Swoopes scores 22 as Comets keep Shock reeling

Sheryl Swoopes scored 22 points, and the Houston Comets rallied to beat the slumping Detroit Shock 75-66 Tuesday night in Auburn Hills, Mich., for their fifth straight victory.

Houston, which trailed by as many as 10 points in the second half, hasn’t been beaten since a four-game losing streak June 10-15.

The Shock, who are sending four players to this weekend’s All-Star game, are 2-7 since a 4-0 start.

Liberty 67, Sparks 55: At Los Angeles, Vickie Johnson scored 18 points to lead New York over the Sparks.

Becky Hammon added 12 points and tied a career-high with 10 assists for the Liberty, who defeated Los Angeles for the first time since 2001.

Mercury 76, Silver Stars 69: At San Antonio, Penny Taylor scored a game-high 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting, and Phoenix broke a season-high, five-game losing streak in a victory over the Silver Stars.

San Antonio replaces Phoenix in the Western Conference cellar.

Leslie, Holdsclaw head reserves

Lisa Leslie and Chamique Holdsclaw of the Los Angeles Sparks, and the Connecticut Sun’s Nykesha Sales were each selected to their sixth WNBA All-Star Game.

Leslie and Holdsclaw will be joined as Western Conference reserves by Sacramento’s DeMya Walker, Houston’s Michelle Snow, Minnesota’s Katie Smith and San Antonio’s Marie Ferdinand.

Sales will be joined on the Eastern Conference bench by Detroit’s Cheryl Ford and Deanna Nolan, Washington’s Alana Beard, New York’s Ann Wauters and Connecticut’s Taj McWilliams-Franklin.

Walker, Snow, Beard and Wauters are first-time All-Stars.