WASHINGTON -- The Detroit Shock completed their WNBA Finals sweep with a 76-60 Game 3 victory over the San Antonio Silver Stars in Michigan on Sunday, collecting their third title in their four trips to the finals overall.
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San Antonio Silver Stars guard Becky Hammon (R) drives against Detroit Shock forward Katie Smith during the second half of Game 3 WNBA basketball finals in Yipsilanti, Michigan October 5, 2008. [Agencies]
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Katie Smith, Detroit's leading scorer in all three games and a gold medalist in the Beijing Olympics this summer, capped her finals MVP performance with 18 points and six rebounds.
After leaving behind in the first half 34-30, host Detroit clawed back to take the lead with two straight 3-pointer with 2:16 minutes to go.
Smith scored five straight points to usher in the celebration midway through the fourth quarter, giving Detroit a 12-point lead. With the crowd of 8,952 already roaring, Smith's next shot was from well behind the 3-point line, pushing the Shock's lead to 62-47 with five minutes to play.
"We wanted to come out and play. We felt like today was a Game 5," said Smith.
The Silver Stars, first-time participants in the WNBA Finals, did not lose a game against an Eastern Conference team all season, including two victories over the Shock. But they lost three in a row to Detroit, the first two at home, in the finals.
After a night of celebrating, Detroit are to date with the new mayor of Detroit Ken Cockrel, who will honor the team on Monday.