Section B · Page 18
The University Daily Kansan
Monday, August 21, 2000
jayhawkheaven.com
STU'S MIDTOWN TAVERN
WNBA
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augusta/1082
Comets advance to WNBA finals
Houston rolls past LA, seeks fourth-straight title
The Associated Press
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Being the WNBA's best team in the regular season, including three victories against Houston, didn't get the Los Angeles Sparks where they wanted to go.
Instead, the Comets advanced to their fourth-consecutive WNBA finals yesterday with a 74-69 victory against the Sparks, whose 28-4 regular-season record led the league.
"We stepped it up a level, and we were able to beat a very good team on their home court," said Comets' guard Cynthia Cooper, who scored 29 points. "It was a tough game. We were felt we were underdogs."
cer, Cooper rallied the Comets to a 2-0 series victory after winning Game 1 by 21 points in Houston.
That's a role the Comets have rarely played during their four years in the WNBA. They've won three league championships and will go for a fourth beginning Thursday against either the New York Liberty or Cleveland Rockers, whose Eastern Conference finals series is tied 1-1. Game 3 is tonight.
"Hopefully, they'll beat up on each other," said Houston's Sheryl Swoopes, who was held to eight points after being sick before the game. Playing one year and one day after her teammate and close friend Kim Perrot died of can-
"This was a huge win for us," Swoopes said. "I don't think we thought about what happened in the regular season. We felt we could beat them in the playoffs."
Swoopes began vomiting after arriving at the Forum, then got dizzy and had a headache.
"There was never a question I wasn't going to be out there." she said.
Janeth Arcain added 18 points for the Comets, including their final five. Her running
"Arcain is a star in Brazil and comes here and plays any
role she has to." Cooper said.
Mwadi Mabika led the Sparks with 19 points, and Kansas alum Tamecka Dixon added 17. Lisa Leslie had 12 points and 14 rebounds.
"I loved our effort," said Sparks coach Michael Cooper, who was honored as WNBA coach of the year before the game. "There were some things that we could have done, some
shots that didn't go in that normally fall, but that's the way it goes."
In their deathly quiet locker room, several Sparks players covered their heads with their hands. Houston coach Van Chancellor dropped in and silently shook hands with the Sparks.
and made shots they normally don't make."
"We feel like we did a great job this year and we just really lost to a very good team," Leslie said. "We followed what we needed to for Sheryl and Cynthia to distribute the ball to other players, and the other players played well. They took shots they normally don't take
"Their fans showed up and tried to make a difference and almost did." Chancellor said. "This is a great win for us, especially after they won all three games. That's the happiest I've seen them in the locker room. I don't know if they were that happy after we won the championship."
Edited by Erin Adamson
Liberty defeat Rockers to prolong series
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — The New York Liberty's 19-0 first-half run forced another game, but the Cleveland Rockers' strong second half gave them hope for tonight's finale.
"It was two entirely different games in the first and second halves," Liberty coach Richie Adubato said yesterday after his team held on for a 51-45 victory that evened the best-of-three WNBA playoff series 1-1. "I feel confident about tomorrow ... but I'm concerned with the way we let down in the second half."
"We came out very intense and very aggressive, controlled the backboards and were able to get out and get some easy baskets," Adubato said of the
Tamika Whitmore had the first two baskets and the last two during New York's 10-minute run that turned a 7-5 deficit into a 24-7 lead for the Liberty, who
first half.
"They outre-bounded us by 10 in the second half and had eight offensive rebounds, so we weren't
able to run, and consequently we only scored 15 points in the second half."
The Liberty, who have won 12 straight at Madison Square Garden, play host for the Eastern Conference series for tonight's finale. The winner
advances to the WNBA Finals against Houston, which has twice defeated New York in the final round.
Becky Hammon led the Liberty with 13 points, Taril Phillips scored 12 and Whitmore finished with 10. Merlakia Jones led Cleveland with 18 points, and Chasity Melvin had 10.
Jones led the Rockers' second half turnaround, scoring 14 points on six of 11 shooting.
"I think we have a great chance tomorrow night (tonight)," she said. "I don't think our first half was anything they did to us, and we showed that in the second half."
The Rockers, trailing by 19 at halftime, started the second half with an 8-2 spurt to make it 37-25, and a 6-0 run closed them to
45:36 with 6:47 left.
But Hammon responded with a jumper and a steal that led to a Vickie Johnson layup, giving New York a 49-36 advantage with 5:51 remaining.
A three-pointer by Jones closed the Rockers to 51-43 with 1:53 left, but they missed three three-pointers down the stretch and managed just one more basket with 8.7 seconds to go.
The Liberty, who led 36-17 at naftime, outrebounded Cleveland 16-14 in the first half, but the Rockers had a 20-10 rebounding margin in the second half.
"It was more our offense than their defense that caused it," said Rockers coach Dan Hughes. "We needed a more assertive attitude. We were a little anxious, playing a little too fast."
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