Tulsa Shock beats LA Sparks 82-67 as Glory Johnson and Candice Wiggins score 42 combined points

The Shock today played a game that Coach Klop is pleased about. The team shot over 53% from the field (31-58) and made nearly half or their 17 threes (8-17). The team also outrebounded the Sparks 36-25. As the title says above, GloJo and Wiggins had good games and were efficient shooting. Also Angel Goodrich got the start at point guard and had 6 points and 8 assists, but also had 7 turnovers. Skylar Diggins did not play due to the University of Notre Dame's commencement exercises which were held today.

For LA; Kristi Toliver led the Sparks with 11 points and didn't attempt a three. LA only attempted four threes all game and made two of them.

I guess my prediction of being bullish on the Shock wasn't far-fetched after all...

Atlanta Dream selling a meet and greet with Tulsa Shock guard Skylar Diggins after home opener

If you log on to the Atlanta Dream's website, you will see a splash page with an ad to buy tickets against the Tulsa Shock and also with dates to see the Chicago Sky and the Phoenix Mercury which have Elena Delle Donne and Brittney Griner respectively. But in addition on the main site, the Dream sells a $100 two ticket package where fans can meet the Tulsa Shock guard post game. Even though I'm a fan of Diggins' game myself and look forward to seeing her in DC on June 30, this thing cannot go without a complaint.

Seattle Storm doesn't lose to the Tulsa Shock 63-59, goes undefeated in preseason play

In Seattle, Tina Thompson and Camille Little led the Storm with 31 combined points to help the Storm to a victory. Thompson also made all three of her threes. Shekinna Stricklen played 34 minutes off the bench and had 9 points and 10 rebounds. Even though the Storm won this game, it needs to be noted that the team had nine assists and 18 turnovers, and made only 31% of its shots, so it was a bad performance even with Thompson having a near vintage performance.

For Tulsa, the Shock goes to 0-2 in preseason, and had an unacceptable performance from the free throw line AND from the three point line where the black and gold was 61.1% (11-18) and 9.5% (2-21) from those areas respectively. If the Shock made more of its free throws, it could have won this game perhaps. With the latter stat on threes, Riquna Williams attempted eight threes, and made only one, while Roneeka Hodges was almost as inefficient with one made three out of five attempts. Candice Wiggins was zero out of four from the three.... Skylar Diggins put out a bad performance only making two out of ten shots for four points and NO free throw attempts.. The only notable stat for her: FIVE TURNOVERS to two assists.....WOW.... Hopefully that was just another bad day at the office. The good news for the Shock is that Glory Johnson had 13 points on 6-11 shooting, AND 18 rebounds plus two blocked shots.

I know some of you guys are snickering at me for saying the Shock will be the #4 team in the West. I am STILL standing by that. I WILL GO DOWN WITH COACH KLOP, SKY, SLAMBAGE, AND THE WHOLE SHIP! They'll get out of this funk. I'm confident that they will.

Maybe I'm being overly harsh because I couldn't watch this game since I'm in Washington, DC, not Washington State. But really. 31% shooting by both teams which both had a negative assist to turnover ratio with sub 10% three point shooting by one of the teams makes for one bad game no matter what way you slice it. If anyone was at this game to watch, it couldn't have been that entertaining. I hope this doesn't carry over into the regular season for either of these teams.

Seattle plays at LA on Sunday May 26 to kick of its regular season. And for Tulsa, Coach Klop, Diggins, and the gang get to travel to Atlanta next Saturday, May 25 to kick off the regular season.

Liz Cambage to return to Shock for 2013 WNBA season after all

In quite a surprising turn of events, Australian center Liz Cambage, the on-again, off-again center for the Shock will be joining the 2013 WNBA season after previously announcing she would not return.

Tulsa Shock fans respond negatively to Cambage's return on Facebook

One might think that Tulsa Shock fans would be excited to hear about the return of their 6'8" center Liz Cambage.

However, the responses to Cambage's return on the team's Facebook page weren't exactly positive, ranging from being merely unimpressed to saying she should be sent back to Australia.

Ouch.

Click here for quotes from the release on Cambage's return. For more on the Shock's offseason, check out our offseason storystream.

Skylar Diggins signs with Roc Nation Sports

Today, Roc Nation Sports, Jay-Z's sports marketing agency has announced that Tulsa Shock guard Skylar Diggins has signed with the group, making her the first basketball player to join the agency.

