There they stood, smiling brightly at the camera. Cynthia Cooper, Tina Thompson and Sheryl Swoopes dressed to the nines.

Under the snapshot on Cooper’s instagram account was this caption: “The Big Three!!! All Hall of Famers!!!”

Thompson was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame last week, joining Cooper (class of 2010) and Swoopes (class of 2016). The three belong there for, among other things, their foundational role in the WNBA’s first dynasty, the Houston Comets.

While seeing the three together again — recognized among the greatest in the game — was worth celebrating, it was also another reminder that an important part of Houston’s sports scene is missing.

The Comets won the WNBA’s first four championships (1997-2000) behindCooper, Thompson and Swoopes. The franchise disbanded in 2008 after it went on sale for a second time.

Shortly after the team went on the block, it was gone. No one bought it. The league couldn’t keep it afloat. And just like that, one of the city’s greatest teams was finished.

The WNBA is having one of its best years since it started in 1997. The Seattle Storm lead the Washington Mystics 2-0 in the Finals, which continue Wednesday night.

As Thompson — the league’s first No. 1 overall draft pick — was inducted into the Hall of Fame, we were all reminded that the Comets set the bar for greatness in the WNBA.

“The Comets were the impact,” Thompson told ESPN earlier this year. “They made people stand up and watch. They made skeptics of the league and its ability to survive into believers. Houston set a tone. It created awareness and excitement, like a curiosity of, ‘What’s going on over there in that league? What is it that everybody’s talking about?’ Not just in the state of Texas, but also in other states and other cities, because they wanted to kind of know what the fuss was about.”

The Comets were widely supported, averaging more than 11,000 fans per game in their first five years. Cooper, Swoopes, Thompson and their teammates were stars.

Since 2008, a passionate group of Comets supporters has clamored for the return of their beloved team. It’s not that easy, of course.

There doesn’t seem to be a WNBA expansion plan. And though one team, the Liberty, is for sale, the hope in New York is that the new buyer will keep the franchise there.

But even though there isn’t a clear answer to get a team to Houston, the city should jump at any chance to get one.

When Tilman Fertitta bought the Rockets last summer, there was immediate speculation about his attempting to get an NHL franchise in Houston. No offense to hockey, but if Fertitta wants to spend money on another team, he should work to get a women’s basketball team back to the city.

Houston needs one. Aside from the Comets and their dynastic success, this city has turned out some of the greatest players in the game. Lindsay Harding, Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike and Brittney Griner are among those who grew up here, watched the Comets and then became great players.

The impact the team had on young women competing in sports was massive. Currently, the Dash are the only women's professional team in town. The NSWL squad failed to make the playoffs this year, but the team has garnered a lot of interest, which peaked when American star Carli Lloyd played on the team.

Houston is a city that can support women’s sports. The Comets proved that two decades ago.

The WNBA is on a high this year. TV ratings are up, as are sales of tickets and merchandise. The interest level is healthy and hopefully will get even better next season.

Maybe that’s a sign expansion will come eventually. If that’s the case, Houston should be one of the first cities to line up for a team.

Until then, the Comets’ history is all the city has. And it’s rich. Along with the four championship banners, the Big Three — Cooper, Swoopes and Thompson — can now be applauded as Hall of Famers. So, lest we forget, can coach Van Chancellor, who in 2007 was inducted as much for his success with the Comets as his record at the University of Mississippi.

Maybe someday they all can be back together watching a team on a basketball court in Houston, where they set a high bar and created something that do this day is special.

jenny.creech@chron.com

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