As the Shock get set to start their inaugural season in Tulsa, some fans may be wondering what the Shock and the WNBA are all about. This is part two of a three-part series taking an in depth look at the history of the WNBA and the Shock. Part one (published yesterday) told the history of the WNBA, while part three (on Saturday) will introduce you to the Tulsa Shock franchise.

WNBA WESTERN CONFERENCE

LOS ANGELES SPARKS (2009: 18-16; Home: Staples Center – Los Angeles, California)

The Sparks are one of the eight original teams in the WNBA and have posted an all-time record of 266-158 since 1997. Los Angeles has reached the postseason 10 times, which is more than any other team in the history of the league. The Sparks won back-to-back championships in 2001 and 2002.

Veterans Marie Ferdinand-Harris, Betty Lennox, DeLisha Milton-Jones, Ticha Penicheiro and Tina Thompson have 54 years of experience combined. Former Oklahoma State guard Andrea Riley will make her professional debut with the Sparks this season.

MINNESOTA LYNX (2009: 14-20; Home: Target Center – Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Minnesota joined the WNBA in 1999 and has since posted a record of 152-214. In two postseason appearances the Lynx have managed to win just one game. 

Guard Lindsay Whalen joins the Lynx this season after spending the first six years of her career with Connecticut where she averaged  11.6 points per game. Rookie Monica Wright looks to have a promising season ahead of her after averaging 18 points through two pre-season games.

PHOENIX MERCURY (2009: 23-11; Home: US Airways Center – Phoenix, Arizona)

An original WNBA team, Phoenix holds a record of 215-209 all-time. Last season the Mercury claimed their second championship, defeating Indiana 3-2 in a best-of-five-game series. Their two championships ties them with Los Angeles for third among all teams.

Reigning league and finals MVP Diana Taurasi returns for her seventh season with the Mercury. Last Season Taurasi led the charge for Phoenix in 2009, averaging 20.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. University of Oklahoma stars Ashley Paris and Nyeshia Stevenson will play for the Mercury this season.

SAN ANTONIO SILVER STARS (2009: 15-19; Home: AT&T Center – San Antonio, Texas)

The San Antonio Silver Stars got their start in the WNBA in 2003 after the Utah Starzz franchise moved to the Alamo City. The franchise has an all-time record of 187-237 with 100 of those wins coming after their relocation. The Silver Stars have made it to the postseason five times, including a 2-1 conference semifinal loss to Phoenix last season.

Becky Hammon and Sophia Young  return for San Antonio after averaging 19.5 and 18.2 points respectively for the Silver Stars last season. Young also contributed 6.5 rebounds per game in 2009. Hammons also led the team with five assists per game. 

SEATTLE STORM (2009: 20-14; Home: Key Arena – Seattle, Washington)

Seattle joined the WNBA in 2000 as the sister team to the since departed SuperSonics. The Storm holds an all-time record of 168-166 including seven playoff appearances. The team won the 2004 WNBA championship after beating the Connecticut Sun in a best-of-three game series.

The Seattle roster is headlined by University of Connecticut product Sue Bird. Through eight season, all with the Storm, Bird has averaged  12.6 points and 5.5 assists per game while maintaining a field goal percentage near 43 percent. Forward Lauren Jackson led the team last season with a 19.2 point per game average.

TULSA SHOCK (2009 as Detroit Shock: 18-16; Home: BOK Center – Tulsa, Oklahoma)

As a franchise, the Shock has accumulated a record of 210-186 since the team’s inception in 1998. After winning three championships behind head coach Bill Laimbeer. The Shock announced in October, 2009 that they would be moving to Tulsa. 

For a more detailed look into the history of the Shock franchise, check back for part three of our WNBA pre-season report tomorrow.

As the Shock get set to start their inaugural season in Tulsa, some fans may be wondering what the Shock and the WNBA are all about. This is part two of a three-part series taking an in depth look at the history of the WNBA and the Shock. Part one (published yesterday) told the history of the WNBA, while part three (on Saturday) will introduce you to the Tulsa Shock franchise.

