Comets Deny Holdsclaw, Mystics Again

Cynthia Cooper scored 24 points as the defending WNBA champion Comets sent top pick Chamique Holdsclaw and the Washington Mystics to their second consecutive defeat, 88-63, before 16,285 at Houston on Saturday.

The Comets, who have won the title in each of the WNBA’s two seasons, received their championship trophy and rings in a pregame ceremony and circled the court receiving well wishes from the fans and high-fives from the Mystics.

The Comets held Holdsclaw to six points on three-for-14 shooting.

New York 68, Charlotte 57--The Liberty, playing without Rebecca Lobo, who is out for the season because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee, used high-pressure defense to beat the Sting before 8,150 at Charlotte, N.C.

The Liberty forced 18 Charlotte turnovers.

Sophie Witherspoon scored 17 points for the Liberty.

Utah 71, Orlando 65--A three-point shot with 19 seconds left by Margo Dydek, a 7-foot-2 center from Poland, sealed the victory at Salt Lake City in front of 14,783, the second-largest crowd to ever watch the Starzz.

Minnesota 68, Detroit 51--The WNBA’s debut in Minneapolis drew 12,155 to Target Center, and Tonya Edwards had 20 points to lead the home Lynx over the visiting Shock.

Sacramento 96, Phoenix 85--Yolanda Griffith scored 31 points to lead the Monarchs over the Mercury before 11,221 at Sacramento.