The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Houston . Formed in 1997, the team was one of the original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. They are one of two teams in the WNBA that are undefeated in the WNBA Finals ; the Seattle Storm are the other. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and are tied with the Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm for the most championships of any WNBA franchise, and despite all of their success, the team was folded and disbanded by the league in 2008 during the height of the Great Recession because new ownership could not be found.
41-465: The Comets were known for courting great women's basketball stars. The team had among its members Cynthia Cooper (the WNBA's first MVP ); college and national team standout Sheryl Swoopes ; Kim Perrot , who succumbed to cancer in 1999; and college stars Michelle Snow and Tina Thompson . The Comets were one of the founding teams in the WNBA. Their first four seasons were marked by dominant success in
82-469: A Title IX investigation into Cooper-Dyke over accusations of sexual harassment and verbal abuse. A hearing had been scheduled for April 6 but was canceled due to Cooper-Dyke no longer being employed by the university. Additional allegations of similar misconduct were revealed from her previous coaching jobs at UNC Wilmington and USC. Cooper was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009. She
123-426: A 14–16 season in 2016–17 and 70–56 overall record. In April 2019, she returned to coach at Texas Southern. Texas Southern had a 20–10 record in her first season back but had two straight losing seasons afterwards at 5–10 and 11–15. Cooper-Dyke retired on March 17, 2022. She concluded her four seasons in two stints with a cumulative 56–47 record. The Athletic reported on May 5, 2022, that Texas Southern opened
164-547: A 72–53 win over Yugoslavia, and followed that with a 21-point win over Brazil 91–70. The third game was against Czechoslovakia and would be much closer. Cheryl Miller was the scoring leader in this game, scoring 26 points to help the US to a 78–70 victory. The US faced Bulgaria in the semi-final match up, and again won, this time 67–58. This set up the final against the Soviet Union, led by 7-foot-2 Ivilana Semenova , considered
205-484: A sign that the franchise could be revived if an investor came in. Comets players were sent off to other teams in a dispersal draft. League president Donna Orender said that the collapse of the Comets was not a sign that the WNBA was in trouble. Cynthia Cooper said that the loss of the Comets was "disturbing news" and that the Comets were integral to the WNBA. The Comets played their final home game on September 15, 2008 at
246-504: A sweep, which Sacramento later became WNBA Champions in 2005. Houston would return to the playoffs with an 18–16 record, but lost to the 2005 defending champion Sacramento Monarchs in another sweep. 2006 was the last playoff appearance for the Houston Comets. After the Comets' season ended in 2006, the team went through a major front-office changes during the off-season. In October 2006, team owner Leslie Alexander – who also owned
287-630: Is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena in San Marcos, Texas . It is an $ 8.8 million facility built in 1982 and is home to the Texas State University Bobcats men's basketball team , women's basketball team and women's volleyball team. The arena was previously known as Strahan Coliseum , but changed its name to the University Events Center as part of a late 2018 expansion. On September 15, 2008,
328-768: Is a mother to twins – a son, Brian Jr., and a daughter, Cyan, born June 15, 2002. National champion Postseason invitational champion Conference regular season champion Conference regular season and conference tournament champion Division regular season champion Division regular season and conference tournament champion Conference tournament champion # denotes interim head coach Strahan Coliseum Strahan Arena
369-599: Is an American basketball coach and former player who has won championships in college, in the Olympics , and in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She is considered by many as one of the greatest female basketball players ever. In 2011, Cooper-Dyke was voted by fans as one of the Top 15 players in WNBA history. Upon the league's formation, she played for the Houston Comets from 1997 to 2000, being named
