Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were an American basketball franchise of the Women's National Basketball Association in Houston, Texas. They played from 1997 to 2008 in the WNBA. The team colors were red and blue.
In their last season in the WNBA, the Comets wore their home games in the Reliant Arena and were one of eight teams that participated in the inaugural season of the WNBA. The Comets were able to win the championship, which made her one of the most successful teams in the history of the WNBA in the first four seasons every time.
- 2.1 Sporting achievements
- 2.2 WNBA Trophies and Awards
- 5.1 squads in the last season 2008
- 5.2 Locked jersey numbers
- 5.3 Known former players
- 6.1 Notes and references
History
Four championships in four seasons (1997-2001)
The Houston Comets were one of eight teams that participated in the inaugural season of the WNBA. In the first season, 1997, the Comets were able to finish the regular season with 18 wins in 28 games as the best team in the league. This strong performance continued the Comets continued in the playoffs, where they could win their first WNBA Championship finally in the finals against the New York Liberty, which they also made the first champion in the history of the WNBA. But not only the champion title went to Houston and most of the awards. Cynthia Cooper was elected Finals MVP and the MVP of the season. Furthermore, Van Chancellor was appointed Coach of the Year. In the 1998 season, the WNBA took on two new teams, as both teams were placed in the Eastern Conference, had to be moved from the East to the Western Conference a team. Since the Comets was the closest team to the Western Conference, were the Comets this season from a part of the Western Conference. The Comets were inspired by this change does not affect and were able to win in the regular season 27 of 30 games. Thus, they won 90 % of their games, a mark at the far could beat any other team. The Comets managed as in the previous season again made it into the finals, where they faced the Phoenix Mercury this time. While a single game in the playoffs decided in the 1997 season on retirement and advancement, was played this season in the playoffs for the first time according to the best - of-three system. After the Mercury won the first game in Phoenix, the Comets won the remaining two home games and thus were able to win the WNBA championship one more time. Cooper was awarded again this season with the Finals MVP and the MVP of the season. Even Chancellor was elected already the second time Coach of the Year. As of the 1999 season, the Comets were known as the Big Three aka Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson. This season, things did not change much from the previous. The Comets finished the regular season again as the best team and even if they always had to go the full distance of games in the playoffs, winning the third title in a row was never in danger. The Comets dedicated this championship Kim Perrot, who died this year of complications from lung cancer. As in the two seasons before Cooper was named Finals MVP and Coach of the Chancellor Yeahr. In honor of Perrot Award was renamed the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award in the 2000 season of Sportsmanship. This season, the Comets for the first time could not finish as the best team in the league regular season. The Los Angeles Sparks could with 28 victories to win a game more than the Comets. But in the playoffs, the Sparks could not even face the Comets in the way that could decide every game for themselves and thus won their fourth title in a row. Also at the end of this season were some awards to players from the Comets. Cooper were awarded the Finals MVP award in a row for the fourth time and Swoopes was elected MVP of the season and for the Defensive Player of the Year. After winning the fourth championship Cooper announced her retirement from professional sports.
Time after Cooper and resolution (2002-2008)
Without Cooper, the Comets were unable to defend her title in the 2001 season and retired early as the Western Conference Semifinals of. In the 2002 season, the dream of a fifth title was already past the Western Conference Semifinals to end what was also, above all, the fact that Swoopes had to stop due to an injury most of the year. In the 2003 season, the Comets eliminated, as in the two previous season in the Western Conference Semifinals of. In the 2004 season, the Comets hit a new Tiefpunktverpassten, as they in their history missed the playoffs for the first time. In the 2005 season, they managed to jump back into the playoffs, where they defeated the reigning champion Seattle Storm in the Western Conference Semifinals, but the Comets had the eventual champions in the Western Conference Finals give clearly beaten in two games the Sacramento Monarchs. After the Comets were eliminated in the 2006 season back in the playoffs against the Monarchs, the previous owner Leslie Alexander sold the franchise to Hilton Koch. In January 2007, Chancellor resigned as head coach of the Comets. Karleen Thompson was then appointed as the new head coach and general manager of the Comets. On 12 December, Koch announced that the Comets will not play during the 2008 season at the Toyota Center but in the Reliant Arena. In the regular season, the Comets could just win half of their games, but barely enough not to reach the playoffs this result. On 2 December 2008 WNBA President Donna Orender announced the that the past season was the last of the Comets in the WNBA. Although some investors were keen to take over the franchise decision was made to dissolve the club, since a change of ownership would have been 2009 not completed in time for the start of the season. On 8 December 2008, a dispersal draft was held for the players of the Comets.
Achievements and honors
Sporting successes
The Comets were in the 1997 season, 1998, 1999 and 2000, winning the WNBA championship, so that they are next to the Detroit Shock, the most successful team in the history of the WNBA.
WNBA Trophies and Awards
WNBA Most Valuable Player Award
WNBA Finals MVP Award
WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award
Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award
WNBA Peak Performers
Team Statistics
Note: GP = Games, W = Wins, L = Losses
Coach
The Comets had only two head coaches in the eleven seasons in the WNBA. The greatest successes celebrated the Comets under Van Chancellor with the Comets won four times in a row the championship. Chancellor was elected WNBA Coach of the Year in 1997, 1998 and 1999. When the Comets were sold to Hilton Koch, Chancellor stepped down as head coach. His post took Karleen Thompson was previously assistant coach of the Comets. Thompson could reach the playoffs in the two seasons as head coach with the Comets never.
Players
Squad last season in 2008
As of July 15, 2008
Locked jersey numbers
The jersey numbers following players were locked out of the Comets:
Well-known former players
- Kim Perrot
- Cynthia Cooper
- Sheryl Swoopes