Sacramento, Calif. – When Yolanda Griffith raised the WNBA championship trophy, she turned to look for only one person. Ticha Penicheiro had been by her side with the Sacramento Monarchs since many of their teammates were in high school. The power forward and her point guard finally came together to kick off a celebration that has been anticipated in Sacramento since the league’s founding season.
Griffith had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Penicheiro scored the final point as the Monarchs wrapped up their first title with a 62-59 victory over the Connecticut Sun in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals on Tuesday night.
The victory was cathartic for two stars on a team used to near-misses every season. After losing in the Western Conference finals in three of the past four years, coach John Whisenant revamped the roster around Griffith, a seven-year veteran with roots in the ABL, and Penicheiro, the WNBA’s career assists leader with eight seasons in Sacramento.
“We’ve been waiting a long time, a long time,” said Penicheiro, who had six assists and made a free throw with 9.9 seconds left. “I always knew it would get here, always. We finally got in a situation where everything came together. This was a special team from the start.”
The veterans taught a defense-first attitude that clinched the season’s final victory: The Sun frantically looked for an open 3-pointer in the closing seconds, but the relentless Monarchs simply wouldn’t allow it. Nykesha Sales’ desperate heave didn’t make it to the basket, and Sacramento began celebrating.
“I wanted this so bad,” Griffith said. “This is the reason I came back. I was going to do whatever I had to do to help this team win. I was a coach for this team, on and off the court. I’m so proud, because I was the captain, and we all did something special.”
Griffith was the unanimous series MVP, averaging 18.5 points and 10 rebounds in the Finals.
