Hodges Gone

WNBA's newest franchise, the Atlanta Dream, had its expansion draft Wednesday, and among the 13 players chosen by the team was Comets guard Roneeka Hodges.

Right after Hodges was drafted, she was traded to the Seattle Storm for the eighth overall pick in the draft and guard Iziane Castro Marques.

Hodges has been in the league for three years, all with the Comets, averaging 4.3 points per game, starting 4 ganes ub 2007, and scoring a career high of 17 against Pheonix.

As a fan, I never knew whether to cheer or shudder when Roneeka Hodges entered the game. I'm fond of her, though... and wish her the best! (Photo by Jessica Kourkounis for the Houston Chronicle).

Ending On a High Note, V. Sparks

WNBA Playoffs... they ain't what they used to be!

Both teams out of contention, the Comets and Sparks closed out their seasons together in LA Sunday night, and the Comets came out on top, 82-72.

Tina Thompson led the scoring with 22 points and with her seven rebounds, Tina became only the fourth WNBA player (joining Margo Dydek, Yolanda Griffith and lisa leslie) to reach 2,000 career rebounds.

Turnovers: Comets 15, Sparks 20
Steals: Comets 10, Sparks 5
Blocks: Comets 2, Sparks 6
Fast Break Points: Comets 8, Sparks 4
Biggest lead: Comets 10, Sparks 10
Unanswered Points: Comets 8, Sparks 0
Lead Changes: 5
Times Tied: 4
Points in the Paint: Comets 44, Sparks 32
FG%: Comets 48.4, Sparks 43.5
3FG%: Comets 33.3, Sparks 25.0
FT%: Comets 77.3, Sparks 75
Rebounds: Comets 32, Sparks 30

And with four players in double point figures and almost everyone else both playing and scoring, the Comets played hard to the very end. (If the season was 30 days longer, I think we would definitely be in contention).

Tina Thompson 22
Hamchetou Maiga-Ba 15
Tamecka Dixon 12 (all hail that decision!)
Michelle Snow 10
Crystal Smith 6
Erin Grant (aka PeeWee) 5
Roneeka Hodges 5
Latasha Byears 3
Sancho Lyttle 2
Mistie Williams 2

Ashley Shields played but didn't score. Swoopes (in spite of rumors) and Turner didn't play.


Sherill Baker led the Sparks and scored a season-high 16 points and seven assists. And my favorite Spark, Jessica Moore, added career bests of 13 points and eight rebounds.

Comets Deluged by Sky (And TS Erin)

Tropical Storm Erin, with her predictions of "minor street flooding", wreaked havoc on Houston earlier today.

Thanks to "the Angel" and his high water rescue, I'm home safe and sound, but since my car is still high (and hopefully dry) in the parking garage at work, my game experience is by webcast tonight.

And just like TS Erin did, totally unexpectedly, the Sky wreaked havoc on the Comets tonight. Losing this one, pretty much right from the first jump. Chicago started the game by outscoring the Comets 21-2, with Houston pulling to a 41-34 lead at halftime. And that's as good as it got.

Turnovers: Comets 16, Sky 8
Steals: Comets 5, Sky 5
Blocks: Comets 4, Sky 1
Fast Break Points: Comets 7, Sky 8
Biggest lead: Comets 0, Sky 10
Unanswered Points: Comets 3, Sky 0
Lead Changes: 0
Times Tied: 0
Points in the Paint: Comets 20, Sky 24
FG%: Comets 39.1, Sky 43.1
3FG%: Comets 40.9, Sky 50.0
FT%: Comets 94.7, Sky 72.2
Rebounds: Comets 31, Sky 35

The Sky had five players in double figures, but there was a vast point spread amongst the home team Comets. Tina Thompson led the Comets and scored a season-high 33 points on 12 for 20 shooting from the field.

Tina Thompson 33
Tamecka Dixon 14
Sancho Lyttle 8
Michelle Snow 4
Crystal Smith 3
Hamchetou Maiga-Ba 3
Roneeka Hodges 3
Ashley Shields 2

Going into this game, we were already out of contention for the playoffs. Perhaps this pitiful performance was a calculated ploy for a better draft pick

(But am I the only one who has a hard time watching the success of Dominique Canty ???).

Stayin' Alive With 11th W v. Sacramento

In another tight and exciting game in Toyota Center, the Comets defeated the 17-13 (3rd in the West) Sacramento Monarchs, by a score of 83-75.

At times a dirty foul filled mess, the game was much closer than the score indicates.

