Maybe it doesn't matter which five players are on the court when the game tips off, but the Tulsa Shock has found a combination that is paying off nicely.
Double-doubles for Liz Cambage and Glory Johnson equaled a 90-63 victory over the Atlanta Dream in front of 4,107 fans at the BOK Center on Sunday afternoon.
"We're trying to figure out a formula to win and I think we've been playing really well," said Shock head coach Gary Kloppenburg.
Tulsa (6-13) had Cambage, Johnson, Candice Wiggins, Angel Goodrich and Nicole Powell in the starting lineup for the third straight game. The win marked the second time the Shock has won three straight since moving to Tulsa for the 2010 season.
Goodrich got her first career start at point guard on Wednesday while Skylar Diggins, who started the first 16 games of the year, sat out with an ankle injury.
The two point guards, who lead the WNBA in assists per game among rookies, each played just over 20 minutes on Sunday and each recorded three assists while the Shock shot 52.4 percent from the field and held Atlanta to just 33.3 percent.
"We followed our game plan the way we wanted to guard," said Kloppenburg. "We knew they weren't a great outside shooting team so we wanted to keep them out of the paint."
Atlanta (10-5) went 0-17 from beyond the arc on their way to a fourth straight loss after starting the season 10-1.
Johnson registered her ninth double-double of the season, finishing with 24 points and ten rebounds, while Cambage notched her second double-double, finishing with 23 and 15.
"It's a really great feeling (to win three straight) and knowing that everyone did something to get this win makes it feel even better," said Johnson, as Powell let out a scream of happiness in the background.
After trailing 2-0, Tulsa took the lead for good behind Cambage, Johnson and Wiggins, who combined to score 20 of Tulsa's season-high 25 first quarter points.
"We've got a whole lot of confidence at the moment," said Cambage, who grabbed a microphone following the game and thanked the crowd for their support.
Cambage scored four straight to open the second half and the Shock maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way.
Following the third-quarter ejection of Atlanta coach Fred Williams for arguing with officials, Tulsa went on a 22-7 run that extended into the fourth quarter and put the game easily in hand.
Wiggins finished with 14 for the Shock while Angel McCoughtry led the Dream with 21. Brazilian veteran Erika de Souza turned in a double-double for Atlanta with 12 points and 16 boards.
Atlanta got within four points late in the second quarter but the Shock countered with a 9-2 run that helped them gain a 44-35 halftime lead.
Tulsa will host Indiana on Thursday morning with tip-off set for 11:30 a.m.
Shock 90, Dream 63
| Atlanta |
16 |
19 |
15 |
13 |
- |
63 |
| Tulsa |
25 |
19 |
27 |
19 |
- |
90 |
ATLANTA: McCoughtry 8-24 5-7 21, Willingham 0-4 2-2 2, de Souza 5-9 2-2 12, Bentley 3-6 2-4 8, Herrington 1-6 1-2 3, Thomas 2-12 3-6 7, Henry 3-5 0-0 6, Clements 2-6 0-0 4, Riley 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-72 15-23 63.
TULSA: Powell 1-2 2-2 5, Johnson 9-14 6-7 24, Cambage 8-10 7-10 23, Wiggins 5-11 3-4 14, Goodrich 1-4 0-0 2, Diggins 2-4 0-0 4, Williams 3-8 1-1 8, Jackson-Jones 2-4 2-2 6, Hodges 0-2 0-0 0, Paris 2-2 0-0 4, Lacy 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 33-63 21-26 90.
3-point goals: Atlanta 0-17 (Willingham 0-2, Thomas 0-2, Bentley 0-3, Clements 0-3, McCoughtry 0-7), Tulsa 3-14 (Powell 1-1, Williams 1-3, Wiggins 1-5, Goodrich 0-1, Hodges 0-2, Lacy 0-2).
Fouled out: None.
Rebounds: Atlanta 47 (de Souza 16), Tulsa 44 (Cambage 15).
Assists: Atlanta 9 (Bentley 3), Tulsa 19 (Powell 6).
Total fouls: Atlanta 23, Tulsa 15.
Technicals: Atlanta Bench 2, Cambage, Tulsa defensive three second 3.
A: 4,107 (7,479).
Up next
Vs. Indiana
11:30 a.m.
Thursday
Pro W Basketball (WNBA)
None of McLain’s players, nor their coach, knew the WNBA star was coming.
For the second straight season, the Tulsa Shock made progress. But whether it was progress enough seems to be the question.
