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Storm-Shock Preview

Aug 17, 2009 - 8:11 PM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Seattle (13-11) at Detroit (9-13), 7:30 p.m. EDT

With less than a month remaining in the season, the defending WNBA champion Detroit Shock face a tough battle if they want to make the playoffs for the seventh straight year.

Returning home to face the slumping Seattle Storm on Tuesday night could help them get back on track for a postseason push.

Detroit (9-13) finished atop the Eastern Conference in 2008 for the second consecutive season en route to its third WNBA title in six years.

This year has been a different story. Coach and general manager Bill Laimbeer resigned June 15 after three games, and the Shock lost five of six after that and haven't recovered.

They've won two in a row only twice this year and trail Chicago and Connecticut by 2 1/2 games for the East's final playoff berth.

Detroit beat Chicago 64-58 on Aug. 9 before opening a three-game road trip with a victory over Washington. They were again unable to continue building momentum, losing 80-75 to Atlanta on Thursday and 82-59 to Indiana on Saturday.

Rookie reserve guard Shavonte Zellous was the only Shock player to score in double figures in the blowout by the league-leading Fever. She had 16 points, and averaged 15.3 in her last four games.

Starting guard Alexis Hornbuckle had two points on 1-for-8 shooting while veteran forward Katie Smith scored five and went 1-for-6 from the field.

The Shock allowed six players to score at least seven points, with four reaching double figures.

"In my six years playing for Detroit, we've also been known for our defense," center Cheryl Ford said. "But we did not play Detroit defense tonight."

The Shock hope a return to The Palace, where they have won three of four, and a matchup with a Seattle team that has dropped four of five will help them get back on track.

The Storm (13-11), trying to avoid a winless three-game trip, averaged 69.3 points in their last four contests.

They fell 88-79 to Atlanta on Saturday night despite 25 points from Lauren Jackson, who became the fourth player to reach 5,000, joining Smith, Lisa Leslie and Tina Thompson.

"I don't care about milestones or how many points I score," Jackson said. "We need wins right now, and we're not playing consistent enough to get them."

Seattle, which lost its last two games in Detroit, fell 66-63 at home to the Shock on July 15. Five players scored in double figures for the Storm, but Camille Little's 12 points led the team.

Smith scored 16 of her 19 points in the second half. She averaged 23.3 in the last three meetings.