Sparks Can’t Stop Cooper or Comets

She sat at her locker, too exhausted to celebrate, a mound of ice taped to her thigh.

Cynthia Cooper had just led her Houston Comets to an easy 81-57 victory over the Sparks Friday night in front of an announced crowd of 8,009 at the Forum.

The 34-year-old former USC player scored 34 points, including a key three-point burst late in the first half.

After the Comets took the Sparks out of the game in the second half, they sealed them off. The devastating running game the Sparks had shown in consecutive wins over Phoenix, Sacramento and Cleveland was rendered pedestrian by Houston.

The Sparks were almost pathetic in the second half, when the Comets outscored them, 45-19.

Meanwhile, the battle between Los Angeles’ Lisa Leslie and Houston’s Tina Thompson was so intense at times that it appeared the two former USC teammates might start brawling.

They didn’t, but both will wake today with forearm and elbow bruises. Thompson, who played one season with Leslie at USC, called it another day at the office.

“It was exactly like any of our USC practices,” she said.

“Lisa and I are good friends. I learned a lot from her. But I’m not going to back down when I play her.”

Thompson had 14 points and nine rebounds. Leslie had 11 points and six rebounds.

The Comets left their No. 2 rebounder, Wanda Guyton, at home because she was suffering from back spasms.

Cooper was hurting too. “She could barely move at practice Wednesday,” said Houston Coach Van Chancellor. “What she did tonight . . . that showed me something.”

Cooper was 9 of 19 from the floor, five of nine from three-point range and had five assists. She played 38 minutes.

With 5:28 to go, she even did a little standup comedy.

She was fouled hard driving down the court, stumbled to the press table behind the baseline and looked Laker publicist Raymond Ridder in the eye and said: “I am extremely tired right now.”

Then she went to the free throw line and sank both shots for a 72-50 lead.

Since July 18, Cooper has had 30-, 32-, 44- and 34-point games. No one else in the league has had a 30-point game.

The victory improved Houston’s record to 11-6, while the Sparks, who play the Charlotte Sting Sunday at the Forum, fell to 8-11.

Around the WNBA

Rhonda Mapp had 20 points and eight rebounds as the Charlotte Sting routed the Sacramento Monarchs, 85-61, at Charlotte, N.C. Andrea Stinson and Vicky Bullet scored 16 points apiece for Charlotte (9-7), which won its eighth home game.

Ruthie Bolton-Holifield had 18 points and a game-high nine rebounds for Sacramento (5-12).