This is a team to be reckoned with - a very serious team. When the final horn sounded, Charlotte's players hugged in a group as the Rockers and most of the 12,527 fans who rocked Gund Arena, stared in disbelief. But the Sting showed more poise and leadership than the young Rockers, who were outmuscled on both ends. Reserve Tonya Edwards scored 15 points, Andrea Stinson had 14, and rookie Tammy Sutton-Brown and Shalonda Enis added 12 apiece for the Sting. Charlotte's season was headed for disaster after it dropped to 1-10 after a loss to Sacramento on June 24.
Tammy brings a presence in the low post and that frees up our perimeter.
She's such an integral part of our game, of our turnaround. The Sting built a 13-point lead in the second half and held off the Rockers, whose season ended with just their third loss in 18 home games this season. Merlakia Jones led Cleveland with 13 points, but the Rockers couldn't get the big rebound or defensive stop in the final two minutes and watched their season end for the third time in four years in the postseason. But we've been through this before and we'll come back and try again. Staley added nine points and eight assists for the Sting and Sutton-Brown made all six of her shots from the field.