Shock sets new standard for pro sports in Tulsa on opening night.

TULSA, OK–You could tell there was something different in the air at the amazing BOK Center on last night.

Saturday night brought the debut of the WNBA in Tulsa, and the Tulsa Shock pulled off a very successful opening night last night, despite the 80-74 loss to the Minnesota Lynx.  The execution of the game operatiuons had very few detectable glitches and miscues and it appeared as if the 7,806 in attendance enjoyed themselves enormously.  This was a different game for Tulsa fans who were normally accustomed to minor league sports.

Fans got to see an awesome introductory video; indoor fireworks and yellow and red spotlights, a macot rappelling in from the rafters, hip hop dancers and the full utilization of the BOK Center’s state of the art scoreboard and other technology that has mostly sat dormant since the arena’s opening two years ago.  The Shock management gave away nearly 8,000 t-shirts that had the sold-out arena awash in yellow.  The grand lobby was festooned in red, black and yellow balloons and even the BOK Center’s ushers were in on the act , sporting "Hello, Yellow" buttons on their red blazers.

To put it mildly, the Shock went all out.  A grand welcome to major league sports in America’s Most Beautiful City. 

Still yet, this is not virgin territory for major league professional sports in Tulsa.

Tulsa has had two previous stints at the top of the pyramid of pro sports over the years.  Some remember the Tulsa Roughnecks of the North American Soccer League. who lived in Skelly Stadium from 1978 to 1984 and won one championship in 1983.  There was also the Oklahoma Outlaws of the USFL, who lasted only one season in Tulsa (1984) and featured the talents of Doug Williams, who went on to become a Super Bowl MVP with the Washington Redskins in 1987. 

While we do have championship teams in hockey with the Tulsa Oilers (1993) and the Tulsa Drillers (1998), and more recently the Tulsa 66ers managed to make it to the NBA D-League finals this season, those teams are considered to be minor league.  The Tulsa Talons made the switch to the major league arena football this season, but by and large the league they were most successful in was considered to be the "little brother" of the original arena league. 

Make no mistake, the players in these leagues are indeed professional, as they are paid for what they do, but beyond the local fan gentry name recognition of individual players tends to stop at the border of Tulsa for all rights and purposes.  The exception there being the Drillers, whose affiliations in major league baseball has produced such names as Sammy Sosa, Juan Gonzales, Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez and Mark Texieria.  Most recently, the Colorado Rockies pitching ace Jeff Frnacis has pulled a rehab stint with the Drillers last week. 

With the Shock, the situation is going to change.  For the better.  It’s going to force the other professional sports in Tulsa to up their game.  We will have national TV coverage on ESPN2 twice this season, next week when the WNBA defending champion Phoenix Mercury take on the Shock in the BOK and again when league MVP Candace Parker and the Los Angeles Sparks come into town in July.  It’s a chance for both our arena and city to shine in the national spotlight.  

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Photos by: Kevin Pyle

The Shock are off and running.  Coach Richardson commented last night about how the crowd helped get his team psyched to get the job done. "The fans provided a great atmosphere and the ladies wanted tom do so well."  They fell short, of course, but one game does not a season make and you would be ill served indeed if you are a sports fan to miss the Shock in their inaugiral season.  Get your tickets.  Go to a game.  They will, they will…SHOCK you. 

TULSA, OK. – The good news is that the Shock has finally arrived in Tulsa. The bad news? The Minnesota Lynx ruined the Shocks welcome party, as forward Charde Houston scored 21 points to lead the Lynx to an 80-74 win over the Shock in front of a sellout crowd of 7,806 at the BOK Center.

Houston was one of five double-digit scorers for the visiting Lynx who led most of the night, and at one point by as much as 16. Amber Holt led the Shock in scoring, coming off the bench to score 16. Rookies Marion Jones and Amanda Thompson saw limited action while coach Nolan Richardson concentrated on playing his veterans.

It was evident that nerves were present as the Shock players opened the game after being introduced to a fanfare that included pyrotechnics and loud music that drew an enthusiastic roar from the crowd. Tulsa had two turnovers within the first minute of play before Alexis Hornbuckle blocked a shot by Houston and dished the ball to Plenette Pierson for the first basket in Tulsa Shock history. The shock had eight turnovers and shot just 25 percent from the field during the first quarter.

"They were the most nervous bunch of ladies I’ve ever seen," Said Richardson. "Nervous energy is the worst you can have in basketball. When you airball layups, there’s gotta be something wrong."

Once the nerves appeared to subside, the Shock started displaying what the ’40 minutes of hell’ system was all about, picking up six steals in the second quarter as they tightened up defensively. Trailing by 16 points over half way through the second, Tulsa jumped on an 18-2 run over the final four minutes of the first half. The run produced a 36-36 tie at the half.