Skylar Diggins' game, social media presence, and her sex appeal are good for the Tulsa Shock and the WNBA

Skylar Diggins comes to the Tulsa Shock this season as the franchise player that the team is looking for. With her abilities to score points in a hurry, to force turnovers, and by performing her best in big games, the Shock figures to be one of the WNBA teams on the rise in 2013, even considering the loss of its two leading scorers from 2012 and its 2011 top draft pick not returning. Diggins is also an attractive young woman which often is a talking point that is as big if not bigger than her ability to play basketball.

Griner, Diggins, and Delle Donne talk about being bullied, playing on a 3x3 team together, and more

Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner comes out, the "Big Three" discuss on the WNBA's future, and the topic of sexuality in sports

2013 WNBA Draft: Tulsa Shock select Oklahoma native Angel Goodrich with 29th pick

The Tulsa Shock selected Kansas Jayhawks point guard Angel Goodrich with the 29th pick and that might have been a bit of a steal. How much so?

We had a writeup ready for her sometime in the second round as follows:

Wows: She was a stunningly efficient passer for Kansas late in the season and into the tournament and she really knows how to run a team. She makes solid decisions in transition.

Wonders: Will size be a problem for her? How much will that affect her ability to defend? College teams tried to post her up with bigger guards and there's little question that pro teams will be the same.

Worries: She was not an efficient scorer in college and though she has a knack for coming up with big scoring games, she can also be shut down when teams turn her into a jump shooter.

2013 WNBA Draft: Tulsa Shock select Skylar Diggins third overall

Wows: Diggins' ability to simply will Notre Dame to victory has been absolutely remarkable to watch throughout her career and that will to score figures to be her immediate contribution at the next level as well. Defensively, she had an outstanding steal percentage and will fit really well with the aggressive defensive style that the Shock played last year.

Wonders: She does commit quite a few turnovers and took a lot of risks, but that's part of being a great point guard. The only question is how many wins she can add to the team with the way she plays.

Worries: How efficient will she be as a distributor? As a volume scorer in college, she might be one of many who becomes a more efficient distributor when she has less scoring responsibility in the pros. But it will be interesting to watch.

Liz Cambage out in Tulsa - is China the reason behind the change of heart?

Yesterday’s announcement that Liz Cambage would not be returning to the Tulsa Shock came as a surprise to some. To others, it was more of a prolonged expectation. But regardless of how you look at it, her absence will be felt on the court.

Liz Cambage Not Returning to Tulsa

It has been confirmed to the Tulsa Shock organization that Liz Cambage will not be returning to the WNBA this summer, as reported by the Tulsa World.

After last summer's decision not to join the club after the Olympics, there were many that thought that this was the next step, myself included.

"Obviously we’re disappointed about it," head coach Gary Kloppenburg said, "but kids make decisions based on what they feel is best for them."

I'm disappointed about it too, Coach.

Lindsay Whalen and Candice Wiggins represent WNBA in 2013 White House Easter Egg Roll

Minnesota Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen and Tulsa Shock guard Candice Wiggins were WNBA representatives in the 2013 White House Easter Egg Roll held earlier today in Washington, DC. In addition several of the Washington Wizards' top players, including John Wall, Bradley Beal, Nene, and Emeka Okafor were in attendance. Here are some tweets including pics:

.@bigmek50 & @candicewiggins teaching kids the importance of staying #nbafit at the @whitehouse Easter Egg Roll. twitter.com/nbacares/statu…

— NBA Cares (@nbacares) April 1, 2013

At the White House Easter Egg Roll with @lindsay_13...headed to the basketball court of course! twitter.com/candicewiggins…

— Candice Wiggins (@candicewiggins) April 1, 2013

.@lindsay_13 is hanging out with JFK at the @whitehouse today for #EasterEggRoll #LosLynx #WNBA twitter.com/Lynx_PR/status…

— Lynx PR (@Lynx_PR) April 1, 2013

.@lindsay_13 throwing a pass during the #EasterEggRoll at the @whitehouse #LosLynx #WNBA twitter.com/Lynx_PR/status…

— Lynx PR (@Lynx_PR) April 1, 2013

Check out what @lindsay_13 is up to today, hanging out with @barackobama as part of the #EasterEggRoll twitter.com/Lynx_PR/status…

— Lynx PR (@Lynx_PR) April 1, 2013

It's always nice to see the WNBA represented in a positive fashion at these events, and I'm also glad to see local representation as well with the Wizards also in attendance, not to mention that they've been playing very well, especially at home over the last couple months.

"Diggins" dealt in a three team trade? Okay, it's a typo...

Check this out from WNBA.com...:

Yeah, this is the front page noting Sue Bird will miss the 2013 season.... but look at the bottom of the line where it says ">>More." Here, "The Lynx Acquire McCarville, Deal Diggins in 3-Team Trade."

