In the summer of 1997, the Houston Comets weren't just defying expectations—they were rewriting the history books. Predicted by many to finish dead last in the WNBA's inaugural season, this veteran-led squad instead captured the league's first championship, igniting a dynasty that would claim four straight titles. And they did it with style, swagger, and an unforgettable electric energy that still echoes through the hardwood today.

Fran Harris still smiles when she remembers that late-night dinner in Sacramento. The Comets had just handled the lowly Monarchs by 10 points, and Harris joined teammates Cynthia Cooper, Tammy Jackson, and Kim Perrot for a celebratory meal. Cooper had dropped 44 points that night, leaving everyone at the table in awe. "I said to Cynthia, 'I just cannot believe how great you're playing—and I know how great you are!'" Harris recalls. "And she goes, 'I know!' She was just like, 'Yeah, I'm the motherf***er!' I was like, 'You absolutely are!'"

That confidence was well-earned, but Cooper wasn't supposed to be the league's top player. At 34, she had already won college championships at USC and spent years honing her craft in Europe. When the WNBA tipped off in 1997, many wrote off the Comets as too old to compete. "They were very unimpressed with our roster for some reason," says Harris, now a TV analyst for the Dallas Wings. "When we read that, we were like, 'This s**t is funny! That is hilarious.'"

The Comets may have been seasoned, but they weren't just a team of veterans. They boasted the league's first-ever No. 1 draft pick, Tina Thompson, and welcomed superstar Sheryl Swoopes later in the season after she gave birth to her son, Jordan. Yet the "too old" label stuck. "People just thought our team was too old to compete," says Yolanda Moore, then a fresh-faced rookie and mother of two. "They thought the championship would be between New York and LA."

But the Comets had something special—a chemistry that turned clashing stars into a cohesive force. They even had run-ins with NBA legend Hakeem Olajuwon, who shared the city with them. And when they clinched the title on a night the world mourned Princess Diana, Houston erupted. "Baby, that city was electric!" Harris remembers. Championship parades, roaring crowds, and a legacy that would last for years followed.

Now, with the WNBA confirming a franchise will return to Houston in 2027—19 years after the original Comets folded—it's the perfect time to celebrate the team that started it all. The Comets didn't just win a championship; they proved that age, doubt, and even tragedy couldn't dim their fire. For fans of the game and lovers of sports history, their story is a reminder that sometimes the best teams are the ones nobody sees coming.