WNBA: Van Chancellor on the legacy of the Houston Comets’ Kim Perrot

If anyone epitomized the expression “There is no I in team,” it was Kim Perrot. The fierce point guard from Lafayette, LA was 5-foot-5 and weighed 132 pounds. She may have been tiny in stature, but she was big in presence.

Although the big three of Sheryl Swoopes, Cynthia Cooper and Tina Thompson most often were in the spotlight, Perrot was the glue behind the Houston Comets dynasty of the late 1990s, just as women’s professional basketball began a new era. Which is why her passing from lung cancer at the age of 32 on Aug. 19, 1999 left such a huge void. The loss was felt hard amongst the team, across the city of Houston and especially in head coach Van Chancellor.

“She was the glue that held us together. She had the respect of everybody,” he said in an interview with Swish Appeal. “I’ve never seen a player play and had the respect of everyone. She had such a work ethic that is just unbelievable. When she came to practice, I’ve never seen anyone practice harder.”

Interestingly enough, Chancellor originally didn’t want Perrot on the team when they were holding open tryouts at St. Thomas High School in Houston before the WNBA’s inaugural season in 1997. “Everybody in the group liked Kim Perrot, except me,” he said. “I didn’t want her. Everyone said she could win.”

Perrot made the team, but was riding the bench. After a game in which the Comets guards struggled against the New York Liberty at Madison Square Garden, Chancellor made the decision to go with Perrot as the starting point guard. After playing six seasons in Europe, she made her WNBA debut on June 21, 1997 against the Cleveland Rockers. She had two points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals. From there, Perrot was the starting point guard and became a fan favorite.

She was the outgoing, feisty and vocal leader who got everyone on the same page. Whenever Swoopes, Cooper or Thompson had spats, she was there to settle it. Chancellor says nobody on the team had any ill will towards her. “She had the respect of everybody,” he said. “Everybody just loved her.”

Perrot was best friends with Cooper. She and Chancellor also developed a strong bond, typically uncommon between a player and coach. They would host training sessions together and he got to see first hand just how funny she could be when they were off the court. “Cynthia would watch me and Kim play dominoes,” he said. “She said, ‘Coop, I know my coach is cheating me. I don’t know how he’s cheating me.’”

Everything was going well until Feb. 1999, when Perrot was diagnosed with lung cancer. Chancellor found out when he was on the golf course. “I’m on the 13th hole playing golf and my trainer called me and said, ‘You need to go to the clubhouse and call me,’” he said. “I thought somebody in my family had died and I want you to know that Kim has cancer.”

Though she was going through grueling chemotherapy, Perrot remained a constant presence at practices and games, never relinquishing her role as the glue. “To watch her just deteriorate and lose weight and all of that was hard on everybody,” Chancellor said. “She was such an inspiration to us all and we kept fighting through. I don’t understand how we got through.”

The Comets got through as best they could, contending for their third consecutive championship after Perrot’s passing. They made it to the Finals against the Liberty. Throughout the Finals fans would come into the Compaq Center in Houston with signs saying “#3 for #10.” The Comets would win their third-straight title in three games, but for Chancellor, it was a bittersweet victory. “From a personal point of view, winning the third championship didn’t seem as nearly as important as losing Kim,” he said. “I was tremendously sad that Kim wasn’t there to enjoy us.”

Kim Perrot’s contributions were recognized by the league in the form of the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award, which is given to the player who most “exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court, ethical behavior, fair play and integrity.” Outside of basketball, the MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Center in Houston has “Kim’s Place” in her honor, which provides a sanctuary for children with cancer.

For Chancellor, her legacy also should include her selfless, team-first spirit, a model for the current generation of players. “Kim Perrot is a great example of using all of your abilities and putting the team first,” he said. “She said, ‘If I shoot, we don’t have enough basketballs for Sheryl, Coop and Tina.’ Kim Perrot had the heart. Quit worrying about your stats. At the end of day, how many championships did you win? Most inspirational player to ever play.”