Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals was an unforgettable thriller. Tons of ties, tons of lead changes. Houston took a 4-0 lead at the outset, but after that, the game was within three points for the remainder of regulation.

And with Sacto down three points with four seconds left, Nicole Powell hit the greatest shot of the year, swishing a turn-around, fade-away three-pointer from about 27 feet.

"That was too close for comfort," Powell said. "That was most definitely the biggest shot for me as a professional basketball player."

"There's nothing like throwing it in the basket," coach John Whisenant said. "I mean, that's why she's our hired gun."

"It never should have come to that," Michelle Snow said. "We should have fouled her the second she touched the ball. We never should have put her in position." Fans agree.

Van aggravated the mistake by calling a play to draw a foul on the last possession. "I should never have called a play for someone to take it to the basket to draw a foul," he said. "You'd have 100,000 games in this league, and that whistle ain't never going to be blown. I'm not saying whether it should be. You ain't going to get it."

Houston's hot shooting had offset its turnovers during regulation, but in OT, it went 2 for 7 and lost the game.