Turnovers: Comets 19, Monarchs 11
Fast Break Points: Comets 8, Monarchs 6
Biggest lead: Comets 12, Monarchs 6
Unanswered Points: Comets 2, Monarchs 0
Points in the Paint: Comets 28, Monarchs 24
FG%: Comets 47.5, Monarchs 34.8
3FG%: Comets 50.0, Monarchs 61.5
FT%: Comets 82.8, Monarchs 82.6
Rebounds: Comets 38, Lynx 20

Terrific performances from those we've come to count upon:

Tina Thompson 25
Tamecka Dixon 19
Sancho Lyttle 14
Hamchetou Maiga-Ba 6
Crystal Smith 6
Michelle Snow 6
Latasha Byears 4
Roneeka Hodges 3

Erin Grant had 15:56 minutes, 3 rebounds and 4 assists, but didn't score. Swoopes, Turner and Williams didn't play.

Kara Lawson was lead scorer for the Monarchs, with 14 and, very sadly, Yolanda Griffith (10 points) went down with an apparent leg injury, early in the fourth quarter. No matter the rivalry or stakes on the line, I hate seeing ANY player injured.

So... at 11-19, the Comets are another game up over the 9-20 Sparks and closing in on the 14-17 Storm. However slim the chances, hope is still alive for the Comets to make the 2007 playoffs. If only we could call a 'mulligan' on the Tuesday night game against New York!

Comets Top Sparks, In Sleeper

The Comets defeated their (historically) arch-rivals Sparks, 66-56.

It was bound to happen eventually, but I'm not sure anyone expected it: the most boring game of the year, and it was played against the LA Sparks. Another first?... I felt little competitive emotion, and to the contrary, I actually felt sorry for the Sparks... just a little bit.

The first quarter should be billed as a desparate fight for first draft pick, and while the pace picked up a bit, the overall game was still what I would term a 'sleeper'.

Turnovers: Comets 19, Sparks 11
Fast Break Points: Comets 2, Sparks 13
Biggest Lead: Comets 12, Sparks 0
Points in the Paint: Comets 28, Sparks 20
FG%: Comets 32.8, Sparks, 28.6
3FG%: Comets 25.0, Sparks 14.3
FT%: Comets 71.4, Sparks 73.7
Total Rebounds: Comets 50, Sparks 37

Tina Thompson led with 13 points (10 rebounds), and Tamecka Dixon was the only other Comet with double points, with 12 (7 rebounds).

Tina Thompson 13
Tamecka Dixon 12
Sancho Lyttle 9
Michelle Snow 9
Hamchetou Maiga-Ba 6
Roneeka Hodges 5
Crystal Smith 4
Erin Grant 4
Barbara Turner 2
Mistie Williams 2 (yippeeeeee!)

Mwadi Mabika (who if history is any predictor, will soon play for the Comets) was lead scorer and the only Spark in double points, with 10.


*Game Side Note: I had the sincere pleasure of meeting L.A. Forward-Center Jessica Moore's mother tonight. And after visting with 'Mom'... Jessica has a new fan!

*Photo Credit: Bob Levy, Houston Chronicle: Michelle Show shoots over Taj McWilliams-Franklin.

Most Imporatant Win So Far, Over SASS

Or should this post be titled, "Thank You, Tamecka Dixon!".

Tonight, (drum roll...) our Houston Comets both defeated their I-10 rivals and West's best San Antonio Silver Stars 69-63, and rise to 8-16, a half game out of fifth place in the West.

Turnovers: Comets 18, SS 15
Fast Break Points: Comets 13, SS 4 (wow)
Biggest lead: Comets 13, SS 3
Unanswered Points: Comets 1, SS 0
Points in the Paint: Comets 30, SS 20
Field Goals Made-Attempted: Comets 26-57, 45.6%, SS 21-70, 30.0%
3 Pointers Made-Attempted: Comets 4-11, 36.4%, SS 5-25.0%
Free Throws Made-Attempted: Comets 13-20, 65.0%, SS 16-21, 76.2%
Total Rebounds: Comets 34 , Sun 39

It was an exciting and comfortable game to listen to, and the Comets seemed to rise once again to their potential.

Tamecka Dixon 21 (helloooo!)
Tina Thompson 17 (with people all over her!)
Hamchetou Maiga-Ba 8
Crystal Smith 8
Michelle Snow 7
Roneeka Hodges 6
Barbara Turner 2

Points don't always tell the story of who contributes to a win. Becky Hammon was held to 11 points. Rebounds and assists played an important part, too:

Tina Thompson 8, 3
Hamchetou Maiga-Ba 7, 2
Sancho Lyttle 7, 0
Michelle Snow 5, 2
Roneeka Hodges 4, 1
Tamecka Dixon 3, 2
Crystal Smith 0, 4

We established excellent momentum to take on the Sky on Sunday afternoon!

7th Win: Comets Snag One in New York

Madison Square Garden... how sweet it is to snag our second road win of the season against the Liberty, 80-74.

The Comets were ahead much of the game (5 lead changes, 6 ties) but it felt mostly neck-and-neck. Our largest lead was 10 points, but we scored only 3 unanswered points. We outrebounded them 33 to 28, and had one more turnover than the Liberty, 17 to their 16.

