Old School
06-27-2002, 12:53 AM
Cooper leaves job as Mercury coach
Mutual decision brings ex-Comet home
By W.H. STICKNEY JR.
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle
Cynthia Cooper, after having twins born by a surrogate mother in Houston 10 days ago, has resigned as coach of the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury.
She was not on the bench Wednesday night when the Mercury hosted Seattle at America West Arena.
"It was a mutual decision, what was best for the team, what was best for the organization," Cooper said Wednesday night just before boarding a plane in Phoenix to return to Houston. "And it was what was best for my family.
"We all agreed that it was best to kind of have me go ahead and be mama to my twins, and the team will hopefully move forward in a very positive direction.
"I thank the organization for giving me the opportunity, thank my team because they've been great.They've done almost everything I've asked them to do. It was a very emotional departure, an emotional goodbye.
"I'm still emotional because they're my team."
Officials from the Mercury organization were not available for comment.
Cooper and husband, Brian Dyke, became parents June 15 when the twins, a boy named Brian Jr. and a girl named Cyan, were born to the surrogate mother in a Houston-area hospital.
Cooper, a four-time WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player who twice was named league MVP and carried the Comets to four league championships, retired as a player in 2000 after the Comets won their fourth title.
Eight months later, Cooper shocked everyone when the Mercury announced she was taking over as head coach for former Southern California teammate Cheryl Miller, who resigned after four years as head coach in Phoenix.
Cooper inherited a talented team, but one that experienced problems almost from the moment she took over the coaching reins.
After only one game of the 2001 season, leading scorer Brandy Reed was suspended for the entire summer and fined because of conduct the organization deemed to be detrimental to the team.
She returned this year but, after sitting out the exhibition season with an ankle injury, Reed nearly two weeks ago was again suspended for similar behavior.
At the time of that suspension, the Arizona Republic reported that in April, the 25-year-old WNBA All-Star had been charged with misdemeanor possession of drugs in her home state of Mississippi.
A series of injuries and player defections in 2001 also contributed to the Mercury experiencing one of the longest losing streaks in franchise history -- five games.
Phoenix finished with a 20-12 record, but missed the playoffs. Included among the victories was a 56-38 thrashing of the Comets on the season's final day at America West Arena.
The point total was a Comets franchise record low.
This season, despite Reed's problems and the defection of Russian center Maria Stepanova, Cooper had the Mercury off to an 8-4 start.
Cooper said assistant coach Linda Sharp, her coach at Southern Cal, will become interim head coach for the Mercury.
Sharp coached the team for a week in mid-June when Cooper left to come to Houston for the birth of the twins.
Cooper still makes her home in Houston.
While her primary duties now will be mothering the newborns, a nephew she officially adopted as her son and several other nieces and nephews, she won't discount the possibility of a return to basketball in some capacity.
"I'm going to stay around basketball if I can," she said. "Right now, I'm going to take some time off from basketball to be with my family. And then, let's see what happens."
Mutual decision brings ex-Comet home
By W.H. STICKNEY JR.
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle
Cynthia Cooper, after having twins born by a surrogate mother in Houston 10 days ago, has resigned as coach of the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury.
She was not on the bench Wednesday night when the Mercury hosted Seattle at America West Arena.
"It was a mutual decision, what was best for the team, what was best for the organization," Cooper said Wednesday night just before boarding a plane in Phoenix to return to Houston. "And it was what was best for my family.
"We all agreed that it was best to kind of have me go ahead and be mama to my twins, and the team will hopefully move forward in a very positive direction.
"I thank the organization for giving me the opportunity, thank my team because they've been great.They've done almost everything I've asked them to do. It was a very emotional departure, an emotional goodbye.
"I'm still emotional because they're my team."
Officials from the Mercury organization were not available for comment.
Cooper and husband, Brian Dyke, became parents June 15 when the twins, a boy named Brian Jr. and a girl named Cyan, were born to the surrogate mother in a Houston-area hospital.
Cooper, a four-time WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player who twice was named league MVP and carried the Comets to four league championships, retired as a player in 2000 after the Comets won their fourth title.
Eight months later, Cooper shocked everyone when the Mercury announced she was taking over as head coach for former Southern California teammate Cheryl Miller, who resigned after four years as head coach in Phoenix.
Cooper inherited a talented team, but one that experienced problems almost from the moment she took over the coaching reins.
After only one game of the 2001 season, leading scorer Brandy Reed was suspended for the entire summer and fined because of conduct the organization deemed to be detrimental to the team.
She returned this year but, after sitting out the exhibition season with an ankle injury, Reed nearly two weeks ago was again suspended for similar behavior.
At the time of that suspension, the Arizona Republic reported that in April, the 25-year-old WNBA All-Star had been charged with misdemeanor possession of drugs in her home state of Mississippi.
A series of injuries and player defections in 2001 also contributed to the Mercury experiencing one of the longest losing streaks in franchise history -- five games.
Phoenix finished with a 20-12 record, but missed the playoffs. Included among the victories was a 56-38 thrashing of the Comets on the season's final day at America West Arena.
The point total was a Comets franchise record low.
This season, despite Reed's problems and the defection of Russian center Maria Stepanova, Cooper had the Mercury off to an 8-4 start.
Cooper said assistant coach Linda Sharp, her coach at Southern Cal, will become interim head coach for the Mercury.
Sharp coached the team for a week in mid-June when Cooper left to come to Houston for the birth of the twins.
Cooper still makes her home in Houston.
While her primary duties now will be mothering the newborns, a nephew she officially adopted as her son and several other nieces and nephews, she won't discount the possibility of a return to basketball in some capacity.
"I'm going to stay around basketball if I can," she said. "Right now, I'm going to take some time off from basketball to be with my family. And then, let's see what happens."