60-58 with just under nine minutes to play on a pair of free throws by Kelly Mazzante.
After Mazzante's free throws, the Shock went on a 10-2 run capped by a 3-pointer by Deanna Nolan to push the lead back to 70-60 with seven minutes left.
Katie Smith scored 16 points, Nolan had 14 and Swin Cash and Ruth Riley added 10 each for Detroit.
Tangela Smith and Tammy Sutton-Brown each scored 18 points and Mazzante had 17 off the bench for the Sting, who were outrebounded, 39-24.
Next Games: Detroit hosts Washington on Saturday, while the Sting visit the Comets on Friday night.






