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History of the Tulsa Shock

The Tulsa Shock were a Women's National Basketball Association team that played in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from 2010 through 2015. Although the team existed in Tulsa for only six seasons, its history was part of a much longer franchise lineage that began with the Detroit Shock in 1998 and continues today as the Dallas Wings.

The Tulsa era was dramatically different from the championship years that preceded it in Detroit. The Shock struggled through one of the most difficult rebuilding periods in WNBA history, changed coaches several times and endured multiple seasons near the bottom of the standings. By the end of their stay in Oklahoma, however, the Shock had assembled a promising young roster led by Skylar Diggins, Odyssey Sims and Glory Johnson and returned to the playoffs in their final season.

From Detroit to Tulsa

The franchise that became the Tulsa Shock began as the Detroit Shock in 1998. Detroit developed into one of the WNBA's most successful teams under head coach Bill Laimbeer, winning championships in 2003, 2006 and 2008.

The Shock reached four WNBA Finals in six seasons and featured stars such as Deanna Nolan, Swin Cash, Cheryl Ford, Katie Smith and Ruth Riley.

Despite that success, the franchise's future in Michigan became uncertain following the 2009 season. In October 2009, it was announced that the team would relocate to Tulsa.

The move brought the WNBA to Oklahoma for the first time and ended the Detroit Shock's 12-season run.

Professional Women's Basketball Comes to Tulsa

Tulsa represented a much smaller market than Detroit, but Oklahoma had a strong basketball culture and successful women's college programs.

The relocated franchise retained the Shock name but adopted a new visual identity. Tulsa introduced new colors and branding designed to separate the team from its Detroit predecessor.

The team played its home games at the BOK Center in downtown Tulsa.

The modern arena had opened in 2008 and provided the Shock with a major-league facility capable of hosting more than 17,000 spectators for basketball.

Nolan Richardson Becomes Head Coach

The Shock made a high-profile coaching hire before their first season by bringing in Nolan Richardson.

Richardson was best known for his highly successful career coaching men's college basketball at Arkansas. He had led the Razorbacks to the 1994 NCAA championship and became famous for his aggressive defensive system known as "40 Minutes of Hell."

Tulsa hoped Richardson could bring that same fast-paced, pressure-oriented style to the WNBA.

He was given significant influence over the construction of the roster as the organization attempted to establish a new identity.

A Roster Completely Transformed

Although Tulsa inherited a franchise that had recently won multiple championships, very little of the Detroit dynasty remained.

Many of the Shock's established veterans did not make the move to Oklahoma. Deanna Nolan did not play in the WNBA after the Detroit era, while other veterans either retired, signed elsewhere or were traded.

The result was effectively an expansion-style roster despite the franchise technically being a relocation.

Tulsa needed to build a new team almost from the ground up.

Marion Jones Joins the Shock

One of the most publicized moves of Tulsa's inaugural season was the signing of former Olympic track star Marion Jones.

Jones had played college basketball at North Carolina before becoming internationally famous as a sprinter.

Her attempt to return to basketball after many years away from the sport attracted national attention.

Jones played a limited role for the Shock and averaged fewer than one point per game during the 2010 season.

The First Tulsa Shock Game

The Tulsa Shock began their first WNBA season in May 2010.

The team quickly discovered how difficult the transition would be.

Richardson's pressure-oriented system struggled against established WNBA teams, and Tulsa lacked the depth and experience necessary to compete consistently.

The Difficult 2010 Season

Tulsa finished its inaugural season with a 6-28 record.

The Shock finished last in the Western Conference and missed the playoffs.

Despite the poor record, several players emerged as important contributors, including Ivory Latta and Scholanda Robinson.

The season demonstrated that rebuilding the former Detroit powerhouse would take considerably longer than originally hoped.

The 2011 Collapse

The second Tulsa season proved even more difficult.

The Shock struggled from the beginning of the year and endured a lengthy losing streak.

Nolan Richardson resigned during the season after Tulsa opened with a 1-10 record.

Assistant coach Teresa Edwards took over on an interim basis.

The coaching change did little to reverse the team's fortunes.

Tulsa finished the 2011 season with a 3-31 record, the worst mark in the WNBA.

The three victories remain one of the lowest single-season win totals in league history.

Gary Kloppenburg Takes Over

The Shock hired Gary Kloppenburg as head coach before the 2012 season.

Kloppenburg had extensive experience as a WNBA assistant and placed greater emphasis on defense and player development.

Tulsa remained a young team, but the Shock began showing measurable improvement.

Glory Johnson

The Shock selected Glory Johnson with the fourth overall pick in the 2012 WNBA Draft.

Johnson had starred at Tennessee under legendary coach Pat Summitt.

Her athleticism, rebounding and energy immediately made her one of Tulsa's most important players.

Johnson quickly developed into one of the WNBA's better young forwards and eventually became an All-Star.

Riquna Williams

Riquna Williams also became an important member of the rebuilding Shock.