"We took the momentum into the dressing room at halftime and I thought we could continue, however we walked right out and turned the ball over a couple of times and they scored some baskets and the momentum immediately switched," said Richardson.

Minnesota jumped out to a two point lead to start the third before Shanna Crossley drained a three-pointer with 9:15 remaining to give Tulsa it’s first lead of the night. Minnesota, however, answered back with a 12-5 run to move ahead by six points near the half way point of the quarter. Minnesota would go on to outscore Tulsa 29-21 and take an eight point lead into the final quarter.

The Lynx expanded their lead to 13 with six minutes remaining before the Shock used a 9-2 run to pull back within six with just over two minutes left. From there, however, Minnesota would hold on to pull off the win.

On the night Tulsa shot just under 38 percent from the field while turning the ball over 22 times. Minnesota scored 20 points off of turnovers and hit 15 of 17 from the free throw line.

"We could never get a rhythm and could never overcome the mistakes that we were making," said Richardson. 

The veteran coach was pleased with his team’s effort, but knows there is a lot of work to be done. "I was proud of the young ladies, they played extremely hard," he said. 

"You’re never out of a ballgame when you play the kind of basketball you are capable of playing. Everything’s new to me and we’re all kind of learning as we go," he said.

"We’re going to get better, and we’re going to win some basketball games. We’re going to be there in the end.

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Photos by: Kevin Pyle

Next up for the Shock is an 11:30 a.m. tip-off against the San Antonio Silver Stars on Thursday. 

Minnesota – Houston 21, Wright 18, McCants 15, Maiga-Ba 10, Whalen 10, Anosike 5, Martinez 1

Tulsa – Holt 16, Pierson 13, Crossley 13, Lacy 12, Braxton 9, Black 8, Robinson 3

Officials: Byron Jarrett, Amy Bonner, Lamont Simpson. Time of game: 2:07. Attendance: 7,806

Later tonight Tulsa will be Shock’d. The city’s newest professional sports franchise, the Tulsa Shock, will make it’s debut in a  7 p.m. contest with the Minnesota Lynx at the BOK Center. Earlier this week we brought you a look inside the WNBA, today is your chance to brush up on everything about the home team before you head to the game.

HISTORY OF THE FRANCHISE

The Shock made it’s WNBA debut as an expansion team in 1998 and was the sister team of the Detroit Pistons. In their first season the squad got off to a slow start, losing it’s first four games. They battled back, however, finishing at 17-13 and coming up just one game short of clinching a playoff berth. 

1999 produced a 15-17 record and a tie for a playoff spot. The Shock went head to head with the Charlotte Sting in a one-game playoff that they lost 60-54. The next season brought a 14-18 record and another tie for the final playoff seed, but the Shock would lose the tiebreaker and not qualify.

The team endured the worst season in it’s history in 2001. A 10-22 record landed them in a three-way tie for last place in the Eastern Conference. After a 0-10 start in 2002 the franchise made it’s second coaching change in three seasons, hiring former Pistons bad boy Bill Laimbeer.

Laimbeer made several roster changes and the team subsequently landed the first playoff seed during the 2003 season with a 25-9 record. The Shock then defeated the Cleveland Rockers and Connecticut Sun to set up a championship series with the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Sparks. The Shock went on to clinch the series win before a WNBA record crowd of 22,076 during game three.

The team returned to the playoffs the next two seasons, but exited early after first round losses. Laimbeer’s team returned to championship form in 2006, compiling a 23-11 record and reaching the finals. The Sacramento Monarchs jumped out to a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series before the Shock battled back to send the series to a deciding fifth game. The Shock then beat the Monarchs 78-73 to win their second championship.

The Shock returned to the finals in 2007 after posting a 24-10 regular season record and clinching the top playoff seed. In a final series that again went to a deciding game five the Shock were defeated by the Phoenix Mercury. 2008 produced the third championship for the franchise as they rode a 22-12 regular season through the playoffs and past the San Antonio Silver Stars for the title.

During their final season in Detroit, the Shock finished the regular season with an 18-16 record, and clinched their seventh straight playoff appearance. They swept the Atlanta Dream in a first round series before losing to the Indiana Fever. The loss marked the end of the franchise in Detroit.

On October 20, 2009 it was officially announced that the team would be moving to Tulsa. Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry was among those in attendance when WNBA President Donna Orender made the announcement. One month earlier it was announced that former University of Tulsa and University of Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson would be the general manager and coach of the franchise owned by a group led by Oklahoma City businessmen Bill Cameron and David Box.

ROSTER

Chante Black (11) – 6’5” C. Entering second WNBA season out of Duke. Averaged just under 3 points per game during 2009 season with Connecticut. Acquired in trade the day before the draft that sent the Shock’s first round pick and 2011 second round pick to the Sun.

