Closer Than the Score Indicates: Fever 79 Comets 77

The Comets fell just short (77-79) of defeating the league's best, Indiana Fever.

And it wasn't that the Fever played poorly. The Comets played to their potential. Ahead much of the game, and leading by as many as 12 points in the first half, the game ultimately slipped away from them in the final seconds... with 3.8 seconds left, and a half-court shot shot from Tamecka Dixon, the final buzzer sounded.

Detractors, nay-sayers and ye with little faith had to swallow some pride as OLD GALS and l.a. CASTOFFS, Dixon and Byears, really contributed to this win. And notably, for the first time this season, five Comets scored in double figures:

Latasha Byears 15
Tina Thompson 13
Hamchetou Maiga-Ba 12
Tamecka Dixon 12
Sancho Lyttle 10
Crystal Smith 9
Michelle Snow 6

Quotable quotes:

Coach Karleen Thompson: "I saw some really good things again." I thought we'd pull it out. I really feel this loss."

Fever forward Tamika Catchings (lead scorer with 23 points): "They've come on really strong and have so much talent. After the way they played tonight for most of the game, I can't imagine how they are on the bottom of the standings in this league."

Photo by Kevin Fujii, Houston Chronicle.