Tuesday we looked at the first-half performance of Detroit’s post players, who have had their ups and downs but usually had enough players rise to the occasion. Wednesday we turn to the perimeter, where a few new faces are making a positive impact but the old standbys are again running the show.

Alexis Hornbuckle: With the third pick in the 2008 draft, Minnesota had to choose between two talented guards, Candice Wiggins and Alexis Hornbuckle. The Lynx took Wiggins, and Shock head coach and GM Bill Laimbeer quickly snapped up Hornbuckle at No. 4. All she’s done is lead the WNBA in steals (2.6 spg), only recently slipping off league-record pace. Although Wiggins has become a game-changing scorer for the Lynx, Hornbuckle’s 3-point shooting (37.5 3FG%) and lockdown defense might be the better fit with Detroit’s guard corps. Grade: A-

Shay Murphy: LaToya Thomas was acquired to be small forward, but when off-season knee surgery rendered her an undersized 4, Laimbeer traded her for a true perimeter player. Enter Murphy, who played significant minutes in three straight games and scored a team-high 13 points in the loss at Chicago. Outside of making 4 of 5 shots on June 28, however, Murphy is 4-of-15 from the floor with Detroit, and played only three minutes in the last game against San Antonio. The second-year guard will have to prove she can consistently knock down shots in the final 16 games to have a role in the postseason. Grade: Inc.

Deanna Nolan: Hampered by injuries since she arrived from Russia for training camp, Nolan has gutted it out, playing in all 18 games and carrying the team on a few occasions. She scored a franchise-record 44 points on June 20, leading the Shock to an overtime victory with one of the most remarkable performances in WNBA history. Such scoring outbursts - she had 33 at Atlanta in May - have overshadowed Nolan’s uncanny playmaking. The eight-year guard has tweaked her game to dish seven or more assists eight times already, leading to a 5.4 average (career high: 3.9 apg). Though she’s never finished in the league’s top five before, Nolan has the second-highest assist total in the league with 93. Grade: A-

Elaine Powell: Prior to a serious foot injury that has sidelined her since early June, Powell was enjoying a renaissance, playing her best ball in several years. In the nine games she finished (she was hurt in the 10th game at L.A. June 11), Powell averaged 5.3 points and 2.2 assists while shooting 52.6 percent from the field. The 10-year vet looked like she was on her last legs in 2007, averaging 1.9 points and 1.4 points on 40 percent shooting. Powell’s strong start allowed Laimbeer to bring along Hornbuckle slowly, and her return later this month should lessen the ball-handling burden on the other guards. Grade: B+

Sheri Sam: Sam signed with Detroit at the starting of training camp, instantly becoming the option at small forward that most closely resembles the Shock’s former 3, Swin Cash. But the nine-year vet didn’t look comfortable early on, and it appeared her signing would be as ill fated as the signing of another vet who wanted a title shot, Pee Wee Johnson in 2007. That changed when Sam entered the starting lineup after Powell’s injury. She’s provided a veteran presence and grabbed some tough boards in traffic. In the last five games, she averaged 5.6 points on 45.5 percent shooting and 5.5 rebounds. Grade: B

Katie Smith: After Laimbeer traded Cash in the off-season, he insisted he wanted a long-range shooter at the small forward that can spread the floor. Turns out the best candidate for the role was on the team all along, as Laimbeer shifted Smith from running the offense to supplying it. The all-time leading scorer in U.S. women’s basketball, Smith has vacated the playmaking role she assumed when she came to Detroit in 2005 and concentrated on being the scoring threat she was earlier in her career. Her 15.9 points per game is her highest average since 2004, her last full season in Minnesota. Grade: A