AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - The Detroit Shock came up with a way to distract some attention away from their skirmish earlier this week.

The Shock signed 50-year-old Nancy Lieberman, a Hall of Famer and one of their former coaches, to a seven-day contract Thursday. She became the oldest player in WNBA history at 39 while playing for the Phoenix Mercury in 1997, the league's inaugural season.

Shock coach Bill Laimbeer says Lieberman, an ESPN analyst, was impressive during drills during last year's WNBA all-star game.

A spot opened up for Lieberman when standout forward Cheryl Ford suffered a season-ending knee injury Tuesday night when the Shock, assistant coach Rick Mahorn and the Los Angeles Sparks were involved in a skirmish.

Lieberman will be active for Thursday night's game in Houston.