Few professional sports franchises could claim the on-court success of the Detroit Shock, but despite the involvement of Detroit sports icons like Pistons greats Bill Laimbeer and Rick Mahorn, as well as a star player from Flint in Deanna Nolan, the team couldn't build a consistent enough fanbase to remain in Michigan.
The three-time WNBA champions moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the offseason, but will have a much different look when the season opens May 15.
Nolan, who also plays
, opted not to join the team in Tulsa. She will
. Other familiar names like Cheryl Ford and Katie Smith also are not back.
Still, though, there are a few holdovers. Five players who were in Detroit will suit up in Tulsa, Plenette Pierson, center and former first round pick Kara Braxton, Olayinka Sanni and guards Alexis Hornbuckle and Shavonte Zellous will all be key parts of the team this season.
Pierson was a fan favorite for not only her hard-nosed style in Detroit, but also for her interaction with fans. She's continued that in Tulsa, both meeting new fans and keeping in touch with her fans in Detroit through social media. She also
and contributes to
.
"It was difficult (to leave Detroit)," Pierson said. "But it's a business and we understood. We love and miss our fans in Detroit. I've talked to several of them on
and
and they're still going to be following us through our days in Tulsa."
The coaching staff also will have a new look. Laimbeer, who coached the franchise to all three of its titles, left during last season to take an assistant coaching job with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was replaced by another former Bad Boy, Rick Mahorn.
In Tulsa, college basketball coaching legend Nolan Richardson takes over, bringing with him his famed '40 Minutes of Hell' system that helped him win a national championship at the University of Arkansas.
While the team will still value defense as it did under Laimbeer and Mahorn, Richardson prefers his teams play at a much faster pace with more pressure.
"Their game was more of a power game, with great scorers like Deanna Nolan and Katie Smith," Richardson said. "The offense was built around a couple of girls. Ours is a more open court kind of basketball. We're running, pressing, doing some things that are a lot different, and the young ladies (from Detroit) who are here have said that to me."
One player who could really fit that style defensively is Hornbuckle, who filled a key role in Detroit with her ability to put pressure on perimeter players and create turnovers.
"I think I actually have to step it up a few more levels," Hornbuckle said. "I like that kind of challenge because I'm a defensive player. I'm looking forward to seeing the outcome."
Braxton, a Michigan native who went to high school in Jackson, will again be a force in the middle for the Shock. Although she will miss playing in front of hometown fans in Detroit, she's adjusting to Richardson's system and her new environment in Oklahoma.
"I was a little sad because I made my home in Michigan," Braxton said. "We grew a relationship with our fans and everybody who supported us. But it was a great opportunity business-wise for the team in Tulsa, and since I've been here, they've done nothing but welcome us."
While Pierson says Richardson's system is a definite change from the one Shock fans in Detroit are used to, what she brings to the team will not be much different.
"I don't think my role is going to change too much," Pierson said. "We're just going to do a lot more running, play at a faster pace. But I'm still going to be that aggressive player that I was in Detroit."
Richardson is still adjusting to WNBA basketball, studying tape of opponents. With so many new faces, he's not setting specific goals for the team, other than putting a strong unit that plays hard on the floor each game.
"We're a semi-expansion ballclub," Richardson said. "The biggest thing is can I get them in shape to play the way I want? Once I get that accomplished, I move on to the next thing. The most important thing is getting them to buy in to what we want to do. We're all new to each other, I'm new to the league, so it's all a learning process right now."
Bookmark HotBed Hoops, subscribe to the RSS feed, follow Flint area basketball news on Facebook, e-mail Patrick Hayes or follow him on Twitter.