This time of the year, the Houston Comets are usually gearing up for the playoffs.

Having been eliminated from postseason contention for just the second time in their 11-year history, though, the Comets are now trying to avoid finishing with their worst record ever.

Houston plays its final home game Thursday when it hosts the Chicago Sky, another club that's already been eliminated from playoff contention.

The Comets (12-20) are in fifth place in the Western Conference and will sit out the playoffs for the first time since 2004, when they finished a franchise-worst 13-21. Houston has played well of late, winning four of its last six games, but a disastrous 0-10 start to the season proved too much to overcome.

The Comets need a win Thursday or Sunday at Los Angeles in their finale to avoid finishing with the worst single-season mark in team history.

Houston is coming off an 81-73 victory over Detroit, which has clinched the WNBA's best record, on Tuesday. The Comets held the Shock to 39.7 percent shooting, and are limiting opponents to a league-low 38.3 percent in their last 10 games.

Tina Thompson had 25 points and nine rebounds against Detroit, and is averaging 20.8 points in her last four contests.

"We want to make a strong push at the end of this season,'' Thompson said. "We don't have a chance to make the playoffs, but we want to finish on a high note.''

Center Michelle Snow added 13 points and seven rebounds Tuesday. She's averaging 12.2 points and 8.3 boards in her previous six games.

Both players, however, struggled in the first matchup of the season with Chicago. Thompson had 10 points - 8.3 below her season average - while Snow finished with eight points in Houston's 88-70 road loss July 29.

Following that win over the Comets, the Sky (13-19) lost their next five games before defeating New York 77-65 on Tuesday.

Chicago lost forward Chasity Melvin in the first quarter when she was poked in the left eye, causing her eyeball to come out of its socket. She was taken to UIC Medical Center and preliminary tests showed no loss of vision, according to the team.

With the injury to Melvin, who came into the game averaging 10.4 points and 6.9 rebounds, Jia Perkins supplied a big lift by coming off the bench to score a game-high 24 points on 11-for-19 shooting.

"Every second we had, we tried to ask to see how (Melvin was) doing or what's going on. We were very worried about her,'' said Perkins, who had averaged 7.0 points on 27.3 percent shooting in previous three games. "When I was out there, I was trying to play and play for her. She wants us to win.''

Stacey Dales added 17 points against the Liberty, her highest total since scoring 18 against Houston.

Despite the victory, Chicago was eliminated from the playoffs for the second straight year when Washington beat Connecticut earlier in the night.

The Sky have lost two straight road games and five of six away from Chicago.