Comets’ Cooper Wins Wnba’s 1st Mvp Award

Cynthia Cooper, who led the Houston Comets to the best record in the WNBA’s first season, was chosen the league’s MVP Wednesday. Her coach, Van Chancellor, was selected coach of the year.

Cooper, the league’s leading scorer and unanimous selection to the all-WNBA team, was the runaway winner of the MVP award, beating Charlotte’s Andrea Stinson by a 370-116 margin in voting by a national media panel. Los Angeles’ Lisa Leslie was third with 109 points.

Chancellor led the Comets to the best road record in the league, 9-5, and tutored a defense that ranked second in the league (65.5 points per game). Cleveland’s Linda Hill-MacDonald was runner-up.

Cooper averaged 22.2 points, 4.7 assists and 2.11 steals per game and shot 47 percent from the field. Cooper scored 30 or more points in eight games and set a league record with 44 points against Sacramento July 25.

Cooper, 34, played in Europe for 11 seasons before joining the WNBA.

The Houston Comets play the Charlotte Sting tonight in a semifinal playoff game at The Summit. The New York Liberty visit the Phoenix Mercury in the other loser-out semifinal. The two survivors advance to the league’s first championship game Saturday.

The Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to contract terms with well-traveled point guard John Crotty. He is expected to back up starting point guard Kenny Anderson. Crotty, 28, has played for Utah, Cleveland and Miami.

Free-agent guard Nick Anderson agreed to a six-year contract with the Orlando Magic.