truebluefan

HOUSTON - The Houston Comets announced today the signings of Adia Barnes, Crystal Givens and Pauline Akonga Nsimbo to free agent contracts. Per team policy, terms of the agreements were not disclosed.



Barnes (5-11, Arizona '98) holds career averages of 3.8 points and 2.6 rebounds in 132 WNBA games with the Sacramento Monarchs (29), Minnesota Lynx (19), Cleveland Rockers (8) and Seattle Storm (76). She did not play the 2005 season after being waived by Seattle on May 18. A member of the 2004 WNBA Champion Storm, she averaged 2.0 points, 1.6 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 11.8 minutes in 34 games (two starts) that year. Barnes holds career playoff averages of 2.2 points and 1.4 rebounds in 12 games with Cleveland (4) and Seattle (8).



Givens (6-0, Long Beach State '02) was a training camp invitee with the Indiana Fever, where she signed on April 26, 2004 before being waived on May 6. She also appeared in a pair of preseason games with the Cleveland Rockers in 2003 prior to being waived on the final day of training camp. In 2002, she was brought in as a free agent with the Storm before being released at the end of training camp.



Akonga Nsimbo (Congo) has played for the Democratic Republic of Congo's National Women's Basketball Team alongside Los Angeles Sparks forward Mwadi Mabika. In the 2005 FIBA Championships, Akonga Nsimbo averaged 11.5 points and 8.3 rebounds in six games.



The Comets' training camp roster now stands at 22 players. Please see the following roster page for more details.



This season will mark the 10th Anniversary for the Comets and the WNBA, making it the longest-running professional women's league in history. The 2006 season will tip off at Toyota Center on May 21 when the Comets host the San Antonio Silver Stars. To purchase season tickets, mini-plans or group tickets, call (713) 627-WNBA or go online at www.houstoncomets.com.



Houston Comets 2006 Training Camp Roster



No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate College/Country WNBA

34 Pauline Akonga Nsimbo F N/A N/A 1/9/82 Congo R

32 Adia Barnes F 5-11 165 2/3/77 Arizona '98 7

3 Renae Camino G 5-9 155 11/19/86 Australia R

25 Dominique Canty G 5-9 162 3/2/77 Alabama '99 7

4 Kayte Christensen F 6-3 171 11/16/80 UC Santa Barbara '02 4

20 Tamecka Dixon G 5-9 148 12/14/75 Kansas '97 9

31 Crystal Givens F 6-0 154 1/23/81 Long Beach State '02 R

15 Roneeka Hodges G 5-11 165 7/19/82 Florida State '05 1

1 Cynthia Jordan G 5-7 137 4/4/83 Temple '05 R

55 Anastasia Kostaki G 5-7 137 3/26/78 Greece R

21 Sancho Lyttle F 6-4 175 9/20/83 Houston '05 1

41 Megan Moody G/F 6-2 167 11/3/83 Tulsa '06 R

9 Astou Ndiaye-Diatta F/C 6-3 182 11/5/73 Southern Nazarene '97 6

24 Tari Phillips C/F 6-2 200 3/6/70 Central Florida '91 7

52 Liz Shimek F 6-1 195 5/25/84 Michigan State '06 R

42 Charlene Smith G 5-8 153 12/22/81 DePaul '05 R

2 Michelle Snow C 6-5 158 3/20/80 Tennessee '02 4

5 Dawn Staley G 5-6 134 5/4/70 Virginia '92 7

44 Tiffany Stansbury F/C 6-3 183 1/16/83 North Carolina State '06 R

22 Sheryl Swoopes F 6-0 145 3/25/71 Texas Tech '93 9

7 Tina Thompson F 6-2 178 2/10/75 USC '97 9

8 Mistie Williams F 6-3 205 12/2/83 Duke '06 R



Head Coach & General Manager Van Chancellor (Mississippi State '65)

Assistant Coaches Kevin Cook (Urbana '83)

Karleen Thompson (USC '96)

Director of Player Personnel Tom Cross (Texas '95)

Coordinator of Sports Medicine Michelle T. Leget (Central Michigan '90)

Head Athletic Trainer Samantha Hicks (Tarleton State '01)

Video Coordinator Harold Liggans (Jackson State '68)

Equipment Manager Anthony Nila