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!

Swoopes Might Play At This Late Date

From the Houston Chronicle:

Sheryl Swoopes has missed all but three games this season with a lower back injury. On Sunday, when the Comets play their final game of the season against the Los Angeles Sparks, coach Karleen Thompson hopes to see Swoopes on the court.

"She has worked really hard to get better this year, and I know it's been tough for her to be watching from the sidelines," Thompson said. "I don't know if she will be playing on Sunday, but I really hope she is."

I'm sitting on my hands to keep from interjecting my own thoughts. Oh... what the heck!:

I would love to believe that Swoopes wants to return to the Comets. I would love to see her back in that uniform. I would absolutely love it. I'm just not so sure she feels that way.

Time will tell.

Mercury Defeat Comets... Again

In an excitement filled nail biter, the Mercury defeated the (Jekyll and Hyde) Comets 76-74 tonight, making it a clean sweep for the season.

It was a tight game, with the exception of the Comets jumping out to a 12-0 lead. The Mercury answered, however, with 14 straight points. There were 9 lead changes, and the score was tied 10 times. It truly wasn't over until the buzzer sounded.

Turnovers: Comets 21, Mercury 22
Fast Break Points: Comets 2, Mercury 22 (OUCH!)
Biggest Lead: Comets 12, Mercury 6
Points in the Paint: Comets 36, Mercury 34
FG%: Comets 37.3%, Mercury 45.9%
3FG%: Comets 26.7%, Mercury 31.6%
FT%: Comets 73.7%, Mercury 87.5% (*See the difference it makes!)
Total Rebounds: Comets 44, Mercury 27

The "on again" Michelle Snow showed up to play tonight, and lead scoring with 21 points, but there was a nice distribution of points:

Michelle Snow 21
Sancho Lyttle 15
Tamecka Dixon 14
Tina Thompson 12
Crystal Smith 8
Hamchetou Maiga-Ba 2
Barbara Turner 2

Lead scorers for the Mercury: Diana Taurasi led the Mercury with 19 (awesome) points, and Cappie Pondexter had 14.

It was a tough loss, but for those of us who suffered through watching Sunday's pitiful performance... it was also a relief!

*Game Side Show Side Note: Sheryl Swoopes was on the bench, looking very fresh and attractive, in a brief but simple and beautiful buttery yellow dress.

Swoopes' Injury

According to this interview with Sheryl Swoopes, I'm willing to predict that she's not coming back... not this season, anyway.

I get the feeling that she doesn't want to come back to play for this particular team, this particular season.

I hope I'm wrong.

Another Comets' First... and Swoopes' Return

The Happy Houston Chronicle points out that, for the first time in the history of the WNBA All-Star Game, the Comets did not have a player voted into the starting lineup. And that's really sad news, for Tina Thompson, especially.

And under the caption, 'Swoopes' return in doubt', Karleen Thompson is quoted as saying, "We are being careful with her injury, but I don't have a good idea on when she will be able to play again."

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.

Could It Be Three?

It's going to be a tough game in Phoenix tonight, but hopefully we've got the confidence and skill to make it three in a row against the 7-7 Mercury.

They're on a 2 game losing streak, and Diana Taurasi won't be in the building. Of course, Sheryl Swoopes won't be there either!

That Explains It...Swoopes Sidelined by Bulging Disc

5 O'Clock (Bad) News:

Sheryl Swoopes has been diagnosed with a bulging disc in her lower back and is expected to be out for two to four weeks.

We all knew something was wrong... for the first three games, she's averaged 7.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game (not to mention the fact that she's been grabbing her back!).

We'll just have to see how it affects our bottom line. I mean, she's been in the game without producing... she'll be out now, and let's see if others step up to play.

Silver Stars "Shoot" Past Comets

OH and 3!

Nice first quarter, Girls... but then, OH.

Exciting to watch, and the new talent is great... but 18 unforced turnovers???

Coach Karleen Thompson was frustrated after the game and said that the team just could not put together 40 minutes of solid play. She compared the streakiness to a roller-coaster ride.

Thompson is doing the right things as coach; the plays are there, the talent is there, the team is well conditioned. They are just struggling with chemistry. The Comets cannot seem to play together for more than two or three minutes at a time. Communication on the court isn't there.

I'm not sure I agree that Coach is doing ALL the right things. Substitutions seemed to me to be all or none. It seemed that she substituted all five at once, leaving no consistency on the floor.

And something is wrong with Swoopes. She either isn't feeling well, or she isn't "feeling" well. Mention was made (0n 610am, I didn't notice, personally) that she was grabbing her back. Maybe that's it?

MVP: Split Opinion

It's a tough call, but I think you all know how I'm leaning... but here's what the "experts" have to say:

NANCY LIEBERMAN, ESPN Analyst:
Sheryl Swoopes, Houston
She might be at the tail end of her career, but Swoopes definitely has not lost a step over the years. She has been very consistent this season, coming up big in so many big games. The Comets wouldn't be in the playoff hunt without her, especially since Tina Thompson missed half the season.

MECHELLE VOEPEL, Columnist:
Lauren Jackson, Seattle
It's a tough year to pick just one person as MVP, but Jackson is that one -- by an eyelash over Houston's Sheryl Swoopes. Jackson has been as productive as ever, no matter how much she has been keyed on by opponents' defenses. She carries a huge load on both ends every game.