The return flight to Detroit was a little roomier than the one the Shock took to Chicago for their July 12 contest with the Sky. That’s because head coach Bill Laimbeer, assistants Rick Mahorn and Cheryl Reeve, trainer Laura Ramus and three players – Kara Braxton, Cheryl Ford and Deanna Nolan – were on another flight heading to Washington, D.C., site of the 2007 WNBA All-Star Game.

Not long ago, the Shock didn’t need to make reservations at the WNBA’s annual showcase. But as the team’s fortunes have changed, leading to a pair of league championships, so too has their reputation. It culminates Sunday in one of the largest All-Star contingents the Shock has had in the seven-year history of the event.

Braxton, Ford and Nolan were each voted to the starting lineup by the fans. Though it’s a milestone for Detroit, three starters from the same team happened frequently in the first few WNBA All-Star games. The Houston Comets trio of guard Cynthia Cooper, forward Sheryl Swoopes and forward Tina Thompson started the inaugural 1999 game and again in 2000 for the Western All-Stars. (They be voted to start again in 2002, but an injured Cooper did not play.) In 2001, two teams – Sacramento for the West and New York in the East – each started three players. The Shock, meanwhile, had only two All-Stars from 1999-02, guard Sandy Brondello (’99) and forward Wendy Palmer (’02), both reserves.

Not surprisingly, the Shock’s rise in All-Stars coincided with a rise in the standings. The Shock had a good omen halfway through their 2003 championship season when they sent three All-Stars– Swin Cash, Ford and Nolan – for the first time. They raised the bar at the next All-Star Game, in 2005, when Ruth Riley was voted the starting center along with the 2003 corps. Cash also was voted a starter, but it was Nolan off the bench who stole the show. She scored a game-high 20 points in the highest-scoring All-Star game in league history. Nolan has been the most consistent performer at the exhibition, averaging 14 points.

The Connecticut Sun had four All-Stars in 2006 , including three starters. The fans voted for Sun center Margo Dydek, forward Nykesha Sales and guard Lindsay Whalen to start for the East, but it was their teammate, guard Lindsay Douglas, who came off the bench to win All-Star Game MVP with 16 points, five rebounds and four assists.

No Shock player has yet to win game MVP, nor a coach earn an All-Star victory, though that could change Sunday. Making this truly the Shock’s largest All-Star contingent is the inclusion of Laimbeer and his staff. As coach of the defending Eastern Conference champions, Laimbeer also technically earned an All-Star appearance in 2004, but the game never took place. Instead, a pre-season exhibition between Team USA and a team of WNBA All-Stars, coached by Laimbeer, was held due to the impending Olympics.