- 1998
- 2002
- 2003
- 2006
- 2008
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Detroit Shock Team Creation
The Shock was one of the first WNBA expansion teams and began to play in 1998. The Detroit Shock quickly brought in a blend of rookies and veterans. The Shock’s first coach was Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman. The Shock would start out their inaugural season 0-4 but would put together an amazing expansion season, and finish 17-13, missing out ... -
Hiring of Bill Laimbeer
The 2002 Shock started the season 0-10, at which point Williams was fired and replaced by former Detroit Pistons legend Bill Laimbeer. 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. -
WNBA Championship 2003
After massive changes to the roster, Laimbeer predicted before the 2003 season that the Shock would be league champions, and his prediction would unbelievably come true. The Shock would tear up the East in the regular season, posting a 25-9 record and winning the #1 seed by 7 games. In the playoffs, the Shock would defeat the Cleveland Rockers 2-1 ... -
WNBA Championship 2006
The 2006 Shock came out hungry and poised for a playoff run. The Shock performed well during the regular season, posting a 23-11 record and winning the #2 seed in the playoffs. The Shock went on to make quick work of the Indiana Fever, sweeping them in the first round. In the Conference Finals, the Shock would be matched up against ... -
Detroit Shock 2008 WNBA Champs
Entering the 2008 postseason, the Shock posted a 22-12 regular-season record, the best record in the East. In the first round against the Indiana Fever, Detroit handled Indiana in 3 games. Due to the scheduling of other events at the Palace, the Shock had to play their home playoff games in the conference and league finals at Eastern Michigan University’s ...
History of the Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were 2003, 2006, and 2008 WNBA champions.
Debuting in 1998, it was one of the league’s first expansion franchises. It was also the first WNBA expansion franchise to win a WNBA Championship. The team was the sister team of the Detroit Pistons and from 2002 to the 2009 season was coached by Pistons legend Bill Laimbeer.
On October 20, 2009, it was announced that the Shock would be moving to Tulsa, Oklahoma to play in the new downtown arena, the BOK Center. Former men’s college coach Nolan Richardson was named the team’s new head coach. The Shock roster and history were retained along with the Shock name, but the team colors were changed to black, red, and gold. The franchise is currently known as Dallas Wings.
Established
1998
City
Detroit – Tulsa – Dallas
League History
1998 – Present / Women’s National Basketball Association
Team History
2016 – Present / Dallas Wings
2010 – 2015 / Tulsa Shock
1998 – 2009 / Detroit Shock
Nickname
Shock – Named for its relation to the NBA Detroit Pistons, and as a shock absorber on the hardwood court.
Championship
WNBA Championships 0
Arena
2016 – Present / College Park Center
*Tulsa*
2010 – 2015 / BOK Center
*Detroit*
1998 – 2009 / The Palace of Auburn Hills
Owner
2016 – Present / Bill Cameron, Chris Christian and Mark Yancey
2010 – 2015 / Tulsa Pro Hoops LLC
1998–2009 / William Davidson
To qualify as a greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
Retired Number
*Blue is this team’s history