Kara Braxton (45) – 6’6” C-F. Five years WNBA experience, all with the Shock franchise. The University of Georgia product averaged 9 points and 6 rebounds per game in 2009.

Shanna Crossley (0) – 5’10” G. Crossley enters her fourth WNBA season after playing for the legendary Pat Summit at Tennessee. Played the previous three seasons with San Antonio where she held a career three-point shot percentage of  44 percent.

Amber Holt (4) – 6’ F. Entering third WNBA season out of Middle Tennessee State. Acquired along with Black in the trade with the Sun. Holds career points average of  6.3 per game.

Alexis Hornbuckle (22) – 5’11” G. Attended college at Tennessee. Entering third WNBA season and third season with the Shock franchise. Averaged 6 points per game through two professional seasons.

Marion Jones (20) – 5’10” G. Entering her first WNBA season after making her name as an Olympic sprinter. Won  1994 NCAA championship while with North Carolina.

Natasha Lacy (3) – 5’10” G. Rookie out of UTEP. Accumulated more than 1,300 points and 750 rebounds during her college career.

Plenette Pierson (23) – 6’2” F-C. Longest tenured member of the Shock, entering ninth WNBA season. Spent first three seasons in the league with Phoenix before joining the Shock in 2005 where she has won two championships. Averaged over 11 points per game during the 2007 and 2008 seasons before missing the 2009 season due to injury.

Scholanda Robinson (5) – 5’11” G. First round draft pick of the Sacramento Monarchs in 2006. Entering fifth professional season averaging 6.1 points per game. Acquired by the Shock in WNBA dispersal draft after Monarchs folded.

Amanda Thompson (21) – 6’1” F. Entering first professional season. Should be a crowd favorite after leading Oklahoma to two straight Final Four appearances. Selected in the second round of the 2010 WNBA draft.

Shavonte Zellous (1) – 5’10” G. Second year pro out of Pittsburgh. Averaged 11.9 points per game for the Shock in 2009.

Nolan Richardson – Head coach. Legendary men’s college coach making WNBA debut. Spent time with Tulsa where he won the 1981 NIT title and led Arkansas to the 1994 NCAA championship. Richardson’s “40 minutes of hell” up-tempo style could revolutionize the women’s game. Is currently the only coach to win junior college national championship, NIT title and NCAA championship.

TELEVISION COVERAGE

Two Shock home games will be televised nationally. Tulsa’s first meeting with defending champion Phoenix on May 25 and the first of two visits by Los Angeles on July 13 will be carried by ESPN2.

In addition to the two nationally televised games, the Shock recently announced a local television agreement with Cox Communications. Cox will broadcast 15 home games on Cox cable 3 in Tulsa, while five of those games will be simulcast on Fox Sports Oklahoma.

SCHEDULE

MAY – Saturday, May 15 vs. Minnesota 7 p.m.; Thursday, May 20 vs. San Antonio 11:30 a.m.; Sunday, May 23 at Minnesota 6 p.m.; Tuesday, May 25 vs. Phoenix 6 p.m.; Saturday, May 29 vs. Indiana 7 p.m.

JUNE – Friday, June 4 vs. Minnesota 7 p.m.; Saturday, June 5 at Chicago 7 p.m.; Friday, June 11 at San Antonio 7 p.m.; Saturday, June 12 at Phoenix 9 p.m.; Friday, June 18 at Minnesota 7 p.m.; Saturday, June 19 vs. Minnesota 7 p.m.; Wednesday, June 23 at Atlanta 11 a.m.; Friday, June 25 vs. New York 7 p.m.; Sunday, June 27 vs. Seattle 3 p.m.; Tuesday, June 29 vs. Connecticut 7 p.m.

JULY – Saturday, July 3 vs. Washington 7 p.m.; Thursday, July 8 at Indiana 6 p.m.; Tuesday, July 13 vs. Los Angeles 6 p.m.; Friday, July 16 at San Antonio 7 p.m.; Saturday, July 17 at Phoenix 9 p.m.; Tuesday, July 20 at Los Angeles 2 p.m.; Thursday, July 22 vs. Phoenix 7 p.m.; Sunday, July 25 at Seattle 8 p.m.; Tuesday, July 27 vs. Atlanta  12:30 p.m.; Friday, July 30 vs. San Antonio 7 p.m.

AUGUST – Sunday, August 1 at Washington 3 p.m.; Tuesday, August 3 vs. Seattle 7 p.m.; Friday, August 6 at Los Angeles 9:30 p.m.; Saturday, August 7 at Seattle 9 p.m.; Friday, August 13 at San Antonio 7 p.m.; Saturday, August 14 vs. Los Angeles 7 p.m.; Tuesday, August 17 at Connecticut 6:30 p.m.; Thursday, August 19 at New York 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, August 21 vs. Chicago 7 p.m.