The explosive guard provided scoring off the bench and developed into one of the most dangerous individual scorers in the league.

On September 8, 2013, Williams scored 51 points against the San Antonio Silver Stars.

At the time, it was the highest-scoring individual game in WNBA history.

Williams' record stood until Liz Cambage scored 53 points for the Dallas Wings in 2018.

Improvement in 2012

Tulsa finished 9-25 in 2012.

Although the Shock remained outside the playoffs, the six-win improvement over the previous season represented significant progress.

The roster was becoming younger, more athletic and increasingly competitive.

Skylar Diggins Comes to Tulsa

The most important draft selection in Tulsa Shock history came in 2013.

With the third overall pick in the WNBA Draft, Tulsa selected Skylar Diggins from Notre Dame.

Diggins entered the league as one of the most recognizable players in women's college basketball.

She had led Notre Dame to three consecutive Final Four appearances and two NCAA championship games while developing into an elite point guard.

Her arrival immediately gave the Shock a player around whom the organization could build both on and off the court.

The Famous 2013 WNBA Draft Class

Diggins entered the league as part of one of the most celebrated draft classes in WNBA history.

Brittney Griner was selected first overall by Phoenix, Elena Delle Donne went second to Chicago and Tulsa selected Diggins third.

The trio received enormous attention and helped bring a new generation of fans to the league.

For Tulsa, Diggins became the most recognizable player the franchise had possessed since relocating from Detroit.

The 2013 Season

Tulsa continued improving during Diggins' rookie season.

The Shock finished 11-23, their best record since relocating to Oklahoma.

Glory Johnson developed into an All-Star-level forward, while Diggins gained valuable experience running the offense.

The team still missed the playoffs, but the direction of the franchise was becoming more encouraging.

Odyssey Sims Joins the Backcourt

Tulsa received another high draft selection in 2014.

The Shock selected Odyssey Sims from Baylor with the second overall pick.

Sims had been one of the best guards in college basketball and brought speed, scoring and defensive pressure to Tulsa.

Pairing Sims with Diggins gave the Shock one of the youngest and most promising backcourts in the WNBA.

Skylar Diggins' Breakout Season

Diggins made a major leap during her second WNBA season.

She became one of the league's leading scorers and established herself as an elite guard.

Diggins earned her first WNBA All-Star selection and was named the league's Most Improved Player.

Her breakout gave Tulsa its first genuine franchise star.

The 2014 Shock

Tulsa finished the 2014 season with a 12-22 record.

It was another small improvement, but the Shock again missed the postseason.

Despite the losing record, the young core of Diggins, Sims and Johnson created optimism that Tulsa was finally approaching playoff contention.

Fred Williams Takes Over

Former Atlanta Dream coach Fred Williams became head coach of the Shock for the 2014 season.

Williams had previously guided Atlanta to the 2013 WNBA Finals and brought experience managing a talented, athletic roster.

Under Williams, the Shock continued moving toward becoming a playoff team.

The 2015 Breakthrough

After five consecutive losing seasons in Tulsa, everything finally began to come together in 2015.

The Shock opened the season strongly and emerged as one of the surprise teams in the Western Conference.

Diggins was playing some of the best basketball of her career, while Sims and other members of the roster provided additional scoring.

Tulsa won more games in 2015 than in any previous season since the relocation.

Skylar Diggins' Knee Injury

The team's momentum suffered a devastating setback when Diggins tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee during a June game against the Seattle Storm.

The injury ended her season.

Losing the team's best player could have destroyed Tulsa's playoff hopes, but the Shock remained competitive.

The rest of the roster responded well enough to keep the team in postseason position.

Tulsa Finally Reaches the Playoffs

The Shock finished the 2015 regular season with an 18-16 record.

For the first time since relocating from Detroit, Tulsa qualified for the WNBA Playoffs.

The accomplishment represented the culmination of a long rebuilding process that had begun with only six victories in 2010 and fallen to just three wins in 2011.

Tulsa faced the Phoenix Mercury in the Western Conference Semifinals.

The Mercury eliminated the Shock, ending Tulsa's first and only WNBA playoff appearance.

Tulsa Shock Season-by-Season Record

From Three Wins to the Playoffs

The improvement of the Shock can be seen clearly in their season-by-season results.

After bottoming out at 3-31 in 2011, Tulsa improved its victory total in each of the next four seasons.

The Shock went from three wins in 2011 to nine in 2012, 11 in 2013, 12 in 2014 and finally 18 in 2015.

It was a slow rebuilding process, but by their final season in Oklahoma the Shock had finally become a winning team.

Ownership and Relocation Questions

Even as the basketball product improved, questions remained about the franchise's long-term future in Tulsa.

The market was considerably smaller than many other WNBA cities, and attendance and financial considerations remained important issues.

