The Shock would take the series against the New York Liberty the full three games, but would fall in the end 2–1. The Shock would post a 17–17 record, qualifying for the playoffs as the #3 seed. The Shock would stumble after their championship season and play mediocre basketball in the 2004 season.
With the win, the Shock became the first American pro sports team to go from having the worst overall record in the league to being champions in the following season. That game would draw the largest crowd in WNBA history. The Shock would emerge victorious in the series, winning a thrilling Game 3 83–78. Despite the achievements, the Shock were viewed as huge underdogs to the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Sparks, who were looking for a three-peat. In the Conference Finals, the Shock swept the Connecticut Sun 2–0 to reach the WNBA Finals. In the playoffs, the Shock would defeat the Cleveland Rockers 2–1 for their first playoff series win in franchise history. The Shock would dominate the East in the regular season, posting a 25–9 record and winning the #1 seed by seven games. From worst to champions (2003) Īfter massive changes to the roster, Bill Laimbeer predicted before the 2003 season that the Shock would be league champions. The team finished the season 9–23, but Laimbeer's ideas influenced the team's front office, who agreed with the new coach's ideas, including bringing over some new players that he felt were necessary for the Shock to become a contender. The 2002 Shock started the season 0–10, at which point Williams was fired and replaced by former Detroit Pistons legend Bill Laimbeer. The 2001 Shock would finish the season with a 10–22 record, this time tying three teams for last place in the Eastern Conference. In the 2001 WNBA Draft, the Shock would select Deanna Nolan with the sixth overall pick.
Lieberman was fired after the season and replaced by Greg Williams. This time, the Shock would lose the tiebreaker and not qualify, losing to the Washington Mystics. In 2000, the Shock would finish with a 14–18 record and end tied for the last seed. The Shock and Sting played a one-game playoff, which the Shock would lose 60–54. In 1999, the Shock finished 15–17, in a three-way tie for the playoffs with the Orlando Miracle and the Charlotte Sting. The Shock would start out their inaugural season 0–4, but would put together an amazing expansion season, and finish 17–13, missing out on the postseason by one game. The Shock's first coach was Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman. The Shock quickly brought in a blend of rookies and veterans. The Detroit Shock were one of the first WNBA expansion teams and began play in 1998. Franchise history The early years (1998–2002)