How the Rockets played a role in the Houston Comets’ exit

Basketball legend Tina Thompson explains how the Houston Rockets played a role in the Houston Comets’ departure from the WNBA in 2008.

In 1993, Les Alexander purchased the Houston Rockets for $85 million, which is a bargain deal compared to the record-setting $2.2 billion he sold the team for in 2017. Alexander was at the helm for both of the Rockets’ titles and owned the team for a total of 24 years, before selling the team to current owner Tilman Fertitta.

Alexander also owned the now defunct Houston Comets, which was one of the greatest sports teams ever assembled. In fact, the Comets won four consecutive titles from 1997-2000, which hasn’t been done by a professional sports team since the Comets last pulled it off.

The Comets won the WNBA title in their first year of existence, which is further proof of the dominance the lady ballers had on the court. In addition, the Comets went a combined 80-14 during their three final championship seasons, meaning they won 85 percent of their games.

The Comets also made the playoffs in their first seven consecutive seasons, while making the postseason in nine of their 12 seasons in existence. But their success should come as no surprise, as their roster was littered with talent, including Hall of Famers Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes, and Tina Thompson, who are viewed as three of the greatest players in WNBA history.

In fact, Cooper was the first WNBA player to be inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, while Swoopes was a three-time WNBA MVP and a six-time All-Star. Thompson became the first player in WNBA history to post 7,000 points and 3,000 rebounds and became the all-time leading scorer in WNBA history in 2010, before Diana Taurasi eclipsed her record in 2017.

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