SACRAMENTO ? The WNBA finals have been unpredictable at almost every turn, so there’s probably no point in prognostication about the decisive fifth game in Detroit on Saturday.

That didn’t stop Monarchs center Yolanda Griffith from making a brash prediction moments after the Detroit Shock forced that finale with a stunning 72-52 victory in Sacramento on Wednesday night.

“We’re still going to get that championship!” she yelled from center court – mostly into the backs of disappointed, departing fans who had just watched the Shock dominate the defending champions.

In truth, nobody knows which club will show up with the proper mental attitude Saturday.

After back-to-back 20-point blowout wins for both clubs in the last two games in Sacramento, the difference in this series clearly resides in the players’ heads, not on the court.

“Effort has determined all four games,” Sacramento’s Kara Lawson said. “That’s the only factor, in my eyes.

“They wanted (Game 4) a little bit more, apparently. We have to get that desire back.”

Despite wide differences in nearly every aspect of their roster makeups and strategic approaches, these clubs have been evenly matched. Sacramento’s depth and defensive determination provided superior results for most of the first three games, but Detroit’s five solid starters and strong mental game surfaced when the Shock faced elimination.

Sacramento's yolanda griffith (33) battles Detroit's Cheryl Ford under the basket during the second half of Game 4 of the WNBA Finals. The two teams will play the fifth and final game of the championship series on Saturday.

Shock coach Bill Laimbeer lambasted his players’ attitudes after Game 3, and his words must have played some role in their inspired performance three days later.

Laimbeer convinced his players everyone wanted them to lose, and they responded with all the intensity they lacked earlier in the series.

“There was nothing magical that the coaching staff did,” Laimbeer said.

“The finals are about a test of wills, and who wants it more. No question about it, we came in with a chip on our shoulder to prove who we are.”

Now Sacramento coach John Whisenant must find a motivational groove that will shake up his roster.

“Maybe we subconsciously wanted to go back to Detroit, I don’t know,” Whisenant said. “I don’t think so, at least in my case.”

The Shock took control of Game 4 when Cheryl Ford took a page from her father’s strategies, establishing low-post position that Karl Malone would envy from the first possession onward. With Sacramento’s post players exhausting themselves on defense, the Monarchs looked slow and tentative on offense.

“When we watched film, we knew that it was all about the post,” said Ford, who had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The WNBA season will end in an NHL arena: The Shock, forced from their suburban Palace by a Mariah Carey concert, will entertain Sacramento at Joe Louis Arena in downtown Detroit. The baskets and court must be installed.

Both clubs will get one more day of workouts and adjustments before Saturday, when the Shock hope their fans will make the trek into downtown to see a champion’s crowning.

“We’re not on our home court, but we’re still on our home court,” Detroit’s Deanna Nolan said.