Smith Leads Charlotte to Game 1 Win
Charlotte Smith sat shivering in a cold whirlpool, aching from too many ailments to count, yet still able to savor the biggest game of her pro career.
Smith scored all 10 of her points in a six-minute stretch of the second half Thursday night, lifting the surging Charlotte Sting to a 53-46 victory over the Cleveland Rockers at Charlotte, N.C., in the first game of the WNBA’s best-of-three Eastern Conference semifinals.
“This was so huge, just a tremendous confidence booster for us and it took the wind right out of Cleveland’s sails,” she said, grimacing as she shifted her weight away from her strained hamstring and onto a sprained ankle.
Portland Fire guard Jackie Stiles was chosen the WNBA rookie of the year.
Stiles, who averaged 14.9 points, received 32 of 60 possible votes from sportswriters and sportscasters.
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
