Houston has left no doubt that it is again the favorite to win a fourth straight championship. The Comets (7-1) own the league's best record and are 78-20 over the past four seasons.

The Comets won their third straight for the second time this season with Monday's 107-85 pounding of the Utah Starzz to open the homestand. Sheryl Swoopes collected 28 points and 10 rebounds after bumping heads with teammate Tammy Jackson during practice earlier in the day.

Swoopes shot 10-of-17 from the floor to help Houston hit 52 percent (34-of-66) and has led her team in scoring all eight games. Cynthia Cooper poured in 24 points and Tina Thompson added 17 for the Comets, who improved to 3-1 at Compaq Center this season and have won 15 of 16 here dating to last year.

The Comets reached the 100-point mark for the second time in team history and fell short of the franchise record set in a 110-45 blowout of Washington on August 17, 1998.

Houston last enjoyed a four-game winning streak from August 12-18 of a season ago. A four-game run is only the seventh best winning streak in club history, 11 victories shy of its own WNBA record set in 1998.

Miami snapped its three-game losing streak Tuesday and salvaged the finale of its three-game homestand with a 74-61 triumph over Detroit. Sheri Sam scored 17 points and Kisha Ford added 14 off the bench for the expansion Sol, who never trailed and used a 15-3 run late in the game for the win.

The Sol had a decided advantage at the line by hitting 26-of-38 free throws, while the Shock were only 13-of-21. Miami's starters knocked down 19-of-25 from the stripe with Detroit's starters converting 4-of-9.

This is the only meeting between these teams this season. Houston is 2-0 against expansion teams this year. It needed double overtime to defeat Portland on May 31 and came back the next night to rout Seattle, 77-47.