During the 2015 season, the franchise announced plans to relocate to the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The timing was bittersweet for Tulsa fans. After enduring years of losing basketball, the city was finally watching a playoff team just as the organization prepared to leave.

The Move to Dallas

After the 2015 season, the franchise officially relocated to North Texas.

The Shock were renamed the Dallas Wings and began playing at College Park Center in Arlington in 2016.

The move ended the WNBA's six-season stay in Tulsa.

Players including Diggins and Sims moved with the franchise and became part of the early Dallas Wings teams.

Tulsa Shock Head Coaches

Notable Tulsa Shock Players

• Skylar Diggins
• Odyssey Sims
• Glory Johnson
• Riquna Williams
• Ivory Latta
• Scholanda Robinson
• Nicole Powell
• Plenette Pierson
• Elizabeth Cambage
• Temeka Johnson
• Courtney Paris
• Karima Christmas

Liz Cambage and Tulsa

Australian center Liz Cambage was another notable player from the Tulsa era.

The Shock selected Cambage with the second overall pick in the 2011 WNBA Draft.

At 6-foot-8, she immediately became one of the tallest and most physically imposing players in the league.

Cambage earned an All-Star selection as a rookie but did not remain continuously with Tulsa because of international commitments and other factors.

She later returned to the franchise after its relocation to Dallas and scored a then-WNBA-record 53 points in a game during the 2018 season.

Courtney Paris

Courtney Paris became one of the WNBA's premier rebounders while playing for Tulsa.

The former Oklahoma star was particularly popular with local basketball fans because of her college career in the state.

Paris led the WNBA in rebounding during her time with the Shock and provided an important interior presence during the team's improvement in the middle of the decade.

Riquna Williams' 51-Point Game

One of the most memorable individual performances in Tulsa Shock history occurred on September 8, 2013.

Riquna Williams erupted for 51 points against San Antonio.

Williams made 17 field goals and repeatedly attacked the Silver Stars' defense as Tulsa earned a 98-65 victory.

Her 51 points established a WNBA single-game record and became one of the defining moments of the Tulsa era.

The BOK Center

The BOK Center served as the home of the Tulsa Shock throughout their six seasons in Oklahoma.

Located in downtown Tulsa, the arena opened in 2008 and became one of the city's major sports and entertainment venues.

Although the Shock struggled to build the large crowds enjoyed by some established WNBA franchises, the BOK Center provided the team with a modern professional arena throughout its existence.

Franchise Lineage

From a Dynasty to a Rebuild

Few relocations in WNBA history produced as dramatic a competitive change as the move from Detroit to Tulsa.

The Detroit Shock had won three championships between 2003 and 2008 and appeared in another Finals in 2007.

Within two years of Detroit's final championship, the relocated franchise was rebuilding almost completely from scratch in Oklahoma.

That contrast made the Tulsa era unique. Officially, the team inherited the history of a three-time champion. On the court, however, Tulsa functioned much more like an expansion franchise.

Skylar Diggins' Tulsa Legacy

No player became more closely associated with the Tulsa Shock than Skylar Diggins.

Her arrival gave the franchise national visibility at a time when the team badly needed a recognizable star.

She developed from a promising rookie into an All-Star and one of the WNBA's best guards.

Although her 2015 knee injury prevented her from participating in Tulsa's first playoff series, her development was a major reason the franchise had become competitive enough to reach the postseason.

Diggins later continued with the organization after the move to Dallas, linking the Tulsa and Dallas eras of the franchise.

Legacy of the Tulsa Shock

The Tulsa Shock never won a championship and reached the playoffs only once, but their six-season history remains an important chapter in the development of the franchise now known as the Dallas Wings.

The Tulsa years began with enormous challenges. Most of the roster responsible for Detroit's championships disappeared, Nolan Richardson's unconventional experiment did not succeed, and the team won only nine games during its first two seasons combined.

The organization slowly rebuilt through the draft.

Glory Johnson provided athleticism and rebounding. Liz Cambage brought elite size and international attention. Riquna Williams produced one of the greatest scoring performances in league history. Odyssey Sims became an important young guard, and Courtney Paris developed into an elite rebounder.

Most importantly, the selection of Skylar Diggins in 2013 gave Tulsa a franchise player.

By 2015, the rebuilding process had finally paid off. The Shock finished with a winning record and qualified for the playoffs for the first time since leaving Detroit.

Unfortunately for Tulsa basketball fans, that breakthrough arrived just as the franchise was preparing to relocate again.

The move to Dallas ended professional women's basketball's six-year run in Tulsa, but the players and organizational development of the Oklahoma years helped establish the foundation for the Dallas Wings.

The Tulsa Shock's story is therefore less about championships than perseverance. The team went from the remnants of a relocated dynasty to a 3-31 low point and eventually climbed all the way back to the WNBA Playoffs.

From 2010 through 2015, Tulsa provided the bridge between two very different chapters of the same franchise: the championship legacy of the Detroit Shock and the modern history of the Dallas Wings.