Chancellor’s Houston Comets Teams To Be Featured on NBA TV

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LSU women’s basketball head coach Van Chancellor, the winningest coach in WNBA history, will be featured on NBA TV on Friday, July 24, as the network chronicles the Houston Comets’ four league championships from 1997-2000.

by Bill Martin
LSU Sports Information

Four hours of programming will be devoted to the four league titles beginning at 1 p.m. CDT. Each hour relives a different season leading up to the Comets’ last league championship in 2000 at 4 p.m. CDT. Each show features interviews with Chancellor.

NBA TV is a part of Cox Communications’ digital cable package on channel 242 in Baton Rouge.

Chancellor served for 10 seasons as head coach of the Houston Comets from 1997-2006. During that time, Chancellor was named the WNBA Coach of the Year three times (1997, 1998, 1999) and he led the Comets to the league’s first four titles.

Under Chancellor, the Comets were the only team in the WNBA to make the playoffs in each of the first seven seasons of the league. His 1998 Houston Comets team holds the record for highest winning percentage in the history of both the NBA and WNBA basketball (27-3, .900).

“I’m excited about seeing our four WNBA championships on NBA TV,” Chancellor said. “It’s great to relive the start of the league and the moments of starting a franchise in Houston in 1997. We didn’t even know if we were good enough to make the playoffs and all of sudden we are winning a championship. That brings back a lot of memories, and I am looking forward to watching some of those games.”

Chancellor’s 211 wins with the franchise put him as the winningest coach in league history while the Comets established the WNBA’s first dynasty. The Hall of Famer coached some of the league’s greatest players, including the likes of Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson, that formed the nucleus of the Comets’ elite dynasty.

Chancellor discussed the great moments that paved the way for the championships.

“I think about being 3.5 games out of first place (in 1997) with eight games to go. We go on to win the title. In 1998, we were playing at home and on the brink of elimination, down 12 with seven minutes to go against Phoenix. We were already down 0-1 in the series. If we lose that game, we don’t win the second ring. We dig down in front of a packed house and win it.”

During the 1998 finals, the Comets had lost Game 1 by nine points before rebounding for a remarkable 74-69 win in overtime to take the momentum of the series against Phoenix.

“In 1999, Teresa Weatherspoon makes a half court shot to send us into an extra game,” Chancellor added. “I didn’t sleep a wink the next night because we won it. In 2000, we beat Los Angeles and they beat us all four times (in the regular season). Every year has a special moment for me.”

Chancellor begins his third season at LSU this November. He owns a 489-171 (.741) career collegiate record and sits just 11 wins shy of 500 career victories.

In two seasons at LSU, Chancellor has posted a 50-17 record and guided the Lady Tigers to two NCAA tournament appearances, a Southeastern Conference championship and an NCAA Final Four.

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NBA TV Houston Comets Championship Schedule
Friday, July 24 (all times Central)

1 p.m. – 1997 WNBA Championship
2 p.m. – 1998 WNBA Championship
3 p.m. – 1999 WNBA Championship
4 p.m. – 2000 WNBA Championship