| | Associated Press
NEW YORK -- The foes are familiar. Yet, the WNBA
finals this year is more than a basic East-West showdown.
The best-of-three series between the New York Liberty and the
three-time champion Houston Comets opens Thursday at Madison Square Garden
before moving to Houston for Games 2 and 3.
The series is full of subplots. The Comets -- the only champions
the WNBA has known in its history -- returned to the finals for a
fourth consecutive season, this time unexpectedly.
"We're amazed we are here," Houston coach Van Chancellor said.
"How many thought it was going to be both coasts, L.A. and New
York, in the finals? This team has the most pride of any team I've
been involved with."
The Comets (31-5) knocked off regular-season champion Los
Angeles in the West finals, and face a Liberty team that posted a
24-13 regular-season record and has won 13 consecutive games in the
Garden.
Chancellor is well aware of the Liberty's domination at home.
"New York is a vastly improved team from even a month ago," he
said. "I know they are a better team. New York is playing as good
as Los Angeles. I think the Liberty will be very good in handling
the pressure. That's why I didn't want to play them in the
finals."
The Liberty can find their inspiration for the series in a
disappointing Game 3 loss in the championship last year, the second
runner-up finish at the hands of the Comets.
New York had forced a deciding Game 3 in the finals last year with
a last-second, half-court shot by Teresa Weatherspoon. The league
used the shot in its television ads to promote this season.
Weatherspoon said the Liberty squad this year is the most athletic the Comets have faced.
"Nobody believed in ourselves and our fans," she said. "We're
a basketball team, too, and they have to stop us."
Becky Hammon echoed Weatherspoon.
"We have to set the tone for the series tomorrow night," she
said. "We have a lot of respect for Houston."
New York's Vickie Johnson said the Comets "were the best team
in the league the past three years. They have three of the best
players in the league. We know Houston better than they know
themselves."
Houston is led by Cynthia Cooper, a former two-time league most valuable player; MVP
Sheryl Swoopes, who averaged 22.5 points and 7.5 rebounds against
New York; and Tina Thompson. But its success is rooted in its
veteran supporting cast as well, according to Chancellor.
"We like veteran players," he said. "They are willing to
accept a role. Janeth Arcain and Tammy Jackson are willing to
accept a role. They don't have to have the limelight, they don't
have to have the television."
The Liberty will concentrate their defensive effort on Houston's
front-line, marquee players.
"Tari (Phillips) is really going to make Tina Thompson work and
'Spoon and I have to guard Swoopes and Cooper," said Johnson, who
averages 11 points for the Liberty.
Thompson discounts being overlooked in favor of the play of
Swoopes and Cooper, and said she believes a Houston victory in Game 1 would
shift the pressure to the Liberty.
"I think I've accomplished a lot of things, and I don't look at
it as not getting enough recognition," Thompson said.
"We have a huge target on our backs. If we get a win tomorrow,
the pressure will be much heavier on New York when they have to
come to us. I definitely think this team has a will to win. We have
two exceptional leaders in Cooper and Swoopes. The rest of us can't
help but to follow."
The WNBA championship will be broadcast to 154 countries in 22
languages. The opening game of the series will be shown on
Lifetime, and NBC will broadcast Games 2 and 3.
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