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Thursday, Jul. 6 8:30pm ET
Comets ignore commotion, clobber Seattle | |||||
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HOUSTON (Ticker) -- The Houston Comets admit they have been distracted this week, but not enough to lose to the expansion Seattle Storm. Cynthia Cooper's retirement announcement and subsequent griping could not sidetrack the Comets, who continued their home dominance with an 80-50 rout of the Storm on Thursday. The 37-year-old Cooper, the WNBA's biggest star who has led the Comets to three championships in as many years, said earlier this week that she would retire after this season. As her offensive role has diminished, she maintained she should be paid more by the league. If the Comets were affected, they certainly did not show it. Tina Thompson scored 23 points and fueled surges at the outset of both the first and second halves. "This win came at a great time for this team, especially considering everything that's been going on this week," said Sheryl Swoopes, who scored 17 points and has supplanted Cooper as the team's leading scorer. "We just came out tonight and tried to put all of that behind us." "There may have been some things going on this week but that hasn't worn me down," Comets coach Van Chancellor said. "If we keep practicing like we have been and keep winning ballgames by 30 points, then nothing can wear me down." Cooper scored 13 points and did not speak with reporters after the game. Thompson scored four points in a 10-0 burst that began the game. She scored six more in a 12-2 run that opened the second half and gave Houston a 49-23 lead with 17:31 remaining. "Tonight they gave me a lot of open looks," said Thompson, who made 10-of-14 shots. "Our chemistry is getting better with every game. Everyone is getting a feel for one another on the court and we're getting more comfortable positions for better shots." The Comets led by as many as 32 points as they cruised to their eighth straight home win. They have won 20 of their last 21 games at the Compaq Center. Houston (16-2) is 9-1 at home this season and held onto first place in the Western Conference, one-half game ahead of the Los Angeles Sparks. The game practically was a carbon copy of Houston's 77-47 win at Seattle on June 1, in which the Comets bolted to a 16-point lead in the first 10 minutes. "There was a major headline today that said that we lack intensity and I think we needed to come out tonight and prove that we have that killer instinct to put teams away," Swoopes said. "Perhaps in the past we didn't capitalize on leads but tonight we gave a good solid effort from beginning to end." Rookie Charisse Sampson scored 12 points for the Storm, who fell to 1-1 on their six-game road trip and lost for the ninth time in 10 games. Seattle shot just 35 percent (20-of-57). "Tonight was definitely a tough loss," Seattle coach Lin Dunn said. "I think we all wanted to come in and prove that we could play with a championship-caliber team." Seattle's Sonja Henning scored six points after receiving her 1999 championship ring from Chancellor prior to the game. Henning was the starting point guard for the Comets last season and was chosen by the Storm in the expansion draft. "The box score doesn't really say how much this team wanted this win for her," Dunn said. | ALSO SEE WNBA Scoreboard RECAPS Orlando 72 Indiana 60
Houston 80
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