Prior to the Dallas Wings, there was the Tulsa Shock. And prior to the Tulsa Shock, there was the Detroit Shock, which played its entire duration in the Motor City in the Palace of Auburn Hills, first built in 1988.
That building could soon be on the chopping block as the Detroit Pistons will be moving from the Palace and into a new downtown stadium it will be sharing with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings.
A report out of a newspaper in Oakland County raises the question of what will happen to the Palace, but WDIV-TV 4 in Detroit is reporting it will be demolished.
It appears as though we will soon be bidding farewell to the Palace of Auburn Hills—a stadium that was the site of plenty a memorable moment for the Shock and the WNBA.
The Palace had its highlights with the Shock, such as when Deanna Nolan in May of 2005, recorded one of (what is now) six triple-doubles in WNBA history. It came in a 78-67 victory for the Shock over the Connecticut Sun.
(Video courtesy of WNBA)
Nolan, who this past season was named as one of the WNBA’s 20@20 Greatest of All-Time, notched 11 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.
It also had its lowlights—such as a brawl that took place near the end of a game in 2008 between the Shock and Sparks when Los Angeles’ Candace Parker and Detroit’s Plenette Pierson exchanged hostilities. It was the W’s version of “Malace at the Palace” and is one we’re sure plenty of women’s hoops aficionados would rather forget.
Now, back to the highlights. The Shock won three championships during its tenure in MoTown—and two of them came at the Palace. When Detroit won its first of what would be its trifecta of titles, the first came in a 2003 season where the Shock turned a 9-23 record from the previous campaign into a 25-9 season…and a WNBA championship.
The Shock also won its 2006 championship at home as well as its 2008 title within the state of Michigan, the Finals games were moved that year due to scheduling conflicts at the Palace.
If it is true that the Palace of Auburn Hills will indeed be demolished it will serve as a watershed moment in both WNBA and NBA history. A stadium may go the way of the wrecking ball, but those memories of the Detroit Shock at the Palace are sure to stand the test of time!
By: Akiem Bailum (@AkiemBailum on Twitter, Instagram)