I saw it yesterday evening, and knew it was a typo because "Diggins" is supposed to be guard Candice Wiggins who was on the Lynx last year and was traded to the Tulsa Shock in a three team deal which also involved the New York Liberty. I thought someone at the NBA's website team would find it pretty quick and correct it accordingly. Obviously, Skylar Diggins is still in college.

But it's still here as of 11:15 AM Eastern Time.....

UPDATE, March 13, 2013 at 5:00 PM ET

The NBA website team has now corrected it. See pic below:

Quick analysis: Tulsa scores in three team deal with Minnesota, New York

The Tulsa Shock have finally paved the way for Deanna Nolan to return to the WNBA by sending her to the New York Liberty in a three-team trade that also involved the Minnesota Lynx. In trading a player who was not going to play for them for at least one player who is excited to be there, the Shock have taken a step forward.

Tulsa trades Deanna Nolan to New York as part of blockbuster three team deal

In a move that many WNBA fans have been waiting for, Deanna Nolan will be returning to the league after being traded from the Tulsa Shock to the New York Liberty as part of a three team deal that also includes Janel McCarville returning to the league with the Minnesota Lynx. Click here for the New York Liberty's full release.

Chamique Holdsclaw indicted on six criminal counts for shooting incident

Earlier today, a Fulton County, GA grand jury indicted former WNBA all star Chamique Holdsclaw of five criminal counts, including two counts of aggravated assault, one count of first degree criminal damage, two counts of second degree criminal damage, and one count of possession of a firearm in commission of a felony, according to USA Today. These charges stem from an incident last November which involved Tulsa Shock forward Jennifer Lacy's vehicle which was broken in and shot into.

In addition, Holdsclaw faces up to 65 years in prison if found guilty of all counts according to TMZ.com. For the time being, Holdsclaw is free on a $100,000 bond.

Stay tuned to this story by following our StoryStream.

Tulsa Shock sign Tiffany Jackson-Jones

Breaking: The Tulsa Shock have signed forward Tiffany Jackson-Jones to a multi-year contract.wnba.com/shock/news/sho… #JoinTheFuture

— Tulsa Shock (@tulsashock) February 19, 2013

For whatever reason I assumed the Shock would do this and it makes a lot of sense: even with the return of 6'8" center Liz Cambage this is a team that really needed some rebounding help.

Last season, Courtney Paris led the team with an offensive rebounding percentage of 16.1% but played less than 20 minutes. After her was rookie forward Glory Johnson at 10.9%. After that, nobody else crack double digits.

In 2011 the 6'3" "Jackson" led the team with an offensive rebounding percentage of 10.5% and Cambage followed her at 9.9%. Re-inserting them into that post rotation is quite significant and might figure to add a few more wins in 2013.

For more on the Shock's offseason, check out our offseason storystream.

What the Temeka Johnson and Noelle Quinn signings mean for the Seattle Storm

As announced yesterday, the Seattle Storm have signed Temeka Johnson and Noelle Quinn. But how specifically does that help them and what does it mean for the other teams who have lost out on their former players? Click here for the link to the actual announcement.

Tulsa Shock re-signs Chante Black, Amber Holt, and Courtney Paris

Yesterday, the Tulsa Shock announced that it re-signed center Chante Black, forward Amber Holt, and center Courtney Paris. These signings help solidify the team's front court rotation players from the 2012 team which tripled its win total from a year before.

Washington Mystics sign Ivory Latta

Today, the Washington Mystics announced that they have signed Ivory Latta who was one of the WNBA's top unrestricted free agents at the point guard position.

2012-2013 Tulsa Shock Offseason: Can the team take its next step toward building a perennial playoff contender?

The 2012 Tulsa Shock team tripled its win total from its 2011 campaign, from three to nine wins, and if you watched many games on LiveAccess, you probably feel that they were in a position to win most of its games with a young roster. For 2013, this team looks to take another step in its rebuild toward its first playoff appearance since 2009 when the team was in Detroit.

The Tulsa Shock Receives The Third Pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft: How Will It Take Its Next Step Forward?

The Tulsa Shock have certainly had a rocky transition since its relocation from Detroit in 2010 but now things are starting to look brighter. On this blog in particular, we have praised Shock owner and president Steve Swetoha and head coach Gary Kloppenburg for building the core of the team through the draft and with younger players, all of whom played an athletic style of team defense for the 2012 campaign. This system paid dividends for the season helping the team triple its win total over the 2011 season and finishing with a three game winning streak toward the end of the aforementioned 2012 campaign.