Detroit and Los Angeles opened the season as the popular picks to reach the WNBA Finals, and both teams are now one step away from fulfilling those expectations.
The Shock, looking for their third consecutive trip to the championship round, closed the season with six wins in their last seven games to earn the Eastern Conference's top seed, and then beat Indiana in the first round. Detroit led 41-10 midway through the second quarter through the decisive Game 3 and cruised to an easy victory.
"We executed brilliantly and the players deserve all the credit in the world," Detroit coach Bill Laimbeer said. "The performance we put on is the quality of a championship-caliber team."
Detroit won the championship in 2006 and fell short in its bid to repeat, losing Game 5 at home to Phoenix last year.
The Sparks, seeking their first trip to the Finals since losing to the Shock in 2003, struggled for consistency but also finished the season strong -- winning six of their last eight to take the West's third seed -- and then beat Seattle in the opening round.
"We just have a lot of talent, work hard, believe in each other and have great chemistry in the locker room, on the court," Los Angeles' Lisa Leslie said. "And regardless of what other people were saying about us, we believe in each other."
The Sparks host top-seeded San Antonio in the opener of the conference finals Thursday night, and Detroit visits New York for the first game of the East finals the following night.
The Shock have home-court advantage against the Liberty, but will be playing their home games at Eastern Michigan University's Convocation Center -- an hour away from The Palace of Auburn Hills -- due to scheduling conflicts.
"It is what it is -- we'll have our floor and our baskets, and I expect that the place will be packed with Shock fans," Laimbeer said. "We'll handle it."
Detroit, which could be without injured forward Plenette Pierson, will also have to handle a tough New York team that is strong on 3-point shooting and has one of the best benches in the league with the reserves accounting for about 37 percent of the scoring
Two years removed from a franchise-record 23-loss season, the Liberty hovered around the .500 mark for much of the first half of the season before winning six of seven going into the Olympic break. New York lost five of the last nine while the frontcourt was depleted by injuries.
The Liberty beat Connecticut in the first round for their first postseason series win since ousting Detroit in the opening round in 2004. New York then lost to the Sun in the following round that year, and in the first round in 2005 (Indiana) and 2007 (Detroit).
"It's big for this team," Liberty center Janel McCarville said. "I think this organization and the players here have worked hard for it and we deserve to be there."
