Houston Comets star Cynthia Cooper announced her intention to retire Monday night and said it was a "bittersweet" decision because "I know I have a lot more basketball in me."

		The bottom line is that if Cooper can't be the biggest star on the team, she will take her ball and go home.

And she assured that it will be bittersweet time for everyone else as well.

Cooper has had a stellar professional career, capped by her huge success in the WNBA, two MVP awards, three titles and her emergence as a mainstream household name. But she has been a petulant talent at times, wanting to be not only the center of the game plan, but of attention as well.

She said Monday that it is her sense that her role on the team is starting to change, just starting mind you, that has driven her toward retirement. Cooper hedged on that statement Wednesday, but that doesn't mean it's not a part of her decision. It just doesn't sound great when she says it out loud.

The bottom line is that if Cooper can't be the biggest star on the team, she will take her ball and go home. We'll wait and see if that actually happens.

No question, last year was a tough year for Cooper from her mother's death from breast cancer in February 1999, an auto accident, a devastating fire at one of her Texas homes, and finally the death of her best friend and teammate Kim Perrot.

It was difficult not to be sympathetic to Cooper last year as she handled herself with dignity and grace.

But the declaration of retirement seems far from graceful.

It was inexcusable that Comets' coach Van Chancellor would have to be caught off guard by his star player's decision not to return. Chancellor was obviously surprised when approached by reporters Monday night. Cooper said she's been thinking about this move since training camp and yet it would appear she has kept that thought process to herself.

Still, Cooper is right about one thing. At 37, she still has plenty of basketball left in her. It just might not be MVP basketball. That doesn't mean she wouldn't be a valuable player for Houston -- or anyone else -- for at least three or four more years.

On attendance
The WNBA is averaging approximately 8,600 a game this season and there are two ways to look at those numbers. 1) They are way down from the 10,000-plus average just two years ago, and that's a big problem; and 2) They are way better than the 4,000 a game the league was hoping for when it started in 1997, so that's a big success.

Five teams in the league are drawing better than 10,000 a game -- Washington (topping the list at better than 14,000 a game), New York, Houston, Phoenix and Indiana. But 10 of the teams are drawing less than the league average -- a couple of those way below.

In truth, the WNBA is still trying to find its fan base. In four years, the league has doubled in size all the while trying to figure out who was coming to games for the novelty or because they are truly fans of the game.

And each year, with new teams in new markets, that process starts all over again.

Eighty-six hundred fans a game -- and of course those numbers are inflated somewhat with discount tickets and giveaways -- but that's nothing to be ashamed of in a glutted sports universe. And this year's early start -- because of the Olympic-mandated schedule -- no doubt hurt teams early on when the NBA Finals were still running.

The signs of trouble are easier to spot on an individual basis. Charlotte, which has won just one home game this season, is pulling in just 5,266 a game, while Utah is down to 5,611 despite the presence of a star attraction like local product Natalie Williams.

The league is no doubt taking a close look at these teams, and despite making a commitment to both, ought to think about moving things around before it considers more expansion.

Sixteen teams, especially 16 well-placed teams, would seem to be plenty for the foreseeable future.

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