So much for Cheryl Miller’s prediction of an upset.
Although Miller got the dogfight she wanted, the Houston Comets, behind two-time league MVP Cynthia Cooper, won their second consecutive WNBA title Tuesday night.
With a sellout crowd of 16,285 at Compaq Center, the Comets shook loose of the Mercury in the closing minutes to ease to a 80-71 victory.
The game lived up to its billing, with Cooper, Tina Thompson and Sheryl Swoopes leading the Comets, but it was the tiny point guard Kim Perrot, who made certain Houston would repeat. Perrot broke open a one-point game with a jumper. Then Swoopes took over.
With Houston leading by 64-61, Swoopes stole the ball and fed Thompson, who fed Janeth Arcain for a basket with 6 minutes 44 seconds left.
Swoopes added a fast-break layup to make it 68-61 and Houston eased to a 71-65 lead.
Arcain added the exclamation point with 2:20 left when Cooper fed her underneath for a 73-67 lead.
Cooper, the league’s two-time MVP, led Houston with 23 points while Thompson had 18 and Swoopes 16.
Michelle Griffiths was tops for Phoenix and the game with 24 points on 10-for-16 shooting. Jennifer Gillom had 20 points.
The Mercury won Game 1 in Phoenix, then Houston came from 12 shots back in Game 2 to win 74-69 in overtime.
Houston led 62-61 with 7:22 left, but couldn’t seem to shake the Mercury.
Phoenix erased Houston’s 32-26 halftime lead and took its first lead of the game, 41-39, with 16:49 left in the game. Gillom had tied the game at 39-39 with a jumper, then, after Perrot blew a layup, Umeki Webb scored to put Phoenix up by two.
Thompson popped for a pair of three-pointers to send Houston ahead once again, 45-41, but the Mercury came right back and tied it up again.
This time, it was Perrot who broke the tie with a three-pointer from the left side to give Houston a 50-47 lead with 13:18. After her team pulled back within one, Miller was called for a technical during a timeout and Houston led, 53-51.
