AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Detroit Shock coach Bill Laimbeer

decided to finally to make the move.

With his team trailing at halftime against the New York Liberty,

the former NBA All-Star decided to go with his WNBA All-Star lineup

-- newly acquired Katie Smith joining Swin Cash, Ruth Riley, Deanna

Nolan and Cheryl Ford.

The Shock opened the second half with a 19-4 run and went onto a

72-67 victory, their third in four meetings this season with New

York.

The players who started the second half for the Shock all played

in this year's All-Star game. Smith, Cash and Riley were on the

U.S. team that won the gold medal at last year's Olympics.

Smith, who was acquired in a trade with Minnesota on July 30,

could change the starting lineup.

"Katie gave us a lift -- I would definitely agree with that,"

Laimbeer said. "We've been bringing her off the bench, but I think

she's a starter. I suspect we'll make a change in the next game."

Smith, who scored seven of her 11 points in the run to open the

second half, is enjoying the new surroundings.

"This has been great for me," said Smith, who had played her

entire seven-year WNBA career with Minnesota. "That's a great

group to be on the floor with -- there's just so much talent and so

many options."

The addition of Smith didn't go unnoticed in the other locker

room.

"They are a lot more dangerous now," New York's Becky Hammon

said. "She's exactly what they needed."

Detroit lost by one at Houston and in double overtime at

Charlotte in its last two games. The Shock (11-14) moved within 1½

games of the Liberty (13-13) for the final Eastern Conference

playoff spot.

"This was huge," Laimbeer said. "If we lose this game, we're

probably toast. We can't get the Charlotte game back, so we needed

this one."

New York coach Pat Coyle said she likes her team's chances.

"We understand the race we are in," she said. "We just have

to get a win in our next game."

Nolan led the Shock with 20 points, while Cash, who has

struggled badly since returning earlier this season from a torn

right ACL, had season highs with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

"That's the best Cash has played," Coyle said. "She's

probably starting to get her legs under her."

Hammon led New York with 18 points, while Ann Wauters had 12

points and 11 rebounds.

"We were just trading off baskets," Hammon said. "We needed

to get some stops."

New York shot 56 percent from the field and held three of

Detroit's starters scoreless in taking a 35-31 halftime lead.

The Shock led 57-49, but four 3-pointers by the Liberty, three

by Hammon, narrowed the gap to 65-64 with 1:30 to go.

Nolan's jumper with 45 seconds to go made it 69-66.

Hammon and Nolan exchanged free throws to keep the lead at

three. Hammon missed an underhanded shot, and Ford, who missed two

free throws at the end of regulation in Charlotte, clinched the

game by making two.

"I cost us the game down there, but I knew I couldn't shoot

that bad again," Ford said. "I just tried to forget about it and

make these shots."