Liberty Uses a Bomb to Sink Comets, 68-67

How close was a Houston Comets’ WNBA three-peat?

* Workers manning confetti cannons had their fingers on the triggers.

* The giant cereal box in the pressroom with the Comets’ team picture on it was unveiled, ready for inspection.

* At halftime, pressroom phones were all in use--by people booking flights home.

No way New York wins this one, everyone figured.

Everyone but Teresa Weatherspoon.

She quieted the cannons, someone tossed a tarp over the cereal box and airline reservations had to be changed.

Weatherspoon banked in a 50-foot moonshot at the buzzer that stunned Houston, 68-67, before a capacity crowd of 16,285 at Compaq Center.

It tied the WNBA’s championship series at one game apiece and set up the deciding game for today.

All because of one play, which easily stands as the most dramatic of the WNBA’s three seasons. And it was a play New York nearly fouled up before it began.

Houston had a 37-23 halftime lead, but faltered in the second half as New York rallied. Tina Thompson made a baseline jumper with 2.4 seconds to play to give the Comets a 67-65 lead.

Then, Liberty players headed toward their basket. No one was available to in-bound the ball until Weatherspoon, screaming for help, finally induced Kym Hampton to race back to the baseline and in-bound.

Weatherspoon got the ball, broke right, dribbled past the Houston bench and dodged Thompson as she swiped at the ball. Weatherspoon then went into her layup stride and let the ball fly--from behind the line at mid-court.

“It felt pretty good, all the way,” she said afterward.

Said Crystal Robinson, who scored 21 points: “I raced downcourt as fast as I could go. When I looked back at [the shot], I thought: ‘That’s got a good arc, the distance looks right’ . . . and she hit the middle of the square on the glass.”

For a split second, players on the Liberty’s bench were as stunned as everyone else. Then the subs began their victory charge, engulfing their shooter.

So the Liberty coach, Richie Adubato, in 24 hours went from the WNBA doghouse to the catbird seat. He had been fined $1,500 for a silly postgame tirade against the officials who worked New York’s 73-60 victory Thursday at Madison Square Garden.

When he said afterward that his players actually practice half-court shots every day, some thought he was kidding.

“At the end of every practice, [Weatherspoon], [Becky] Hammon and others stay late and take those half-court runners,” he said, adding that he was due.

“In my coaching career, I was 0 for six on shots like that. This was the first time I ever won one.”

New York, trailing 17-2, in the first half, took command from the first play after halftime. Robinson, fouled while attempting a three-pointer, made all three free throws. Then Weatherspoon made a three-pointer and New York’s bench erupted for the first time.

Robinson then made 13 consecutive points, including three three-pointers, and Houston’s lead was cut to 43-42.

With 1:25 to play, Hampton gave New York a 63-62 lead but she then fouled Sheryl Swoopes, who made both free throws.

Thompson added a free throw to make the score 65-63, but Robinson tied it, 65-65 with an 18-footer with 15 seconds left.

WNBA Finals

HOUSTON vs. NEW YORK

Best-of-three series tied, 1-1

* Game 1: Houston 73, New York 60

* Game 2: New York 68, Houston 67

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