410-558: The 1986 NCAA tournament championship game and a spot on the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team. Cooper ranks eighth on USC's all-time scoring list with 1,559 points, fifth in assists (381) and third in steals (256). While Cooper was at USC, the Women of Troy compiled a record of 114–15. She earned her bachelor's degree from Prairie View A&M University in 2005. Source Cooper was named to represent
451-638: The Houston Comets and the Sacramento Monarchs of the WNBA came to play in the Coliseum due to Hurricane Ike canceling the final home game of the regular season for the Houston Comets. The Comets defeated Sacramento 90–81. This would end up being the last game the Comets ever played; they folded after the season ended. On March 21-22, 2021, the arena hosted six First Round games of the 2021 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament as part of
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#1732772552210492-589: The Houston Rockets -- announced he was selling the Comets, and longtime head coach Van Chancellor resigned in January 2007. On January 31, 2007, the WNBA Board of Governors approved the sale of the team to Hilton Koch , a Houston-based mattress and furniture businessman. Two weeks later, Comets assistant coach Karleen Thompson was named to become the team's new head coach and general manager for
533-631: The Most Valuable Player of the WNBA Finals in all four seasons, and returned to play again in 2003. Cooper-Dyke still holds the record for most Finals MVPs with four. On April 30, 2019, she was introduced as the head coach for the Texas Southern Lady Tigers basketball team, a position she held in the 2012–13 season. She has also coached at USC , UNC Wilmington , Prairie View A&M , and, professionally, for
574-589: The Phoenix Mercury for one and a half seasons (2001–2002). Cooper returned as an active player in the 2003 season, and played only 4 games during that season with the Comets. Her appearance in the game on May 22, 2003, as a 40-year-old, made her the oldest player, at the time, to play in a WNBA game (later being broken by Nancy Lieberman-Cline who at 50 years old, played a game for the Detroit Shock on July 24, 2008). Cooper's final WNBA game ever
615-565: The Phoenix Mercury in the first-ever WNBA Finals , which had become a three-game championship series. In 1999, led by what was already known as the Big Three , (Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson), the Comets survived a stunning last-second, half-court, buzzer beater by the Liberty's Teresa Weatherspoon in Game 2 -- as it appeared the Comets were set to win the title -- to beat
656-711: The Phoenix Mercury . Cooper-Dyke was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. Cooper attended Locke High School before enrolling at the University of Southern California . Cooper participated athletically in both track and field as well as basketball. She led her team to the California State Championship (4A) scoring an average of 31 points per game, and scoring 44 points in one game. Cooper
697-670: The Strahan Coliseum on the campus of Texas State due to Hurricane Ike . They defeated the Sacramento Monarchs 90–81. They finished the season 17–17 and missed the playoffs for the third time in their history. In April 2024, the Rockets, now led by Tilman Fertitta , had submitted to the WNBA to revive the Comets franchise and intends to retain the team's branding if successful landing one. Head coaches : General managers Cynthia Cooper (basketball) As coach: Cynthia Lynne Cooper-Dyke (born April 14, 1963)
738-467: The 2001 season--Cooper retired and Swoopes tore her ACL. Despite playing without the two biggest stars from their title runs, Houston made the playoffs with a 19–13 record before falling in the first round to the eventual champion Los Angeles Sparks . In 2002, Swoopes won her second MVP and the Comets finished 24–8, but lost to the Utah Starzz in 3 games. In 2003, they qualified to the playoffs for
779-464: The 2007 season. For the 2007 season, they would miss the playoffs for the second time in franchise history after starting the season 0–10, resulting in a 13–21 record. On December 12, 2007, team owner Hilton Koch announced that the Comets would be moving from the Toyota Center to Reliant Arena for the 2008 WNBA season. This resulted in a loss of fans. The Toyota Center drew 13,000 fans, but
820-484: The 7th straight year, but they lost in the first round to the Sacramento Monarchs in 3 games. They missed the playoffs for the first time in franchise history with a record of 13–21 in 2004, but returned in 2005 with a 19–15 record, finishing 3rd. In the first round, the Comets knocked out the 2004 defending champion Seattle Storm in 3 games, but lost in the conference finals to the Sacramento Monarchs in
