Houston Comets Update
August 17, 2005 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Houston Comets News Release
Sheryl Swoopes - MVP & Defensive Player of the Year Candidate
- Sheryl Swoopes, a two-time WNBA MVP, is ranked first in the league in points per game (18.8), second in steals (2.00), 10th in assists (4.1) and first in minutes played (37.0). Poised to claim her second scoring title (other: 20.7 ppg in 2000), Swoopes is already ahead of her 2002 MVP pace in points and assists per game. Below is a look at Swoopes' numbers this year compared with her two previous MVP seasons:
Season Points Rebounds Assists Steals
2000 - MVP 20.7 6.3 3.8 2.81
2002 - MVP 18.5 4.9 3.3 2.75
2005 18.8 3.3 4.1 2.00
- Swoopes scored a career-high 34 points at Seattle on August 9. It marked the second time this season she has topped 30-plus points in a game and the eighth time in her career. The 34 points against the Storm also tied for the single-game high in the WNBA this season. Detroit's Deanna Nolan scored 34 points in an overtime game vs. New York on June 3. Swoopes picked up her 34 points in regulation.
- Swoopes also scored 31 points in Houston's 86-78 (2OT) victory vs. Indiana on May 29, including a franchise-record 12 overtime points in the second OT.
- With Tina Thompson on the sidelines following the birth of her child, Swoopes led the Comets to a 12-7 record to start the season. The Comets also won six straight during that start, which marked the team's longest winning streak since 2002 when they rolled off 10 consecutive victories (June 15 - July 9, 2002).
- Swoopes has scored 20-plus points in 15 games this season. The Comets are 10-5 in those games.
- Swoopes is also getting her teammates involved this season. She is on pace to set a season high for assists with a 4.13 average this year. Swoopes set her season mark for assists per game with a 3.97 average in 1999.
- The Comets are 11-3 when Swoopes makes at least one 3-point attempt.
- Swoopes, a three-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, has recorded two or more steals in 15 of her 30 games played in 2005.
- Swoopes became the first player in WNBA history to reach 500 steals in a career with her theft at New York on July 27. She is the WNBA's all-time leader in steals.
Swoopes - 2005 Honors
- WNBA Player of the Week (Week Ending: May 30).
- WNBA Player of the Week (Week Ending: July 3).
- 2005 WNBA All-Star Game MVP.
- Leading vote-getter in 2005 All-Star Balloting (Top vote-getter for five of the WNBA's six All-Star Games: 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2005).
- Cascade Dish & Assist Winner (July 5).
Michelle Snow - All-WNBA Center Candidate
- Michelle Snow ranks first in the WNBA in field goal percentage, hitting .559 (138-247) of her attempts. She also ranks tied for sixth in the WNBA in rebounds (6.8) and 10th in blocks (1.14) per game. Snow is also averaging a career-high 12.4 points in 2005.
- Snow made her first All-Star appearance in 2005, becoming the first Comets player to be selected to the All-Star Game by the coaches. She finished with eight points (3-3 FG), three rebounds, one assist and one blocked shot on July 9 at Connecticut.
- Snow scored 23 points to lead the Comets in scoring vs. Washington on July 21. The 23 points set a career high, surpassing the 21 she scored on May 29 vs. Indiana and July 12 vs. New York. She also matched a career high in field goals made with nine, equaling her nine made vs. the Fever on May 29. Snow now has five 20-plus point outings in 29 games this season. She played 97 games over her first three seasons without reaching the 20-point mark.
- Snow's blocked shot vs. Washington on July 21 marked the 150th block of her career.
- In 2005, Snow has already equaled her season high for double-doubles. She finished 2004 with a career-best four double-doubles.
- Snow recorded consecutive double-doubles vs. San Antonio on June 25 and vs. Seattle on June 28. The last Comets player to record a double-double in consecutive games was Tina Thompson (on July 31 vs. Indiana before the Olympic Break in 2004 and Sept. 1 vs. Minnesota).
Dominique Canty - Most Improved Played Candidate
Dominique Canty has adjusted well to her new role of point guard in Coach Van Chancellor's starting lineup this year for the Comets. Canty has been in the starting lineup for 28 of Houston's 30 games this season. Prior to 2005, Canty had started just 16 out of 64 games played in a Comets uniform and posted averages of 5.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists. This season, Canty is averaging 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists, showing remarkable improvement in her third year in Houston. The following is a breakdown of the improvement Canty has shown in 2005:
Canty Points Rebounds Assists
Career 6.8 2.7 2.2
2005 7.6 3.4 3.2
Improvement +0.8 +0.7 +1.0
Sancho Lyttle - WNBA Rookie of the Year Candidate
- Sancho Lyttle, who ranks first among WNBA rookies in field goal percentage (.568, 50-88 FG), is on pace to set the Comets rookie record for field goal percentage in a season. Michelle Snow currently holds the Comets rookie mark by hitting .469 (45-96 FG) of her attempts in 2002.
- Lyttle grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds on August 16 at Minnesota. Overall, Lyttle ranks second among rookies this season in rebounds per game (3.8). Lyttle has now recorded six or more rebounds in nine games in 2005.
Janeth Arcain - Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Candidate
- Considered one of the greatest players to ever wear the National colors of Brazil, Janeth Arcain returned to the Comets in 2005 to help put the team back in the playoff race. She has seen action at every position but center since joining the Comets, and has excelled at each spot. The only season the Comets have missed the playoffs was 2004, which was the same season Arcain missed to focus on the Olympics with her Brazilian National Team.
- Arcain has played in 250 consecutive games with the Comets. Playing in her eighth season in the WNBA, Arcain has never missed a game while being an active member of the Comets. She also shares the distinction with Tina Thompson as the only two Comets to have participated in all 27 playoff games in team history.
- With four steals on May 29 vs. Indiana, Arcain surpassed the 300-steal mark, making her just the 10th player in league history to reach that plateau.
Van Chancellor - Coach of the Year Candidate
- Despite missing the services of Tina Thompson for the first 19 games of the season, Van Chancellor has the Comets back in contention for a spot in the 2005 WNBA Playoffs.
- Chancellor has already guided the Comets to 16 wins this season after finishing the 2004 campaign with a 13-21 mark.
- The Comets entered the 2005 WNBA season with three of the remaining 10 players from the WNBA's inaugural 1997 season on their roster, as well as three of the six oldest players in the WNBA (Janeth Arcain, Adrienne Goodson and Tari Phillips). On the flip side, Chancellor's Comets have also had three rookies see action in 2005 (Roneeka Hodges, Edwige Lawson and Sancho Lyttle).
- Chancellor's Comets are averaging 67.5 points per game, which is the highest team average since the 2000 season (77.3 ppg).
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