Shock catches Sparks, 75-73

Plenette Pierson scored 21 points, including a three-point play with 26.3 seconds left that gave Detroit its first lead of the game, and the Shock held off the Sparks, 75-73, Sunday night at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

After a ball fake gave her an open lane to the basket, Pierson drove and laid the ball in while slamming into Jessica Moore -- who was called for a foul as the shot dropped. Pierson added the free throw for WNBA defending champion Detroit (20-6).

“Bill called my number, and they bit on the handoff” to Deanna Nolan, she said. “I knew they couldn’t call a charge. [Moore] was too far under the basket.”

Sidney Spencer and Taj McWilliams-Franklin missed on the ensuing possession, and McWilliams-Franklin and Kara Braxton tied up the rebound with 9.9 seconds left.

“I missed a layup,” McWilliams-Franklin said. “When you get good looks, you have to knock them down.”

Braxton won the jump ball, but Nolan lost the ball out of bounds with 7.4 seconds left.

Temeka Johnson threw away the inbounds pass, but Shannon Johnson kept the Sparks (8-16) alive when she missed two free throws. Then Temeka Johnson appeared to lose track of the clock and didn’t get a shot off before the buzzer.

“That doesn’t matter,” McWilliams-Franklin said. “We played well enough to win, but we didn’t finish. We let it go.”

The Sparks led, 73-72, when McWilliams-Franklin missed inside with 42 seconds left. Braxton pulled down the rebound for Detroit, which won despite being without injured Cheryl Ford.