Shock beat up on defending champions

Cheryl Ford had 24 points and 11 rebounds and Katie Smith added 20 points to help the Detroit Shock beat the defending WNBA champion Sacramento Monarchs 91-71 in Auburn Hills, Mich. on Wednesday night.

Deanna Nolan added 14 points for the Shock and Swin Cash scored 10.

Cash left the game with 3:01 remaining after falling to her knees while the teams were lined up for a free throw. She was helped off the floor by Detroit’s training staff and was examined for a possible head injury.

Nicole Powell led Sacramento with 14 points and Rebekkah Brunson scored 13 in the Monarchs’ worst loss of the season.

Sparks 81, Silver Stars 67: At San Antonio, Lisa Leslie led Los Angeles to a two-game Texas sweep, scoring 20 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in a victory over the Silver Stars.

On Tuesday night, Leslie had 16 points and 10 rebounds in a victory in Houston.

Western Conference-leading Los Angeles won for the ninth time in 10 games, while San Antonio fell three games behind Seattle for the final playoff spot in the conference.