By Chris Rosenbluth
May 19, 2007: Scoreboard |
Video Play of the Day | Photo Gallery | Today in the WNBA Archive
| | |
| Last season's Rookie of the Year, Seimone Augustus of the Lynx, injured her knee in the fourth quarter of an opening-day road loss to the Fever. Ron Hoskins/NBAE/Getty Images
|
| |
DIFFERENT SEASON, SAME RESULT
Shock Top Monarchs in Season Opener:
When the final buzzer sounded on the 2006 WNBA season just over eight months ago, the Detroit Shock stood victorious after beating the Sacramento Monarchs for the league title. On Saturday, in a rematch of last season's Finals, the Shock were winners once again. Plenette Pierson led Detroit with 22 points and eight rebounds. Finals MVP Deanna Nolan and Katie Smith each scored 12 points. Nolan added seven rebounds and four assists. Kara Lawson and Chelsea Newton scored 14 apiece for Sacramento, while Yolanda Griffith, beginning her ninth season with the Monarchs, struggled for just one point and three boards in 18 minutes of action.
|
ALSO MAKING HEADLINES ... |
Small Measure of Revenge in Phoenix:
While their NBA counterpart failed to get the job done against a team from San Antonio, the Phoenix Mercury displayed some civic pride in defeating the new-look San Antonio Silver Stars, 81-72, giving the desert faithful a whisper of revenge against their neighbors from the Lone Star State. Despite getting a combined 26 points from offseason additions Becky Hammon and Ruth Riley and a fierce second-half rally that cut into a 20-point halftime deficit, the Silver Stars finally fell victim to Diana Taurasi's 20 points, as well as 17 from the Mercury's latest edition, Tan Smith.
| |
|
"It was spectacular. To have all this happen, especially right before the game, gave us extra motivation. We had some players who didn't get rings tonight, and you could see the look in their eyes.''
-- Detroit's Plenette Pierson, commenting on the inspirational qualities of a pregame ceremony honoring the Shock's 2006 WNBA Finals victory.
| |
|
|
Iziane Castro Marquez, Storm
25 pts, 8-13 FG in 82-69 win vs. Comets
Tan White, Fever
17 pts, 7-10 FG, 3-3 FT in 83-64 win vs. Lynx
Michelle Snow, Comets
16 pts, 8-11 FG in 82-69 loss at Storm
| | |
Tina Thompson, Comets
8 pts, 2-12 FG in 82-69 loss at Storm
Vickie Johnson, Silver Stars
6 pts, 3-11 FG in 81-72 loss at Mercury
Sue Bird, Storm
11 pts, 3-11 FG in 82-69 win vs. Comets
| | |
Sunday's games ...
Monarchs at Lynx: 7 p.m. ET on NBA TV
Liberty vs. Sky: 4 p.m. ET (see local listings)
|
|
|
|
Saturday' opener was a dichotomous affair for Washington Mystics veteran Chasity Melvin. On the one hand, the forward-center from North Carolina State started her ninth WNBA campaign with a very impressive 22-point, 11-rebound double-double. She made 10-of-11 free throws, as well, and even added a steal. On the other hand, however, she and the Mystics were dealt an 89-80 defeat by the Connecticut Sun.
| |
Ashley Shields of the Houston Comets, the eighth overall pick in this season's WNBA draft, had a memorable professional debut. Shields led her team -- one loaded with plenty of veteran influences -- with 19 points, three rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes. Unfortunately for Shields, she managed only one point in the fourth quarter as the Comets were outscored by 21 en route to an 82-69 loss in Seattle. Katie Gearlds, chosen seventh overall by the Storm, played just eight minutes and scored one point.
| |