861-710: The European leagues: During her time playing for Samoa Bétera, a Spanish team, she was the league leading scorer with 36.7 ppg. During the almost ten years she played in the Italian leagues, she was the league's leading scorer eight times, and finished second the other two years. In 1987, she was the MVP of the European All-Star team. She was also named to the All-Star team of the Italian leagues in 1996–1997. At
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#1732772552210902-510: The Liberty in three games and win their third straight title, this one after the death of teammate Kim Perrot , who died of cancer . In 2000, behind league MVP Sheryl Swoopes and eventual WNBA Finals MVP Cynthia Cooper, the Comets beat the Liberty again, this time in two games, to win their fourth straight title cementing themselves as the greatest WNBA team ever assembled. This was the Comets' last championship and last Finals appearance in franchise history. The Comets suffered two blows before
943-553: The Reliant Arena could only house 7,200. In 2008, the Comets' final year, they only drew an average 6,000 fans per game and sold out four games. In 2008, Koch put the team up for sale, with an asking price of $ 10 million, however no investors stepped up. The WNBA took over management of the Comets and disbanded the team in December 2008. They stated that they would only be suspending operations in 2009, which some people saw as
984-575: The US at the 1981 William Jones Cup competition in Taipei, Taiwan , while still in high school. The team won seven of eight games to win the silver medal for the event. Cooper scored 2.8 points per game and recorded nine steals. Cooper was selected to represent the US at the inaugural Goodwill games, held in Moscow in July 1986. North Carolina State 's Kay Yow served as head coach. The team opened up with
1025-491: The US to play for the Houston Comets . While abroad she learned to speak Italian fluently. In 2000, she published her autobiography, entitled She Got Game: My Personal Odyssey , which covered her childhood, her basketball career up to that time, and her mother's battle with breast cancer . Her first marriage was on July 30, 1993, to Anthony Stewart in San Antonio, Texas. On April 28, 2001, she married Brian Dyke. She
1066-548: The Year (in the team category) by the Women's Sports Foundation. During the Comet dynasty, she was a vital part of the triple threat offense with Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson . When retired in 2000, Cooper became the first player in WNBA history to score 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 2,500 career points. She scored 30 or more points in 16 of her 120 games and had a 92-game double-figure scoring streak from 1997 to 2000. She went on to coach
1107-531: The age of 34, Cooper signed to play with the Houston Comets . Cooper has the distinction of scoring the most points out of all players who participated in the first day of the WNBA's conception. On June 21, 1997, 58 women across 6 teams suited up to kick off the WNBA's first scheduled day of competition. On that day, the Comets earned a 76 - 56 win over the Cleveland Rockers where Cooper recorded 25 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. She
1148-530: The gold medal for the US squad. Cooper averaged 2.0 points per game. Cooper continued to represent the US with the national team at the 1986 World Championship, held in Moscow, a month after the Goodwill Games in Moscow. The US team was even more dominant this time. The early games were won easily, and the semifinal against Canada, while the closest game for the US so far, ended up an 82–59 victory. At
1189-431: The head coach at Texas Southern. The 2012–13 Texas Southern team went 20–12 and appeared in the 2013 Women's National Invitation Tournament . On April 11, 2013. Cooper returned to USC as head coach. In her first season, Cooper-Dyke led USC to a 22–13 (11–7 Pac-12) season with an appearance in the 2014 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament . On March 3, 2017, Cooper-Dyke resigned as head coach at USC, following
1230-676: The league, as they became the WNBA's first dynasty. They capped off the league's inaugural season in 1997 with a win over the New York Liberty in the WNBA championship game to win the WNBA's first championship. When the league expanded the next season, the Comets were moved from the Eastern Conference to the Western Conference. In 1998, they finished 27–3 – a .900 winning percentage, a WNBA record that still stands. They went on to repeat as champions, defeating
