Auburn Hills, Mich. – Plenette Pierson and Kara Braxton combined for 45 points and 22 rebounds to lead the defending champion Detroit Shock to a 108-100 victory Wednesday night over the Phoenix Mercury in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals.
Detroit took the lead in the best-of-five series despite the absence of all-star Cheryl Ford, who sat out with a knee injury. It was the highest-scoring game in the history of the Finals.
WNBA
Jackson wins MVP; Hammon second
Seattle Storm forward Lauren Jackson won the second MVP award of her WNBA career.
Jackson, who also won in 2003, led the league in scoring for the third time with a career-best 23.8 points per game and also led the WNBA with a career high of 9.7 rebounds. San Antonio Silver Stars guard Becky Hammon, a former athlete at Colorado State, finished second with 254 points.
Indiana Fever forward Tamika Catchings had surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon in her right foot. Her recovery is expected to take six to nine months.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Big 12 confirms bad call, coach says
Arkansas State coach Steve Roberts said the Big 12’s coordinator of officials has acknowledged that the Indians’ recovery of an onside kick was wrongly overturned in the final minute of No. 7 Texas’ 21-13 victory.
“We got a confirmation … (Tuesday) that they missed the call,” Roberts said.
The Indians were flagged with 56 seconds left in Saturday’s game for an improper formation. Texas recovered the second onside kick and ran out the clock.
Roberts said the game film showed the Indians had enough players on both sides of the ball before the kick.
Wisconsin running back Lance Smith, who is facing battery charges, will not be allowed to play in away games this season.
Running back Courtney Tennial will miss Tulsa’s 2007 season because of an ankle injury suffered in preseason drills. The transfer from Oklahoma was Tulsa’s leading rusher last season with 862 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Troy defensive end Kenny Mainor was arrested for marijuana possession, and has been suspended from the team indefinitely.
FOOTNOTES
Anschutz sells Chicago Fire of MLS
Private investment firm Andell Holdings has closed its deal to buy the Chicago Fire soccer team from sports giant Anschutz Entertainment Group, the companies said. The purchase price was not disclosed. Closing of the deal was to be announced today. AEG, a unit of Denver-based Anschutz Co., will continue to have interests in two other MLS teams, the Los Angeles Galaxy and Houston Dynamo, as well as Hammarby Football Club in Sweden.
Kansas City Wizards midfielder Kerry Zavagnin replaced Pablo Mastroeni on the United States roster for Sunday’s exhibition game against Brazil. Mastroeni became ill during Colorado’s game at Columbus on Sunday and left at halftime. He is still recovering, the U.S. Soccer Federation said.
NASCAR iron man Ricky Rudd, who once taped his eyes open to race, will be unable to compete because of injury for the first time in a career spanning more than a quarter century. Rudd separated his left shoulder in a wreck Sunday at California Speedway. Kenny Wallace will replace him Saturday night in the No. 88 Ford at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.
Joe Gibbs Racing will move to Toyotas next season in a switch that will make it the premier team for the Japanese automaker.
Max McNab, who won the Stanley Cup as a player with the Detroit Red Wings in 1950 and later served as the general manager of the Washington Capitals and New Jersey Devils in a nearly 50-year hockey career, died Sunday after suffering a massive stroke in Las Vegas. McNab, whose son Peter McNab serves as a color commentator for the Avalanche, was 83.
