After Cynthia Cooper retired in 2000, Liberty fans predicted Houston would not win another WNBA title. The phrase was, "No Coop, No Ring."

Without Michael Cooper at the helm, the Los Angeles Sparks failed to make it out of the first round in the 2004 playoffs. Even with Chamique Holdsclaw joining four other current and former All-Star players, the Sparks have had an underachieving 2005 campaign. Could the "No Coop, No Ring" mantra apply to Los Angeles as well?