Tina Makes All-WNBA, Grosses $5000

The 2007 All-WNBA First and Second Teams (voted by a panel of national sportswriters and broadcasters) were announced by the WNBA today.

Seattle Storm forward Lauren Jackson, who led all players with 243 points, was selected to the First Team for the fifth consecutive season. With her selection, she ties Sheryl Swoopes for the second-most All-WNBA First Team selections. Only lisa leslie has been voted to the First Team more often (nine times).

The San Antonio Silver Stars' Becky Hammon, who joins the First Team for the first time in her career, finished second with 217 points.

Rounding out the First Team are Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi ( third time selection with 204 points), Detroit Shock forward Deanna Nolan (second time selection with 179 points) and Phoenix Mercury forward Penny Taylor (first time selection with 167 points).

The 2007 All-WNBA Second Team is led by Indiana Fever forward Tamika Catchings (146 points). She is joined by the Connecticut Sun guard Katie Douglas (120 points), Houston Comets forward Tina Thompson (116 points), Minnesota Lynx guard Seimone Augustus (113 points) and San Antonio Silver Stars forward Sophia Young.

In honor of being named to the All-WNBA First and Second Teams, each player will receive a Tiffany-designed trophy. In addition, $10,000 will be awarded to each member of the First Team, while each member of the Second Team will receive $5,000.

Five grand is five grand... or 3566.85 Euros!

Comets Squeak Past Lynx, Making It a Clean Sweep

After opening the game on an 11-0 run and increasing the score to 17-3 with 3:02 left, the Comets settled for a 21-12 lead after the first quarter. And it only got worse. The half closed with the Comets up by 7, at 37-30, and the Lynx returned to score the first 8 points in the third quarter to take their first lead.

Fortunately, the tired (on the road, playing last night in Houston) Tina Thompson was able to surge in the fourth quarter, and score 14 of her 26 points and 10rebounds... but she couldn't have done it without the outstanding performance of Tot Byears, off the bench with 17 points and 5 rebounds.

And by a score of 80-77, the Lynx were swept for the season.

Turnovers: Comets 19, Lynx 11
Fast Break Points: Comets 12, Lynx 10
Biggest lead: Comets 14, Lynx 8
Points in the Paint: Comets 40, Lynx 30
FG%: Comets 40.0, Lynx 31.6
3FG%: Comets 33.3, Lynx 12.5
FT%: Comets 85.7, Lynx 89.3
Rebounds: Comets 38, Lynx 38

And now for the point spread:

Tina Thompson 26
Latasha Byears 17
Hamchetou Maiga-Ba 12
Michelle Snow 9
Crystal Smith 7
Tamecka Dixon 5
Sancho Lyttle 2
Erin Grant 2

And Seimone Augustus (of course!) led the Lynx with 24.

Comets Find the Missing Link: 6th Win Against Lynx

Winning their 6th game, 87-77, in a rough and tumble game against the Minnesota Lynx.

It's true that the Lynx reside with the Comets at the bottom of league standings, but this game was important. And the Comets hustled and fought hard for four solid quarters.

It was Kids Day at Toyota Center, and the little ones got to see everyone (who was dressed to) play... and most of them scored:

Michelle Snow 24 (career high tie)
Tina Thompson 22

Tamecka Dixon 15 (take that, ye with little faith)

Ashley Shields 10 (how about that from a community college graduate?)

Hamchetou Maiga-Ba 7
Crystal Smith 5
Latasha Byears 4

In a way, it was disappointing that Minnesota rookie guard from Cy-Fair, Lindsey Harding, wasn't able to play before a "home" crowd. It was learned, just before the game, that Harding will miss the rest of the season with a torn ligament in her knee.

Seimone Augustus (awesome to watch when you're not playing against her!) led the Lynx with 24. Essentially, if she shot the ball, she scored.

"You can't stop her from scoring," Maiga-Ba said. "But we were able to contain her a little and have a hand in her face for every shot."

I really like this Comets team. The bench is deep and mostly young, and our confidence continues to build!

Photo by Megan True, Houston Chronicle.