general comets questions

[Rocket Fan]

first of all i've always been kind of a comets fans but not starting to be more of a wnba fan. the first year or two the play wasn't that great but last year and what i've seen this year has been pretty good basektball. i geuss the play was always good but it was an adjustment to go from watchign the more physical nba games to watchign wnba games.

what i was wondering :
1)when the wnba started how did the comets get cooper swooopes etc did they just sign those players and there was a draft for players coming out of college? was tina drafted by the comets the first year? how did they decide who got the first pick etc?

2) i hear that comet players won't be playing in the olympics this summer why not? also will the wnba season be stopped during olympics to allow players to play?

3) with the devastating loss of perrot last year do we have any real pg that can even come close to her numbers?
4) lastly does anyone know what date teh comets won their first championship on? also how were the playoffs done that year i read taht the wnba didn't put the comets in the western conference until 98 so how did they play the liberty in 97 when they were both in eastern conference or did they not go by conference then?
thanks

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Shane
"Save Our Rockets"
"Life without basketball in Houston........without an arena that is what it will be"

[This message has been edited by Rocket Fan (edited May 29, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Rocket Fan (edited May 29, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Rocket Fan (edited May 29, 2000).]

[CometsWin]

Lots of questions, I'll see what I can answer.

1.) When the WNBA was started every team was assigned two players and 3 teams (New York, LA, and Houston) were assigned "marquee" players who had local ties to their cities/states. Houston's player was Sheryl Swoopes. Swoopes became pregnant before the season and Carroll Dawson I believe was allowed to select their second player who turned out to be Cynthia Cooper. At the time most people didn't know what kind of player she was even though she'd won like 8 scoring titles in Europe. There was a draft for players coming out of college however it was a very weak because a rival league (ABL) had signed most of the top college talent to very high salaries (100-250K/year) and their league started the previous fall to the WNBA's first season. Basically, the first WNBA draft was pretty weak talent wise. Tina was drafted by the Comets and I believe Houston either won a coin toss or was flat out given the #1 pick because of the Swoopes situation. At the time Tina Thompson wasn't really the consensus #1 pick as most people thought some older players like either Lynette Woodard (first female to play for the Globetrotters) or one of the USC Mcghee twins would be the first pick.

2.) It's yet to be determined if any Comets will play in the Olympics as there is still one spot open. Unlike the men's team, the women's national team tours all over the world prior to the Olympics to get ready. Both Swoopes and Cooper had tough times personally last year with Swoopes' divorce also being a single mom, and Coop's mom and best friend passing away, they both decided they wanted the time off instead of travelling and keeping up that grueling schedule. There is speculation that Swoopes will be added to the Olympic team because of their lack of consistent perimeter play. The WNBA season ends before the Olympics so it will not be interrupted.

3) Perrot didn't play last year and the team did ok at the point guard spot so I don't think that's a new issue. Janeth Arcain is getting the poing guard duties apparently and even though she's more suited to be a shooting guard/small forward, she's more than adequate not to mention she's also like an 8 time Brazilian league MVP, so I think we're ok at point guard actually.

4.) The Comets won their first title on August 30, 1997. I believe the first year the playoffs were based on the best record in each conference followed by the best overall records. So there were 4 playoff teams, 1st place conference winner plays team with 4th best record, 2nd place conference winner plays team with 3rd best record. The playoffs were one game elimination. Teams 1, 3, and 4 were all Eastern Conference teams. Houston beat Charlotte and New York beat Phoenix to go to the title game. Houston was an Eastern Conference team the first year and they were put into the West when Washington and Detroit were added in 1998.


Hope this helped a little bit.

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There are three kinds of people in the world... those who can count and those who can't.

[comets979899]

EXCELLENT POST,...COMETSWIN,...i'd forgotten half of that info http://bbs.clutchcity.net/ubb/smile.gif

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[Old School]

Swoopes didn't want to go because they wouldn't make accomodations for her son, Jordan. There is still a chance it could happen.

The WNBA season was moved up this year and will be long finished before the Olympics.

Coquese Washington and Janeth Arcain will spend most of the time at point. Under Van's Big Three system the key is getting the ball to the stars so scoring isn't a must from the point position. Arcain is talented enough to play several positions.

Old School

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Just Build It!

[Rocket Fan]

thanks for the information i really appreciate it.

cometswin that was a great post. i'm 17 and a long time rockets fan and yes i've watched some comets basketball but just not starting to get into watching them. i think it takes a while to adjust from the high flying dunking game of the nba to the wnba type of play. i'm finding what i've watched to be pretty good basketball though. the first year i couldnt' watch much of it i think partly because it wasn't the best talent because the abl had some of the talent

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Shane
"Save Our Rockets"
"Life without basketball in Houston........without an arena that is what it will be"

[Old School]

RocketFan,

Have you been to a Comets game in person? TV doesn't do it justice...the crowd is into the whole game and doesn't sit on their hands like the majority of the Rockets fans.

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Just Build It!

[This message has been edited by Old School (edited May 31, 2000).]

[Rocket Fan]

old schoool...not yet. i'm only 17 so because of the expense don't go to a lot of games. my dad isn't a huge fan of going when you can watch it on tv for free and my paretns would like me to get a little more driving expereince before going downtown or to compaq center alone at night.

i would take your advice though and if get the chance go to one. right now i barely get to go to a couple astros games a year and maybe one rockets game so i usually spend my chance to go somewhere in the summer on baseball rather then wnba. but the action seems to be getting better each year in the wnba so who knows maybe i will end up going.

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Shane
"Save Our Rockets"
"Life without basketball in Houston........without an arena that is what it will be"

[CometsFan]

Rocket Fan,

Tell your folks, the Comets may be the cheapest entertainment in town! You can get seats starting at only $8/person (not any more than a movie ticket)!!!!

Maybe you should shoot for a Saturday afternoon game (when driving at night in Houston traffic is not an issue). There's a game this Saturday (June 3) at 3pm against the Phoenix Mercury and another on June 18th (also at 3pm) against the Minnesota Lynx.

If you get the chance - there really is NOTHING like the live experience!

Good luck.

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