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Jul 21, 2009 - 5:03 PM By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA STATS Senior Writer

Atlanta (7-10) at Detroit (5-8), 12:00 p.m. EDT

A rough stretch prior to last year's Olympic break didn't end up hurting Detroit. This year, the Shock are trying to carry some badly needed momentum into another interruption of their schedule.

In their last game before nine days off for the All-Star break, the Shock come off a successful road trip to face the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday.

Tied for last in the Eastern Conference, Detroit (5-8) has been a big disappointment after winning the WNBA title last year. That championship was possible because the Shock dominated down the stretch despite losing four straight just before a month-long stoppage for the Olympics.

Detroit is finally showing signs of regaining that form as Saturday's All-Star game approaches. The Shock went 3-1 on their trip after losing six of the previous seven contests.

Detroit hadn't won consecutive games this season before opening its road swing with victories over Connecticut and Seattle. A win over the Dream (7-10) would give the Shock two in a row again.

Detroit lost 97-90 to Phoenix on Saturday night but bounced back with a 69-65 victory over Sacramento the following evening.

Taj McWilliams had 21 points, 12 rebounds and a clutch basket in the fourth quarter for the Shock. She had 13 points and nine rebounds versus Atlanta on June 26, but Detroit lost 96-86.

Shock guard Katie Smith, who had a team-high 20 points in that game, was named an All-Star reserve for the East on Monday. Smith, averaging 14.7 points and shooting 40.3 percent from 3-point range, will make her seventh All-Star appearance in 11 seasons.

She'll be matched up at times Wednesday with Atlanta frontcourt players Sancho Lyttle and Erika DeSouza, who were also named All-Star reserves for the East. They are the first two All-Star selections in the two-year history of the franchise.

"To have two All-Stars on a second-year team is incredible," Dream general manager and coach Marynell Meadors said. "Erika and Sancho are definitely deserving of this honor. It shows not only their hard work and dedication, but the respect that the other coaches in our conference have for what they have done this season."

DeSouza is flourishing after missing 22 games last season due to a fractured leg. The 6-foot-5 center from Brazil is averaging a WNBA-best 8.6 rebounds along with 11.5 points and 1.4 blocks.

Lyttle is having a career season after being acquired by the Dream in December in the Houston Comets dispersal draft. She's averaging 13.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.2 steals.

DeSouza and Lyttle combined for 23 points and 16 rebounds in Atlanta's 89-86 loss to New York on Sunday. The Dream fell to 1-3 on a five-game trip despite getting 26 points from Chamique Holdsclaw.

Holdsclaw matched a season high with 28 points in a 91-77 win over Minnesota last Wednesday. She first set that mark in the June matchup with the Shock.