Down eight points at the half, the Detroit Shock had two quarters or 20 minutes to get the job done. They came out very strong in the third quarter and quickly erased Sacramento's lead, and when Game Five of the 2006 WNBA Finals was over the scoreboard at Joe Louis Arena read Detroit 80-Sacramento 75. Game, series, and 2006 WNBA Championship belong to the Wonderful Women of Motown!

And, the most wonderful of them all, Flint, Michigan's Finest, won the Playoff MVP award. I am speaking of course about Number 14 on the roster and Number One in our hearts, Ms. Deanna "Tweety" Nolan! She scored 24 points in the final game and led the team in scoring for the playoffs. In general, she seems to be at her best in big games, as her playoff scoring average is better than her regular season average, and her regular season numbers are pretty impressive to begin with.

Deanna's starting backcourt mate, Katie Smith, at last got the WNBA title that had previously eluded her. Katie made two key plays at the end of Game Five, hitting a shot to give Detroit a five point lead with 14 seconds left, then grabbing the rebound of Sacramento's final desperation field goal attempt. Katie finished with 17 points and a team high six assists.

Cheryl Ford had 10 each of rebounds and points, somewhat below her averages but still a fine effort.

The unsung hero of the final game was Plenette Pierson, who came off the bench to score 16 points and snare six rebounds. She made good on ten of thirteen free throws and showed no fear in driving to the basket in traffic.

Ruth Riley had four blocked shots, and Nolan added two of her own.

And so ends a thrilling and successful season for the Shock. At times they still struggled with inconsistency, but when they had to get it done they did get it done.

With the exception of Katie Smith, Elaine Powell, and Kedra Holland-Corn, this is still a fairly young team and so they have the potential to win several more championships. And even the three players just mentioned are young enough that they may still be inclined to play a few more seasons.

Deanna Nolan has emerged as a true superstar of the women's game, and will continue to dominate for many seasons to come.

Cheryl Ford has also established herself as a very good post player who can rebound and score with the best of them. Her free throw shooting was once a problem but has improved greatly. Like Nolan, Ford is still on the youngish side so I expect her to be around for a while.

Swin Cash has perhaps still not recovered completely from being injured, but she is still a talented and dangerous player who is more than capable of taking over games.

Ruth Riley's numbers have not been as impressive lately, but she does block a lot of shots and generally at least brings something positive to the team. It is possible that she is not being utilized in the best way by the coaches, who seem to want her playing outside more rather than closer to the basket where her 6 foot five, 195 pounds of muscle would be most useful.

Plenette Pierson came through big in Game Five as already mentioned, and has a general tendency to produce off the bench. In this regard she is somewhat similar to Bobby Jones, the great "sixth man" on the Doctor J.-led 76er teams of years ago.

Kara Braxton is an imposing physical presence at six foot six and 190 pounds, and only needs to become more consistent in her effort to be a top notch player.

Angelina Williams had some impressive moments coming off the bench, as did Jackie Batteast.

I have REALLY fallen behind in my blogging, so here is a brief rundown on what is going on...

The Detroit Shock have progressed through the WNBA playoffs and have one final game at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit on Saturday. This being Game Five of the Finals, which is currently tied at two games each. Defending champ Sacramento won the first and third games of the series, and Detroit won games two and four.

Detroit got to the Finals by beating Indiana in the first round and Connecticut in the Eastern Conference Finals.

In Game Four at Sacramento, where the Monarchs had never lost a playoff game, the Shock trailed 26-22 after the first quarter.

In the remaining three quarters, Sacramento only managed to equal the 26 points they scored in the first frame, as the Detroit defense clamped down in a big way. This was especially evident in the fourth quarter, when Sacramento could muster a meager two (that's right, TWO!) points.

And so it comes down to one last game, with Detroit having sort-of home court advantage. I say "sort-of" because the Shock usually play at the Palace of Auburn Hills, but due to a Mariah Carey (who sucks, by the way) concert, the Shock will play at Joe Louis Arena instead. Not that it will matter, as the Detroit faithful will be there and the Shock will build on the momentum of the Game Four win and Take Back The Title.

More commentary to come later today or tomorrow...