Starzz

Cynthia Cooper scored 24 points as the defending WNBA champion Comets sent top pick Chamique Holdsclaw and the Washington Mystics to their second consecutive defeat, 88-63, before 16,285 at Houston on Saturday. The Comets, who have won the title in each of the WNBA's two seasons, received their championship trophy and rings in a pregame ceremony and circled the court receiving well wishes from the fans and high-fives from the Mystics.

The Sparks are back, and they're waiting for company. The defending champions returned to the WNBA Finals on Saturday by sprinting past Utah, 103-77, at Staples Center to clinch the Western Conference title with a two-game sweep. Amid the giddiness of an afternoon when the Sparks set a WNBA playoff record with 103 points and led by as many as 30, the question on some people's minds was this: Will it even matter whether it's Washington or New York that wins the Eastern Conference title today?

Natalie Williams had 25 points and 12 rebounds Thursday night to lead the Utah Starzz to a 73-59 victory over the Charlotte Sting at Charlotte, N.C., spoiling Sting guard Andrea Stinson's entry into the scoring elite. Stinson became only the fourth player in WNBA history to score 2,000 points, joining Cynthia Cooper, Lisa Leslie and Jennifer Gillom. Cleveland 58, Seattle 36--Chasity Melvin had 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Rocker rout at Seattle.

Lisa Leslie was scoreless in the second half and finished with 12 points. Mwadi Mabika, recovering from a sprained left ankle, made only three of 11 shots. The Sparks shot 35.3% from the floor and 63.6% from the free-throw line. None of it did the Utah Starzz any good. It seems no matter how bad the Sparks are at the beginning of the game or how ragged they are at the end, they are able to beat Utah, just as they did Thursday with a 75-67 win before 14,823 at the Delta Center.

Adrienne Goodson scored 20 points, including the go-ahead basket in overtime, as the Utah Starzz beat the Minnesota Lynx, 79-75, Saturday night at Minneapolis. The Lynx, with WNBA All-Star Katie Smith sidelined because of an injured right index finger, had chances to tie or take the lead after Goodson's layup with 44.3 seconds left. But Svetlana Abrosimova and Betty Lennox missed three-point shots, and Michele Van Gorp--whose two free throws with 14.

The Utah Starzz, who led the Houston Comets by as many as 17 points early in the second half, hung on for a 66-59 victory Friday at Salt Lake City in the opener of the best-of-three Western Conference semifinal series. The Comets pulled within 61-59 on two free throws by Sheryl Swoopes with just under three minutes remaining and had a couple of chances to tie, but Swoopes committed a turnover and rookie Michelle Snow missed a layup.

Tari Phillips scored 22 points and Crystal Robinson had 17 as the New York Liberty rallied from an 11-point deficit to defeat Utah, 71-68, in front of 6,123 on Tuesday at Salt Lake City. Teresa Weatherspoon put the Liberty (6-2) ahead for good at 69-68 with an uncontested layup with 20.9 seconds remaining. Adrienne Goodson, who scored 18 points for the Starzz (4-3), was called for an offensive foul on the next possession, and Robinson and Vickie Johnson each made a free throw in the last 9.

Margo Dydek scored 19 points, including two free throws with 11.4 seconds left, and Adrienne Goodson had 17 points and eight rebounds as the Utah Starzz beat the Sacramento Monarchs, 81-79, on Monday night. The regular season-ending victory gave the Starzz a franchise-record 20 victories, one better than the record established in the team's first WNBA playoff trip last season. Yolanda Griffith led Sacramento (13-18) with 22 points and 13 rebounds.

Frank Layden, a former NBA coach of the year with the Utah Jazz, wasted no time making an impact Monday as the new coach of the Utah Starzz, the Jazz's WNBA counterpart. After being named to replace Denise Taylor earlier in the day, Layden coached the Starzz (7-13) to a 90-80 victory over the Phoenix Mercury before a raucous crowd of 8,624 that gave him a standing ovation during pregame introductions.

Marie Ferdinand scored 16 points to lead the Utah Starzz to a 76-67 victory Tuesday night over the Houston Comets before 12,177 at Houston. Natalie Williams scored 15 points, and Adrienne Goodson added 13 for the Starzz, who have won five of eight. Utah is tied with Portland for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Starzz (10-11) won for the first time in Houston and defeated the Comets for only the second time in the series, dating to 1997.

