Zellous, Nolan lead Shock past Sky 80-69

There was candy strewn all over the media tables Saturday night at the UIC Pavilion.

Lemonheads, Laffy Taffys, Nerds, Twizzlers, you name it. They were all there for the taking.

It almost seemed as if the Chicago Sky was trying to send a subliminal message to forward Candice Dupree, who hears a quick cut of New Edition's "Candy Girl" over the loudspeaker every time she scores.

The message was this: Dupree needed to step up big and hear her song repeatedly against the Detroit Shock.

Early on, it seemed like that message came through loud and clear, and that "Candy Girl" was going to lead the Sky to its sweetest victory ever.

But instead, the night came to a sour, bitter end.

The Sky blew a 19-point halftime lead and squandered a game-high 27 points from Dupree en route to an 80-69 loss to Detroit that ended all hopes for a berth in the playoffs.

Had the Sky (16-18) won, the franchise would have earned its first playoff berth in its four-year history.

Now, the players and coaches are left to wonder how such a golden opportunity slipped through their fingers.

"It seems like every year is the same thing. We get down to the nitty gritty and we just can't turn it over and get over that line to make it to the playoffs," Sky point guard Dominique Canty said. "How did this happen? I don't know, I'm speechless. I can't put my finger on it at all."

The Shock, the defending WNBA champion, showed its championship grit immediately after the halftime break.

Even with one of its best players, guard Katie Smith, sitting in street clothes on the bench with a back injury, Detroit methodically got back into the game with some hot 3-point shooting by Deanna Nolan. The Shock also controlled the boards and got plenty of second-chance opportunities.

Before the Sky knew it, its lead had disappeared.

The Shock tied the game on a layup by Shavonte Zellous (team-high 20 points) with 2:19 left in the third.

"To blow a 19-point lead -that's kind of been our m.o. all season, which isn't good," Dupree said. "It's mental toughness. At some point, you've got to have the will to want to get over that hump, you've got to have heart. You've got to want to do it. I know myself, I wanted to win."

Dupree didn't get much help. Canty was the only other player to reach double figures for the Sky. She had 10 points.

Guard Jia Perkins, who was averaging 13.5 points per game, was held to 4 points.

"It's just tough," Perkins said. "We have come a long way (in four years), but we still haven't gotten over the hump. We still haven't accomplished what we want to and that's to be a playoff team. It's just heartbreaking."