WNBA EASTERN CONFERENCE

ATLANTA DREAM (2009: 18-16; Home: Philips Arena – Atlanta, Georgia)

The Dream joined the WNBA in 2008, and hold an all-time record of 22-46. Coach Marynell Meadors was named the 2009 WNBA Coach of the year after leading the Dream to the playoffs  thanks in large part to a 14-win improvement over the team’s 2008 record. 

Tenth-year veteran forward Chamique Holdsclaw, a University of Tennessee product, anchors the lineup for the Dream. Holdsclaw enters her second season in Atlanta after averaging  13.9 points last season. Iziane Castro Marques  averaged 14.4 points per game in 2009 while shooting 35 percent behind the three-point line.

CHICAGO SKY (2009: 16-18; Home: All State Arena – Rosemont, Illinois)

The Chicago Sky joined the league in 2006. The team has never reached the playoffs, posting an all-time record of 47-89. Last season the Sky finished the regular season in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, narrowly missing the playoffs. 

Notable players on the Sky roster include University of  Oklahoma standouts Courtney Paris and Abi Olajuwon. Jia Perkins and Sylvia Fowles look to lead the Sky this season after averaging 13.2 and 11.3 points per game respectively last season. Kristi Toliver shot 44 percent from behind the arc last season in just  386 minutes of play.

CONNECTICUT SUN (2009: 16-18; Home: Mohegan Sun Arena – Uncasville, Connecticut)

The Connecticut Sun  began play in 2003 after the franchise moved from Orlando. Since the move the team has posted a record of 143-95, reaching the playoffs in six of the last seven seasons.  The Sun reached the league finals in back-to-back seasons in 2004 and 2005. 

Rookie Center Tina Charles averaged  21.5 points per game in the preseason. DeMya Walker enters her eleventh WNBA season after playing the last seven seasons for the now defunct Sacramento Monarchs. The team’s pre-season roster has just four players with five or more seasons experience.

INDIANA FEVER (2009: 22-12; Home: Conseco Field house – Indianapolis, Indiana)

The Indiana Fever has posted a record of 168-166 since joining the WNBA in 2000. They have reached the postseason six times, and reached the finals last season where they were defeated by the Phoenix Mercury three games to two.  Tennessee product Tamika Catchings  is entering her ninth season in the WNBA, all of which she has played for Indiana

NEW YORK LIBERTY (2009: 13-21; Home: Madison Square Garden – New York City, New York)

The New York Liberty is one of the eight original franchises in the WNBA. They hold an all-time record of 223-202. The Liberty has reached the playoffs nine times, and played in the league finals four times in the first six seasons.

Janel McCarville (12.3 points per game) and Essence Carson ( 10 points per game) are the returing leading scorers from last season. Guard Cappie Pondexter joins the Liberty this season after averaging 19.2 points through four seasons with Phoenix. Former Shock player and six-time WNBA All-Star Taj McWilliams-Franklin is also a big addition to a franchise that struggled last season.

WASHINGTON MYSTICS (2009: 16-18; Home: Verizon Center – Washington, D.C.)

The Washington Mystics own a record of 158-238 since joining the WNBA in 1998. They are 4-10 in the playoffs after qualifying five times. The Mystics have consistently enjoyed high attendance figures and led the league last season with 11,338 per game.

Washington returns ten players from last season, including Alana Beard, Lindsey Harding and Crystal Langhorne. All three averaged over 12 points per game during the 2009 campaign that saw them exit the playoffs in the first round after being swept by Indiana. Beard and Langhorne averaged 15.9 and 12 points per game respectively while Harding averaged 12.8 points and 4.5 assists per game.

As the Shock get set to start their inaugural season in Tulsa, some fans may be wondering what the Shock and the WNBA are all about. This is part one of a three-part series taking an in depth look at the history of the WNBA and the Shock, complete with a preview of the 2010 season. Part two (on Friday) will give a detailed look at each team, while part three (on Saturday) will introduce you to the Tulsa Shock franchise.

