Scouting the Comets: Forwards

SF SHERYL SWOOPES

G MPG PPG RPG APG TS% Reb% Pass Pos% TO% PER 33 37.1 18.6 3.6 4.3 .543 3 7.0 22 1.30 1 27.0 2 9.3 2 25.6 1

"At 33, Swoopes' MVP days are probably over," we wrote last June. Whoops. We're still hoping in Seattle that Lauren Jackson wins MVP, but Swoopes is the other top contender after a fantastic bounceback 2005 season that saw her lead the WNBA in scoring for the second time in her illustrious career. Swoopes' scoring average, field-goal percentage and 3-point percentage were all her best since her MVP 2000 campaign. If she beats out Jackson, Swoopes might have the Storm to thank. She was outstanding in four matchups with the Storm, averaging 23.5 points per game and dropping a career-high 34 points in KeyArena on August 9. (Previously, her career high and the Storm's franchise opponent record for scoring had been 33 points against the Storm in Houston last June 18.)

When she has the basketball, Swoopes is dangerous in many ways. She's best getting to the paint or pulling up off the dribble, but can hit the 3 (36.0%) and is great at finding open teammates, ranking eighth in the WNBA and first amongst forwards at 4.3 assists per game. While Swoopes is an extreme longshot to pull off the MVP-Defensive Player of the Year double-dip she did in 2000 and 2002, she remains an elite defender who became the league's all-time leader in steals during 2005. Swoopes is quick enough to defend Bird, and her size gives Bird problems. About the only non-strength of Swoopes's game is rebounding; her average of 3.6 rebounds per game was padded by playing a league-high 37.1 minutes per game and she was one of the WNBA's worst rebounding forwards.

PF TINA THOMPSON

G MPG PPG RPG APG TS% Reb% Pass Pos% TO% PER 15 29.3 10.1 3.8 1.5 .477 19 9.3 25 0.09 15 22.6 7 15.0 15 12.3 19

Like Swoopes did in the WNBA's inaugural season, Thompson returned mid-year after giving birth. Coming off arguably the best year of her career, Thompson has predictably struggled to get into playing shape and integrate herself into a Comets lineup that was running smoothly in her absence. (Houston was 12-7 without Thompson.) Thompson's field-goal percentage (41.3%) was actually better than in her All-WNBA First Team 2004 season, but she was a significantly smaller part of the offense, seeing her scoring average cut in half in only slightly less playing time.

When she's on her game, Thompson is as hard to defend as anyone this side of Jackson. She has 3-point range (40.7% in 2004), can put the ball on the floor and score in the post. The Swoopes-Thompson pick-and-roll rivals the Bird-Jackson one for difficulty to stop. Thompson is only 6-2, but she's usually as tough a defender as Jackson faces. This could be the area of Thompson's game that has suffered the most post-pregnancy, and Jackson got her for 27 points on Aug. 9 in Seattle and 18 points and nine rebounds in Houston on Aug. 14. Thompson has never been a particularly outstanding rebounder and is near the bottom of the power forward pack this season.

Something interesting to watch: In wins, Thompson has shot 55.7% and averaged 13.0 points per game. In losses, she's scored 7.6 points on dismal 28.8% shooting.

PF TARI PHILLIPS

G MPG PPG RPG APG TS% Reb% Pass Pos% TO% PER 32 11.4 3.5 2.5 0.4 .482 18 15.4 9 0.03 23 20.6 15 18.9 24 12.0 20

Just two years removed from starting the All-Star Game, Phillips was basically not asked back by the New York Liberty last winter when she became a free agent. That followed consecutive seasons in which she had shot just 39.7% and 34.7% from the field, and it appeared losing a step (she's now 35), combined with Phillips being undersized at 6-2, had conspired to end her productive career. Phillips only played limited minutes this season, but she responded with a much stronger effort, reviving her field-goal percentage all the way to 42.6%. Historically one of the WNBA's best rebounders, Phillips was good but not great this year.

Phillips' biggest issue in this series is defense. She's a wise veteran defender in the post, but her tools are poorly-suited to defending Jackson, who has riddled her in the past.

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