Sheryl Swoopes is gone but Tina Thompson, Michelle Snow, Sancho Lyttle, Mistie Williams and Tamecka Dixon are returning for GM/Head Coach Karleen Thompson. The team not only will have a distinctively different look this year ....it will also be playing games in a totally new place ....Reliant Arena.

Coach Thompson believes she and her players can turn the "intimate" setting into a huge homecourt advantage. First of course ....fans have to find the place ... then they have to want to watch the Comets in action. Thompson tells me that,"Don't worry we'll put on a show for the fans ...but honestly I don't know for sure where the arena is yet."

One of the most impressive newcomers to the team is guard Matee Ajavon. Ajavon is a first round draft pick out of Rutgers. And yes, in case you're wondering, she was there when Don Imus came out with his "nappy-headed __________" comment. Matee is one of those brave women of the basketball team at Rutgers that stood tall with dignity and class in the face of Don Imus's now infamous remarks. "I think it opened up a lot of people's eyes to see that we're not just basketball players we're women who are definately trying to put a positive light on ourselves." Ajavon .... who one of her teammates described as a female Dwayne Wade... is an exciting player. Her new coach says the first day of practice ...she volunteered to guard the toughest girl on the team during defensive drills. Coach Thompson says she's fearless. Thompson paid her the ultimate compliment when she told me,"I think she'll be our next Sheryl Swoopes." If that's the case ....it'll be worth all the fans' time to find Reliant Arena this summer. The Comets open the season May 17th.