Comets lose third straight

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Nicole Powell became popular the moment she joined the Sacramento Monarchs in an offseason trade.

It's no wonder, considering the way she's playing for her new team.

Powell scored 18 points, including two 3-pointers in the final 1:38, and Sacramento remained unbeaten at home with a 74-68 victory over the Houston Comets on Monday night.

"When you hit one or two, you look to take the next one," Powell said of her five 3s, which matched a career high. "It feels good to contribute and be No. 1. ... We're No. 1 in the West, did I mention that already?"

Yolanda Griffith added 17 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocked shots for the Monarchs, who improved their franchise-best start to 7-2. They are 4-0 in Arco Arena.

Sheryl Swoopes had 20 points and four assists and made 10-of-11 free throws for the cold-shooting Comets, who lost their third straight game.

There were nine ties in the second half, so the Monarchs had to work to preserve their perfect home record. Sacramento shot 53.7 percent.

Edwige Lawson's 3-pointer with 7:36 remaining gave Houston a 56-55 lead, but Powell hit two straight 3-pointers for Sacramento. Then the former Stanford star came up big again.

Kristen Rasmussen scored with 1:52 left to put Houston ahead 66-63, and then Powell hit a tying 3. Powell, who had a rough rookie year with Charlotte, is shining in coach John Whisenant's freelancing system.

Whisenant had to yell at Powell to shoot more. Also the general manager, he traded away popular forward Tangela Smith and a draft pick to the Sting to get Powell to upgrade his team's subpar perimeter game.

"I thought she turned down some shots," said Whisenant, a longtime fan of Powell. "I told her that's why we hired her. She's a hired gun. She's our outside threat."

The Western Conference-leading Monarchs had their three-game winning streak snapped Saturday in an 81-74 loss at Los Angeles but bounced back with a hard-fought win.

Sacramento beat Houston for the fifth time in their last six meetings. The Comets were upset with how they defended Powell.

"She is pretty much going to sit out there and shoot the ball," Swoopes said. "In the second half, we forgot who she was."

Janeth Arcain was whistled for a technical with 13 seconds left when she argued a foul after knocking down Griffith.

Sacramento's Kara Lawson returned to the lineup after missing the last seven games with a sprained left ankle. She was injured in the team's season opener at Phoenix and hadn't played since. Lawson had two points in 12 minutes.

Sacramento made 11 of its first 19 shots, but the Comets kept it close by making 15-of-16 free throws in the first half en route to a 34-32 lead. Houston didn't score its first field goal until a layin by Dominique Canty at 15:47.

Game notes
Golden State Warriors center Adonal Foyle sat courtside to cheer for his countrywoman, Houston rookie Sancho Lyttle. Lyttle is from St. Vincent, West Indies, while Foyle is from nearby Canouan, in the cluster of Caribbean islands called the Grenadines. He was thrilled when the Comets selected the 6-foot-4 Lyttle with the fifth overall pick in April's draft. "It's a small island," he said. "We have to encourage and support each other. There aren't many of us. I'm always going to be there for her if she needs me." Foyle met with Lyttle afterward and presented her with some Caribbean goodies. ... Swoopes has led the Comets in scoring in 10 of her team's 30 meetings with Sacramento.