The Shock were shut out of the remaining five Eastern Conference All-Star nods, which were selected by the head coaches. The most surprising omission for Detroit is guard Katie Smith, who has been to the past six All-Star games, five in the Western Conference. She was a replacement starter for the East last year.

The Eastern Conference coaches selected Connecticut’s Katie Douglas, the 2006 All-Star game MVP, and Washington’s Alana Beard as the reserve guards. While both Douglas (16.9 points per game) and Beard (18.9 ppg) score more than Smith, her numbers are very comparable to her All-Star seasons in 2005 and 2006. She is the Shock’s second leading scorer at 13.3 points per game (an increase from 11.7 last year) and she’s averaging a career-high 4.2 assists.

Smith, Douglas and Beard were all bumped by Indiana’s Anna DeForge, who was voted an All-Star starter by the fans. DeForge is averaging 8.2 points and 1.4 assists. The fans also selected Detroit’s Kara Braxton, Cheryl Ford and Deanna Nolan to go to Washington, D.C. While the Shock are the only team with three starters, they are no longer the only team with three All-Stars. Indiana will send DeForge, starting forward Tamika Catchings and reserve center Tammy Sutton-Brown. In the West, Phoenix will send starting forward Diana Taurasi and reserves Cappie Pondexter and Penny Taylor.

Two other Shock All-Star hopefuls who had a legitimate case were forwards Swin Cash and Plenette Pierson. Instead, Chicago’s Candice Dupree, Connecticut’s Asjha Jones and Washington’s Delisha Milton-Jones round out the East roster.

An All-Star berth for Cash would have affirmed her renaissance season. Her 11.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in 2007 are her best marks since suffering a left ACL tear near the end of the 2004 season. An All-Star reserve in 2003, Cash was voted an All-Star starter in 2005 despite missing the Shock’s first 12 games while still rehabbing the knee injury. She averaged a career-low 5.9 points in 2005, but has shown much more All-Star form in 2007. Cash is tied with Ford for the team lead in double-doubles with five.

Though she had an outside shot to begin with, Plenette Pierson has been one of the Shock’s most consistent performers, and one of its most improved. Pierson is averaging a career-high 10.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and shooting a career-best 49.4 percent from the field in 25 minutes a game as Laimbeer’s first option off the bench.