1271-404: The most dominant player in the world. The Soviet team, had a 152–2 record in major international competition over the prior three decades, including an 84–82 win over the US in the 1983 World Championships. The Soviets held the early edge, leading 21–19 at one time, before the US went on a scoring run to take a large lead they did not relinquish. The final score was 83–60 in favor of the US, earning
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1312-427: The number of scholarships for the team. The school was placed on four years' probation for "major violations" in 2005–2006 that ranged from Cooper giving players small amounts of cash to various forms of unauthorized practices. Cooper also gave players free tickets to Comets game, which is another NCAA infraction. In five seasons at Prairie View, Cooper-Dyke had a cumulative 86–72 record. On May 10, 2010, Cooper-Dyke
1353-574: The same time, the Soviet team was winning easily as well, and the final game pitted two teams each with 6–0 records. The Soviet team, having lost only once at home, wanted to show that the Goodwill games setback was a fluke. The US team started by scoring the first eight points, and raced to a 45–23 lead, although the Soviets fought back and reduced the halftime margin to 13. The US went on a 15–1 run in
1394-554: The second half to put the game away, and ended up winning the gold medal with a score of 108–88. Cooper averaged 5.9 points per game. Cooper played for USA Basketball as part of the 1987 USA Women's Pan American Team which won a gold medal in Indianapolis, Indiana. Cooper was a member of the gold medalist 1988 US Olympic Women's Basketball Team., and the Bronze Medal team in 1992. Cooper played for several teams in
1435-531: Was also announced as a member of the 2010 induction class of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (the first WNBA player to be inducted), and was formally inducted on August 13 of that year. Although born in Chicago , Illinois , Cooper-Dyke grew up in South Central Los Angeles , California. Cooper-Dyke is the daughter of Mary and Kenny Cooper. Her father left the family when she
1476-517: Was announced as the next head coach of the UNC Wilmington Seahawks Women's Basketball team. In Cooper-Dyke's first season, UNCW achieved an historic high in wins with a 24–9 record and appeared in the 2011 Women's National Invitation Tournament . Cooper-Dyke was the 2011 Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year, her third conference yearly honor of that sort. On April 10, 2012, Cooper resigned from UNCW and became
1517-581: Was named the Los Angeles Player of the Year. Cooper was a four-year letter winner at guard for USC from 1982 to 1986. She led the Women of Troy to NCAA appearances in all four years, Final Four appearances in three of her four years, and back-to-back NCAA tournament titles in 1983 and 1984 . After the 1984 Championship, she briefly left school, but was persuaded to return. She completed four years with USC, although she did not graduate. Cooper closed out her collegiate career with an appearance in
1558-470: Was named the head coach of the women's basketball team at Prairie View A&M University . In her second season in 2006–07, Cooper-Dyke led the underdog Panthers to their first SWAC women's basketball tournament title and NCAA tournament appearance. Cooper-Dyke was named SWAC Coach of the Year for 2007. In January 2008, the NCAA penalized Prairie View for NCAA rules violations committed by Cooper, reducing
1599-468: Was only six years old, leaving her mother to raise eight children. Cooper-Dyke attended the University of Southern California and played on their women's basketball team for four years, winning NCAA championships in 1983 and 1984 with star teammate Cheryl Miller , but left in 1986 before earning a degree. She played on international women's basketball teams in Spain and Italy for a decade before returning to
1640-607: Was played on June 1, 2003, in a 64 - 68 loss to the Minnesota Lynx with Cooper recording 22 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Afterward, she served as a TV analyst and halftime reporter for the Houston Rockets of the NBA . Cooper has also been named one of the top 15 players in the WNBA at the 2011 WNBA All-Star game. During Game 1 of the 2016 WNBA Finals , she was named in the WNBA Top 20@20 . In May 2005, Cooper
1681-410: Was the only player that day to score 20+ points, thus making her the first player in WNBA history to have a 20-point game. She led the league in scoring three consecutive years, leading the franchise to a record four WNBA Championships . In addition, she was voted the WNBA's MVP in 1997 and 1998 and named Most Valuable Player in each of those four WNBA Finals. Cooper was named the 1998 Sportswoman of