This has been my lucky week. The euphoria I felt after the conclusion of "Survivor" Wednesday night was equally matched following Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Thursday. More than 19,500 fans packed Madison Square Garden to watch the New York Liberty take on the Houston Comets. It was intense and came down to the wire even though Houston led throughout.

	At 36, the Liberty's Teresa Weatherspoon just keeps going and going.

But, my roving eye couldn't help but peep out the faces in the crowd.

There was a time when NBA players would frolic on Martha's Vineyard during the summer months. But now, it's a safe bet you'll find some filling WNBA arenas. A third meeting between Houston and New York for the WNBA title brought New York Knicks forward Marcus Camby to the Garden for the first time since his team fell to the Pacers in the NBA's Eastern Conference Finals last June. Camby sat baseline with New York's big guy -- no, not that big guy.

Camby seemed to be talking business with Knicks' President Dave Checketts. A few seats away, Philadelphia Sixers GM Billy King sat intently watching the game. Any hope of the City of Brotherly Love getting some sister hoops action? "Not anytime soon," King said. "I think we need to make sure everything's on track for the WNBA and then give it a chance to grow." So, don't look for Allen Iverson to be playing 2Ball at an NBA All-Star game any time soon.

While King and I discussed the possible outcome of the game, the NBA's top draft pick, Kenyon Martin, walked by. When the 6-foot-9 forward went over to speak to his new teammate, New Jersey Nets guard Stephon Marbury, I asked King if he was worried about Martin playing strong against the Sixers next season. "Nah, he's just a rookie," King said. Famous last words? Well, Martin, a Dallas native, might have the last laugh. Even though he recently signed a contract with a team ten miles from the Garden, Martin is picking the Comets to win it all -- again. "You gotta go with the odds," Martin said, sitting with his fiancée, whose smile was almost as bright as the dazzling jewel on her left ring finger.

Across the court, everyone's favorite ex-Knick, John Starks, was cheering on the Liberty, while his friend took every opportunity to take a picture of any Comet player that came by. Starks was never able to bring a title to the Big Apple, but he believes Teresa Weatherspoon and Co. will do so this year, even after going down 59-52 in the first of a the best-of-3 series, a format Starks is no fan of. "You kind of hate to see a short, three-game series because anything could happen in two games," Starks said.

After the game ended, Indiana Pacer Reggie Miller, who was doing play-by-play for Lifetime, rushed out to an elevator. But before leaving the building, he exchanged pleasantries with Checketts. First rumors of Patrick Ewing being traded. Now sightings of Checketts and New York's Public Enemy Number One actually being nice to one another. The apocalypse may be among us.

Well, NBA stars weren't the only ballers in the house. A host of WNBA players, like Charlotte's Dawn Staley, Los Angeles' Lisa Leslie and Minnesota's Katie Smith, were on hand as well. And Leslie was sporting a new, waist-length braided 'do that's sure to draw some attention Down Under when the U.S. team begins Olympic play next month.

So, now it's off to Houston for Game 2 on Saturday. Something tells me the Compaq Center won't be as star-studded as the Garden. But then again, the Comets always seem to have enough star power to outshine anything that comes their way.