Starzz start off stellar but still fall to Comets

"Welcome Back Frank Layden Night" at the Delta Center Tuesday started off like a Mega hit in front of a promotion-induced crowd of 15,657, a Starzz attendance record.

Margo "Mega" Dydek was everywhere.The 7-foot-2 Utah Starzz center opened the game getting the tip, making the first basket, rebounding Houston's first miss, making the game's first assist on the 3-pointer by LaTonya Johnson, making the game's first block, getting another rebound, another basket and the game's first two free throws followed by a lay-in.

All that had the Starzz up 14-4 on the defending WNBA champions and looking like a team.

"Every time we've come here, we've had to play great basketball to beat them," said reigning MVP and scoring leader Cynthia Cooper, whose 32 points were the big reason the Comets came back and won by 20 at 77-57.

She made six of 13 3-point tries and was 9-for-19 from the field, 8-for-8 at the foul line.

It was almost a scoring duel between Cooper and Dydek (20 points, 7-for-11, 8-for-10, 10 rebounds, two blocks, three assists). But for now, the experienced Cooper's going to win those battles over a 24-year-old Dydek, who's just learning to be an offensive player. With her teams in Poland, Spain and France, she was mainly a defensive anchor and passer, not a shooter.

"Margo's the best young player I've seen in a long, long time," said Houston coach Van Chancellor. "She's going to be one day the biggest force in this league you're ever going to see."

Right now, though, that territory belongs to the 35-year-old Cooper.

Cooper's play and Houston's second-half defense made up for the Comets not having Tina Thompson (who was averaging 12.4 points before suffering a knee injury Saturday) and missing Sheryl Swoopes (16.8 points a game) in the second half because of neck and back pains. Swoopes, Houston's top scorer in three of its last five games, was 2-for-7, 0-for-4 on threes and finished with four points. Guard Kim Perrot chipped in 12 points, seven assists and four steals.

Houston finished a season sweep of Utah, 4-0. The Comets are 22-2 overall, Utah 7-16.

The Starzz played again without Elena Baranova (ankle sprain). She dressed for the first time in weeks but probably won't play until Saturday in Phoenix. Utah hosts Cleveland Thursday; the Starzz have never beaten the Rockers.