The one question everyone wondered before the WNBA Finals tipped off was if Detroit's lack of playoff experience would hurt the Shock in the championship series.

COMPLETE FINALS COVERAGE

To check out ESPN.com's complete WNBA Finals coverage, check out the links below: Game 1: L.A. 75, Detroit 63 L.A. took advantage of Detroit's shooting woes to build the second-largest halftime lead in finals history and take a 1-0 lead in the series. Lieberman: Nothing but nerves Detroit's nerves, and some great defense from Mwadi Mabika, led to an L.A. rout in Game 1 of the finals. Voepel: Don't underestimate Dixon Guard Tamecka Dixon is a critical, if sometimes overlooked, cog who has been essential to two championships for Los Angeles. Lieberman: Finals preview Detroit is athletic and talented enough to threaten L.A.'s quest for a threepeat. Voepel: Deflecting the spotlight Bill Laimbeer and Michael Cooper are stealing the headlines. But they know this series really belongs to the players. Kreidler: An unlikely reunion What would have been the odds 14 years ago that Bill Laimbeer and Michael Cooper would square off again as coaches of WNBA teams? Cash vs. Leslie MVP candidates Swin Cash of Detroit and L.A.'s Lisa Leslie go head-to-head to lead their teams into the finals. The hard road If L.A. is to win its third straight WNBA title, the Sparks will have to do something they haven't done so far this season in the playoffs: win on the road. Are Sparks the underdogs? The two-time defending champions say they're not getting the R-E-S-P-E-C-T they deserve as Game 1 nears.

We already knew the Shock were the league's highest scoring team. We knew they were the league's best rebounders. And we knew they had the talent to win a WNBA title.

But we didn't know Detroit would come out nervous. And in Friday's 75-63 loss, that was the difference. The Shock were tight from the tipoff, sinking just 19 percent (7-for-37) of their shots in the first half and finishing 29 percent (20-for-70) from the field for the game. Detroit even seemed nervous in the pre-game shootaround, where Shock star Swin Cash couldn't hit a shot.

Detroit, in fact, couldn't even hit its layups on Friday, and that hurts because the Shock depend heavily on their fast-break points. Turnovers -- Detroit's Achilles' heel all season -- also limited those opportunities as Detroit gave up the ball 12 times in the first half.

With the exception of Deanna Nolan, who had a solid performance despite suffering a back injury less than a week ago, none of Detroit's starters played like stars on Friday. The Sparks, however, rose to the occasion. Lisa Leslie and DeLisha Milton were marvelous and Mwadi Mabika did a great job defensively on Detroit's Swin Cash, limiting the MVP candidate to 5-for-15 shooting from the field.

Los Angeles deserves a lot of credit for the win. I wasn't sure anyone could play Detroit and make it a half-court game, but L.A. did just that. The Sparks rebounded and hit their shots and took control early with an 11-0 run. After that, L.A.'s confidence just kept growing and before long, L.A.'s lead was just too much to overcome for Detroit.

Mabika never allowed Cash to outrun her down the floor. Mabika went to the boards with Cash and contested everyone of the Shock All-Star's shots. Mabika did a great job of moving her feet and staying in front of Cash, refusing to be taken off the dribble. And although Cash finished with a team-high 16 points, that's almost 2½ below her playoff average. And they had to be the quietest 16 points I've seen.

While L.A. played fantastic defense, the Sparks' frontline totally outplayed their Detroit counterparts. Leslie, Milton and Mabika combined for 51 points and 26 rebounds, while Cash, Ruth Riley and Cheryl Ford tallied 33 points and 25 boards between them.

In Game 2, Detroit must hit its shot and simply take better care of the ball -- and lose the nerves. The Shock were fumbling passes all night Friday, and never seemed to really get into a rhythm with their passing or shooting. Detroit must eliminate its miscues. L.A. scored 20 points in the first half -- keep in mind that's only one less point than Detroit had in the entire half -- off 12 Shock turnovers alone.

On Friday, the Sparks once again showed us why they're the two-time defending champions, and proved their starting five is the best in the league.

Nancy Lieberman, an ESPN analyst and Hall of Famer, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com's women's basketball coverage. Contact her at www.nancylieberman.com.