Comets Seem to Be Good as Gold Again

Nancy Lieberman-Cline, the Detroit Shock coach, may have gotten it right in a teleconference just before her team’s Aug. 24 playoff game against Charlotte.

When asked about the Houston Comets’ chances to win their third consecutive WNBA title, she said:

“You’re talking about a team with three of the best players in the world. You could send the Comets to Australia next year and they’d probably win the Olympic gold medal.”

Now there’s a novel thought. Why bother spending almost a year teaching a WNBA all-star team how to play together? Just send the Comets.

For sure, it looked as if Van Chancellor’s juggernaut was equal to the challenge of the WNBA finals Thursday in New York, where Cynthia Cooper led a second-half charge in a 73-60 victory over the Liberty.

Statistically, New York began the playoffs as the league’s second-best defensive unit, with probably the best perimeter defense. The Liberty had forced a league-high 17.4 turnovers a game.

Houston had 12.

The Liberty had limited opponents to a WNBA-low 27% from three-point range. Houston shot 44%, and Cooper was three for five.

All the pieces appear to be in alignment for a two-game sweep this afternoon at Compaq Center.

Can New York find anyone to stop Cooper?

In the Comets’ four playoff games, Cooper is averaging 21.5 points and has 34 assists, nine steals and only nine turnovers.

When Cooper wasn’t scoring against New York, she was passing to Sheryl Swoopes or Tina Thompson.

That trio is the core of a team most expect to win its third title today or Sunday.

Break up the Comets?

Unless some teams begin beating the Comets in the regular season and prevent them from having the home-court playoff advantage every year, that might be the only way to stop them.

This is a worrisome off-season for all the league’s coaches. The league grows from 12 to 16 teams next year, and coaches fret over how many players they can protect from the expansion draft.

Many worry it might be as few as four.

On the other hand, maybe this is a chance to break up the Comets, an opportunity to let the league start over again.

Let each team protect . . . one.

WNBA Notes

New York Coach Richie Adubato was fined $1,500 for his postgame tirade about the officiating in his team’s loss to Houston at New York.

WNBA Finals

HOUSTON vs. NEW YORK

Comets lead best-of-three series, 1-0

* Game 1: Houston 73, New York 60

* Game 2: 12:30 today at Houston, Ch. 4

* Game 3: 12:30 Sunday at Houston, Ch. 4*

* if necessary