WNBA PLAYOFFS

Monday, August 28, 2006 WNBA PLAYOFFS Sunday's game Shock 79, Sun 55 UNCASVILLE, Conn. — The Detroit Shock clinched their second trip to the WNBA finals in dominating fashion. Swin Cash and Katie Smith led the Shock with 16 points each in a rout over the Connecticut Sun for the Eastern Conference title and their first trip back to the league finals since winning the championship in 2003. They'll take on defending WNBA champion Sacramento in a best-of-five series beginning Wednesday. Much like the 2003 title team, coach Bill Laimbeer's squad rolled through these playoffs with a dominating inside game, anchored by the Cheryl Ford, the league's leading rebounder. Ford finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots. She was mobbed by her teammates after her block of a jumper Taj McWilliams-Franklin closed out the third quarter. It was that kind of night for Detroit. As for Connecticut, the two-time defending conference champs shot just 30 percent, were confounded by the Shock defense and outscored 42-16 in the paint. The Sun, who had the best record of any Eastern Conference team the past two years were denied their third straight trip to the championship round. Their 52 regular-season wins in 2005-06 set a record. McWilliams-Franklin led Connecticut with 12 points and Lindsay Whalen added 10. Margo Dydek had nine rebounds and three blocked shots for the Sun. Associated Press COPYRIGHT 2006 ASSOCIATED PRESS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN, OR REDISTRIBUTED.