On October 30, 1996, Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander purchased the WNBA�s Houston Comets. The rest, as they say, is history. Houston was one of the first cities to be granted a WNBA franchise, and Alexander immediately went to work to develop a championship team. Any owner will tell you that the success of his team starts from the top, and a successful head coach is essential to any winning program. After a long search, Alexander hired Van Chancellor from the University of Mississippi. In 19 years at Mississippi, Chancellor posted a 439-154 record with a 92-53 record in conference play. Following Chancellor�s hiring, the Comets were awarded Sheryl Swoopes on January 22, 1997, who along with New York�s Rebecca Lobo was one of the first players to be designated to a WNBA franchise. Guard Cynthia Cooper was also designated to the Comets. Little did fans know that January 22 marked the inauguration of two future Comets icons. Months later, the Comets were granted the first selection of the 1997 WNBA Draft, which they used to select Tina Thompson, a 6�2� forward out of the University of Southern California. The foundation was now in place for the Comets. With their head coach and star players in place, all that was left was to provide the additional role players as pieces to the championship puzzle.

1997 WNBA Season (18-10; WNBA Champions)

The Comets won their very first game in franchise history on June 21 at Cleveland. They never looked back. The Comets were a formidable force in the WNBA, led by Cooper and Thompson. Swoopes missed the majority of the season due to the birth of her first child, Jordan, and only participated in nine games. Fortunately, the WNBA welcomed Cynthia Cooper as its first real star. Cooper enjoyed an outstanding season, averaging 22.2 points, 4.7 assists, and 4 rebounds per contest. She also shot a high percentage, hitting 47% of her shots, including 41% from 3-point range. Thompson provided great numbers as a rookie, averaging 13.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Aided by key role players Kim Perrot, Janeth Arcain, and Wanda Guyton, the Comets posted a league best 18-10 record and soared into the playoffs, defeating the Charlotte Sting 70-54 before facing New York at home in the league�s inaugural championship game. The Liberty proved to be no match for the tough Comets. Led by WNBA MVP Cynthia Cooper�s 25 points, Houston claimed the league�s first ever championship. Their win marked the third professional basketball championship for the city of Houston, joining the Houston Rockets� NBA titles in 1994 and 1995.

1998 WNBA Season (27-3; WNBA Champions)

With a healthy Sheryl Swoopes ready to emerge onto the WNBA scene full-time, the 1998 season figured to be one of epic proportions for the Comets. Little did they know that it would be nothing less than historic. With the big three of Swoopes, Cooper, and Thompson finally forming an indestructible WNBA trio, the Comets won 20 of their first 21 games. There was no real competition for Houston. 15 of those 20 victories were decided by ten or more points, and the Comets won with scores as lopsided as 73-48 (June 29 vs. Washington), 96-66 (July 9 vs. Detroit), 75-44 (July 18 at Sacramento), and 88-65 (July 30 vs. Utah). Cooper, Swoopes, and Thompson combined for 51 points per contest (out of a team-total of 76.2 points). However, the emergence of Kim Perrot as a reliable point guard was key for the Comets. Perrot served as the team�s floor general and leader, producing 8.5 points and 4.7 assists per contest. Perrot also was a demon on the defensive end, averaging 2.8 steals per game and leading the Comets� vaunted defensive efforts. The Comets rolled into the playoffs, sweeping Charlotte in the WNBA semifinals before facing off against the Phoenix Mercury in the 1998 WNBA Finals. The Mercury won the first game in Phoenix before losing to the Comets in three games. Led once again by the heroic efforts of eventual league MVP Cynthia Cooper, who scored 23 points or more in all three games, the Comets won their second consecutive WNBA championship, and retained their fame as the only champions the league had ever known.

1999 WNBA Season (26-6; WNBA Champions)

On August 19, 1999, in the midst of another wondrous season, tragedy struck the Houston Comets as point guard Kim Perrot, who had been battling cancer since being diagnosed in February 1999, succumbed to the disease and passed away at the age of 32. A fiery competitor whose determination and drive fueled the Comets� success, Perrot was a person who held a great thirst for life. �She had such joy in her life,� Comets coach Van Chancellor said. �There will never be another Kim Perrot.� With heavy hearts, the Comets finished the season at 26-6, again the standard of the WNBA. Cooper averaged 22.1 points per contest; Swoopes added 18.3 a game; and Thompson was spectacular as a third option, throwing in 12.2 points and 6.4 rebounds a game. Houston defeated Los Angeles in the WNBA semifinals, winning two of three games. The Comets returned to the WNBA Finals, this time against old foe New York, and won two of the three Finals games to claim their third consecutive WNBA championship.

2000 WNBA Season (27-5; WNBA Champions)

Not since the early Boston Celtics (late 1950s; early 1960s) had a professional basketball team won as many as four consecutive championships. The Comets faced that daunting challenge as they headed into the 2000 WNBA season. Again the Comets started off on a torrid pace, winning 9 of their first 10 games. Swoopes took over the role as the team�s leading scorer with 20.7 points per game, while Cooper averaged 17.7 points and 5 assists per contest. The Comets breezed through another WNBA regular season, winning 18 of their final 21 games. On July 29, 2000, the team retired Kim Perrot�s jersey number 10, making Perrot the first player to have her jersey retired in WNBA history. Houston�s road to the 2000 WNBA Finals proved to be easier than years past. The Comets swept the Sacramento Monarchs in the Western Conference first round before eliminating the Los Angeles Sparks in another sweep in the Western Conference Finals. Houston then faced New York in the WNBA Finals for the third time in four seasons, winning both games against the Liberty to win their unprecedented fourth consecutive WNBA title.

2001 WNBA Season (19-13; Western Conference 1st Round)

After years on the WNBA throne, the Comets encountered some unfortunate news prior to the 2001 season. In late April, Sheryl Swoopes tore her anterior cruciate ligament as well as her lateral meniscus cartilage while going up for a layup. The injuries required major surgery and forced Swoopes to miss the entire 2001 season. The Comets were left without their leading scorer from the previous season, as well as their second leading scorer in Cynthia Cooper, who retired from the league shortly before the season began. The Comets still were a dangerous team as the organization witnessed the emergence of Tina Thompson, who posted career-high numbers of 19.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. The Comets started off on fire once again, winning 12 of their first 14 games. Unfortunately, the lack of depth and help for Thompson was too much to overcome as Houston finished the year with a record of 19-13, tied for third place in the Western Conference. Without Swoopes and Cooper, Houston was ousted by Los Angeles in the Western Conference first round of the playoffs. However, the season was not a disappointment by any means. Without their leading scorer, the Comets showed an immense amount of pride and determination and a strong will to compete. Along with Thompson, guard/forward Janeth Arcain had a career year as a Comet, posting averages of 18.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Houston also received valiant efforts from role players such as Coquese Washington (5.3 points, 3.8 assists), Tiffani Johnson (4.6 points, 4.3 rebounds), and Amanda Lassiter (4.3 points, 3.4 rebounds).