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!

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.