Tina Thompson 26
Tamecka Dixon 20 (hello!)
Hamchetou Maiga-Ba 10
Sancho Lyttle 6
Michelle Snow 5
Erin Grant 4
Crystal Smith 3
Barbara Turner 2
Mistie Williams 2 (!)
Ashley Shields 2
Roneeka Hodges 0

Cathrine Kraayeveld led for the Liberty, with 31 points!

SIDE NOTE: I can't help but notice that Sheryl Swoopes didn't even appear on the roster, injured, DNP or otherwise. Maybe that's because it was a road game. Or maybe not.

16th Makes a Dozen

The planet won again... Mercury 92, Comets 75. Pitiful, really.

Granted, we were without Sheryl Swoopes (still out due to an injury), but they played without Tarausi (who completed her second game of a 2 game suspension... both against Houston).

I'd like to expound upon the highlights, but there were none... well, with the exception of a career high 17 points from Roneeka Hodges.

Not only was this game not fun, it was painful to watch.

Add the rumors that are flying, and it felt oddly like attending a wake, where you know you will see them again... just not in this world.

Comets Defeat Storm, The 4-11... and Rumors

Last night's game against the Storm was fun to watch, because everyone played hard... to win. The Houston Comets are now 4-11, winning two consecutive and four of our last five.

Thompson, Maiga-Ba, Hodges and Lyttle were all in double figures, and we kept our turnovers to 14. On court, at least, it was a pretty darn good night for a Comets' fan!

Off the court, however, the rumors are flying. I won't repeat them, because they are worse than ever... and I'm just hoping that they're false. It would help to know the truth, though, so we could perhaps affect change.

Comets Collide with Mercury, Planet Wins

We got third, alright... third quarter, that is.

Up by 8 at the end of the third, the Comets lose by 5.

Something is clearly wrong with Tina, with tepid performance and uber-taped leg. Michelle Snow was all but MIA, but our new gals really stepped up their performances.

Smith... 18
Maiga-Ba... 16
Shields... 16
Thompson... 10
Hodges... 8
Lyttle... 7
Byears... 4
Snow... 4
Moore... 2
Williams... 0

I thought, at times, they looked great and together... and at others, tired, flat footed and inexperienced.

Comets Defie the Mystics with 95 Point Game

Now this is what I'm talking about! Comets make it two in a row! After a somewhat shakey first half, Karleen's crew came out and played for keeps in the second half.

Tamara Moore, Alana Beard, Hamchetou Maiga-Ba, right, scramble for the ball.
(AP Photo/Houston Chronicle, Steve Ueckert)

Box Score Highlights: Tina led with 23 points. But the big story is that our li'l rookie, Ashley Shields came off the bench to score 20 points in 21:19 of play! Maiga-Ba was also on fire, with 18 points. Tamara (8), Roneeka (7) and Sancho (&) had pretty good games as well, and their points don't totally reflect the full extent of, nor the timeliness of their contributions.

Note to all: We need to continue to work on those turnovers!!! Yikes, 23! Hang on to the ball, ya'all!

Comets Fire Up First Win Against Sparks

We did it! We really did it!

Not only did the Comets log their first W, but they soundly defeated l.a. in the process!

The final score was 74-64 and while Michelle Snow (21, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 turn overs) and Tina Thompson (20, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover) led by far in points, almost everyone who played, scored:

Hodges (9, 4 assists, 1 turn over)
Smith (8, 1 rebound, 4 assists)
Byears (5, 2 rebounds, 1 assist)
Maiga-Ba (5, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 6 turnovers)
Moore (5, 3 rebounds, 3 assists)
Shields (1)

The exceptioins: Sancho Lyttle started, played 13:40, snatched 6 rebounds, caused 3 turnovers and didn't score. Tari Phillips played 3:09 and didn't score but didn't cause any turnovers.

In a game that was equal parts lackluster and brilliance (because we never fell behind), our girls came out and played four complete quarters. They actually got the crowd in the game, for the first time all season. And when the final horn sounded, you would have thought we had won the Championship!

Congratulations Karleen and Hilton... on your first win. (I heard on the radio that Hilton got the game ball. I'm thinking he deserves it because the checks must have cleared!).

Enough is Enough, and Eight is Enough

Of all the games for us NOT to break the streak, it was last night's game... Sparks 74, Comets 71.

We trailed by 13 at the half but rebounded to take a 62-60 lead with 8:33 left. LA then sparked up a 10-0 run to take the lead 70-62, with 4:55 left. We narrowed that lead with a 9-2 run, and were down by 1 with 16.3 seconds remaining.

But we fouled and they made both free throws. Roneeka Hodges had the opportunity to tie the game with a 3-pointer, but we all know that story...

Only Tina and Michelle were in double digits, compared to four of the Sparks (3 starters and a bench). Sigh.