Comets Get Western Title by the Throat - WNBA: Houston stops Sparks to win Western title. Leslie takes out frustration on Thompson.
HOUSTON — The Sparks, having given no indication the night before or at an awful midday practice that they were capable of any such challenge, took the Houston Comets to the final minutes Monday before their season expired, 72-62, in final game of the Western Conference championship series before 12,673 at the Compaq Center.
Los Angeles thus goes home, its season terminated with a 20-12 regular-season mark--second best in the WNBA--and 2-2 in the playoffs after losing the decisive Game 3.
Houston, having won the Western title, advances to the WNBA's best-of-three championship series, beginning Thursday at Madison Square Garden against the New York Liberty.
In Houston, all is right with the world. The Comets are 44-7 at home in three seasons, 9-2 all-time in the postseason.
The Sparks, trying valiantly for their first win at Houston, led by as many as nine in the first half and as late as 8:30 to go, 55-54.
Then one player, 36-year-old Cynthia Cooper, took the game by the throat and spurred her team down the stretch.
The two-time most valuable player and three-time scoring champion had 23 points (the same as Sheryl Swoopes), 12 assists and seven rebounds, and even provided the fumble that ignited the Comet run that broke the Sparks' back.
It came with 4:24 remaining and the Comets ahead, 61-59.
Cooper bobbled the ball on a drive, and it bounced right to teammate Tammy Jackson, who scored. Janeth Arcain then scored on a soaring drive and Swoopes scored on a breakaway for 67-59 lead with 2:21 to go.
The game ended in an unseemly near-brawl by two old Morningside High and USC teammates, Lisa Leslie and Tina Thompson.
Going downcourt toward the Houston basket, Thompson appeared to be taunting Leslie in the final seconds. Leslie countered with a forearm to Thompson's throat, and Thompson began jerking her thumb upward, apparently signaling a Leslie ejection.
At that point, the Spark bench cleared and an infuriated Leslie had to be dragged off the court, and driven to the floor on the sideline. Both were ejected.
Afterward, the bickering continued.
Leslie: "I'm sorry I shoved her, I regret what I did. But we'd had no exchanges before that, it was very unsportsmanlike at that stage of the game to curse me."
Thompson: "She said that? That is a flat-out lie. I didn't curse her. She'd just elbowed me in the stomach, and I said: 'OK, Lisa, fine--go ahead. You guys are done.' "
- Cruise Ship Settlement to Fund Girls Athletics Oct 27, 1999
- Pam McGee Expected to Retire From WNBA May 20, 1999
- Sparks Get a Break After 80-62 Loss Aug 09, 1998
