Indianapolis ? With her team struggling on offense, Sheryl Swoopes relied on defense to lead the Houston Comets to a 56-45 victory over the Indiana Fever on Wednesday night.

Swoopes, the league’s player of the year in 2000 who sat out last season following knee surgery, helped limit rookie Tamika Catchings to eight points, and the Comets were able to pull away by closing the game with a 10-0 run.

Tina Thompson had 20 points and eight rebounds to lead Houston (3-2).

Swoopes overcame dehydration that sent her to the bench near the end of the first half and finished with 11 points, while Tiffani Johnson worked inside for 10.

Catchings, who also missed the 2001 season after knee surgery, came into the game as the league’s leading scorer after averaging 25 points in the Fever’s first two games, both victories.

“She’s a great player,” Swoopes said of Catchings. “Regardless of who was guarding her, we had to be very conscious of where she was.

“You don’t stop her. I was just trying to make it as difficult as possible for her. I’m proud of my defense.”

Catchings, who was 16-of-27 from the field in her first two games, was 2-of-12 against the Comets.

Indiana, which shot 21.7 percent (13-of-60), missed its last five shots. Houston was 23-of-50 (46 percent).

“Catchings is a great player,” Houston coach Van Chancellor said. “I told Sheryl, ‘Don’t let her have the ball.’ We knew we had to deny her the ball. That’s why we double-teamed her. Deny the ball and don’t let her have it.”

Nikki McCray led Indiana with 14 points.

Liberty 60, Shock 59

New York Teresa Weatherspoon became the first WNBA player to record 1,000 career assists in a 60-59 victory over the Shock on Wednesday night.

Weatherspoon reached the mark with a pass to Crystal Robinson for a 3-pointer just 3:55 into the game. Robinson, who led the team in 3-point shooting percentage last season (.417), drilled the shot from the wing.

Weatherspoon, who has started in every Liberty game in the WNBA’s six-year history, finished with four assists, and two steals. She has 1,003 assists, 134 more than Sacramento’s Ticha Penicheiro.