The Utah Starzz, who led the Houston Comets by as many as 17 points early in the second half, hung on for a 66-59 victory Friday at Salt Lake City in the opener of the best-of-three Western Conference semifinal series. The Comets pulled within 61-59 on two free throws by Sheryl Swoopes with just under three minutes remaining and had a couple of chances to tie, but Swoopes committed a turnover and rookie Michelle Snow missed a layup.

Margo Dydek scored 19 points, including two free throws with 11.4 seconds left, and Adrienne Goodson had 17 points and eight rebounds as the Utah Starzz beat the Sacramento Monarchs, 81-79, on Monday night. The regular season-ending victory gave the Starzz a franchise-record 20 victories, one better than the record established in the team's first WNBA playoff trip last season. Yolanda Griffith led Sacramento (13-18) with 22 points and 13 rebounds.

After being left for dead Thursday by Houston, the Sparks discovered they still have a pulse. Los Angeles huffed and puffed and chased after the Utah Starzz for nearly two hours Friday. But they made their last stand on defense their best, holding the Starzz scoreless for the final 3:20 to pull off an 85-77 victory before 12,578 at the Delta Center.

Tari Phillips scored 22 points and Crystal Robinson had 17 as the New York Liberty rallied from an 11-point deficit to defeat Utah, 71-68, in front of 6,123 on Tuesday at Salt Lake City. Teresa Weatherspoon put the Liberty (6-2) ahead for good at 69-68 with an uncontested layup with 20.9 seconds remaining. Adrienne Goodson, who scored 18 points for the Starzz (4-3), was called for an offensive foul on the next possession, and Robinson and Vickie Johnson each made a free throw in the last 9.

Adrienne Goodson scored 20 points, including the go-ahead basket in overtime, as the Utah Starzz beat the Minnesota Lynx, 79-75, Saturday night at Minneapolis. The Lynx, with WNBA All-Star Katie Smith sidelined because of an injured right index finger, had chances to tie or take the lead after Goodson's layup with 44.3 seconds left. But Svetlana Abrosimova and Betty Lennox missed three-point shots, and Michele Van Gorp--whose two free throws with 14.

Marie Ferdinand scored 16 points to lead the Utah Starzz to a 76-67 victory Tuesday night over the Houston Comets before 12,177 at Houston. Natalie Williams scored 15 points, and Adrienne Goodson added 13 for the Starzz, who have won five of eight. Utah is tied with Portland for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Starzz (10-11) won for the first time in Houston and defeated the Comets for only the second time in the series, dating to 1997.

The Sparks, who had nine players logging double-digit minutes, could not stop the Utah Starzz, a team that confined nearly all its time to six players Saturday night at the Delta Center. But did it mean anything? Before the game, the Sparks had secured home-court advantage in their playoff game against Sacramento and already assured themselves of the franchise's best record in its three-year WNBA history. So this L.A.

The Super Starzz AAU girls' basketball team is holding tryouts for fifth-, sixth- and seventh-graders. Information: Joy Ming (818) 366-8817 or Dave Inemer (661) 250-4050. * The Conejo Recreation and Park District is conducting a Southern California Municipal Athletic Federation basketball officials' certification course. The course sessions will be 6-8 p.m. Nov. 14, 6-8 p.m. Nov. 28, 6-9 p.m. Nov. 29 and a preseason on-court session to be determined.

Spark Coach Michael Cooper likes to say one of the reasons the team acquired Latasha Byears and Rhonda Mapp was to give it the size and strength to battle the bigger players in the WNBA. Tuesday's game, an 84-71 victory over the Utah Starzz before 7,245 at Staples Center, was a textbook example. With 6-foot-2 Natalie Williams, 6-1 Kate Starbird and 7-2 Margo Dydek, Utah--at least on paper--has one of the league's more imposing frontcourts.

Natalie Williams had 25 points and 12 rebounds Thursday night to lead the Utah Starzz to a 73-59 victory over the Charlotte Sting at Charlotte, N.C., spoiling Sting guard Andrea Stinson's entry into the scoring elite. Stinson became only the fourth player in WNBA history to score 2,000 points, joining Cynthia Cooper, Lisa Leslie and Jennifer Gillom. Cleveland 58, Seattle 36--Chasity Melvin had 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Rocker rout at Seattle.