HISTORY

The WNBA was founded in 1996 as the women’s counterpart to the NBA, and began play in 1997. The league began with eight teams, all owned by the NBA. Original teams included the Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, Houston Comets, New York Liberty, Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury, Sacramento Monarchs and Utah Starzz.

In 2002 the NBA sold franchises, allowing individual ownership for teams that were not purchased by NBA teams in the same cities. That year franchises in Utah and Orlando relocated to San Antonio and Connecticut respectively. Two teams eventually folded because new ownership could not be found.

The Houston Comets won the first four league championships, defeating the New York Liberty in three out of the four championship match-ups.  The Los Angeles Sparks won back-to-back titles in 2001 and 2002, before the Detroit (now Tulsa) Shock picked up three of the next six championships.

The Phoenix Mercury are the defending champions, after defeating the Indiana Fever in a best-of-five-game series.  Houston’s four championships is the most of any team, while the Shock’s three ranks second. The Sparks and Mercury each have two championships to their credits.

CHAMPIONSHIPS

Houston Comets- 4 (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000), Detroit Shock- 3 (2003, 2006, 2008), Los Angeles Sparks- 2 (2001, 2002), Phoenix Mercury- 2 (2007, 2009), Seattle Storm- 1 (2004), Sacramento Monarchs- 1 (2005).

FORMER TEAMS

Charlotte Sting 1997-2006 (folded), Cleveland Rockers 1997-2003 (folded), Detroit Shock 1998-2009 (relocated to Tulsa), Houston Comets 1997-2008 (folded), Miami Sol 2000-2002 (folded), Orlando Miracle 1999-2002 (relocated to Connecticut), Portland Fire 2000-2002 (folded), Sacramento Monarchs 1997-2009 (folded), Utah Starzz 1997-2002 (relocated to San Antonio).

CURRENT TEAMS

Eastern Conference- Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Indiana Fever, New York Liberty, Washington Mystics.

Western Conference- Los Angeles Sparks, Minnesota Lynx, Phoenix Mercury, San Antonio Silver Stars, Seattle Storm, Tulsa Shock.

2009 PLAYOFFS

Phoenix, San Antonio, Los Angeles and Seattle reached the playoffs from the Western Conference while Indiana, Washington, Detroit and Atlanta  were the representatives for the Eastern Conference. Phoenix and Indiana reached the finals where the Mercury picked up their second league championship. Former University of Connecticut standout  Diana Taurasi won the Finals MVP Award as she led Phoenix to the title.

PLAYOFFS FORMAT

The top four teams from each conference move on into the playoffs and are seeded by their regular season records. The top seeded team plays number four and second and third play each other in the opening quarter-final round. The quarter-finals are a best-of-three-games format, with the first team to win two games advancing to the conference finals.

The conference finals retain a best-of-three format with winner from each conference moving on to play a best-of-five series to determine the champion.

200 “Standing Room Only” tickets left.

TULSA, OK–The inaugural season of the Tulsa Shock has already made history as every single seat in the amazing BOK Center will be occupied on Saturday night.

That is, every seat in the BOK Center’s WNBA basketball configuration.  In order to create a more intimate environment for basketball fans, the BOK Center has elected to sell seats in the lower bowl for the entrire season.  As of Wednesday afternoon 7,479 seats had been sold, the entrie lower bowl seating area.

The sellout does not mean that ticket sales will stop, however.

The BOK Center management has decided to sell some 200 standing room only tickets to the Shock’s 7pm home opener against the Minnesota Lynx.  The move is an unprecedented one in the arena’s two year history, and city, team and arena officials are understandably excited.

“This is an incredible accomplishment,” BOK Center general manager John Bolton said.  “Not only do we have a sold-out opening game, but to have to add an additional 200 standing room only tickets is a great indication of the success this team will have in Tulsa.”

The Shock’s team president is floored by the sellout.. 

“We are excited to see the community embrace the Tulsa Shock on opening night,” said Shock President Steve Swetoha. “The players, coaches and entire Shock organization appreciate the support and commitment the community has shown us – it’s humbling.” 

The remaining standing room only tickets will sell for $10 each and can be purchased by calling 5999622 or by visitng the team’s website tulsashock.net.