Holdsclaw surprises Sparks by retiring

Chamique Holdsclaw, a six-time WNBA All-Star who re-signed with the Los Angeles Sparks in February, stunned the team by retiring Monday.

The 29-year-old forward had played in the Sparks’ first five games this season, averaging 15.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists.

Holdsclaw did not give a reason for ending her pro basketball career.

“This was not an easy decision,” she said in a statement released by the team. “I put a lot of thought into it.”

Kathy Goodman said she and Carla Christofferson, the team’s new owners, were surprised.

“This is not what we wanted,” Goodman told The Associated Press by phone. “She said she’d given it a lot of thought and decided she didn’t want to play anymore.”

Goodman said Holdsclaw didn’t give a reason and the owners didn’t ask for one.

“We decided to respect her decision,” she said. “I’m not sure how long she had been thinking about it. The first we heard about it was over the weekend. I’m not sure what all led into her decision.”

The owners, along with coach Michael Cooper and general manager Penny Toler, tried unsuccessfully to persuade Holdsclaw to stay. She was playing on a one-year contract.

“We’re relatively new, so we don’t have a long relationship with her,” Goodman said.

Before joining the Sparks two years ago, Holdsclaw played seven seasons with the Washington Mystics, who made her the league’s top draft pick in 1999. She was the WNBA rookie of the year that season after leading Tennessee to three consecutive NCAA championships and twice winning national player of the year honors.

But the Mystics had only one winning season during Holdsclaw’s stint, losing in the Eastern Conference finals in 2002.

She asked to be traded after and dealt with depression. Holdsclaw didn’t talk publicly about that time, which came after the death of her grandmother who raised her.

Monarchs 82, Comets 67: At Houston, Kara Lawson scored 24 points to lead Sacramento to a victory over winless Houston.

Lawson shot 8 for 10 from the field, including 5 for 6 on 3-pointers.

Nicole Powell added 17 points and Rebekkah Brunson 14 for the Monarchs, who won for the fourth time in five games.

Tina Thompson scored a season-high 33 points on 7 for 13 shooting from the floor and 17 for 18 on free throws to lead the Comets. .

Latasha Byears, who scored nine points for Houston, was ejected from the game with 23 seconds left after receiving her second technical. Lawson made the ensuing free throw to push the lead to 17.