WNBA president Donna Orender is expected to announce findings today of the league’s review of Tuesday night’s altercation between the Detroit Shock and the Los Angeles Sparks in Auburn Hills, Mich.
The altercation unfolded with 5.2 seconds left in the game with the Sparks ahead 82-78.
The Sparks’ Candace Parker and Shock’s Plenette Pierson got tangled up while battling for a rebound. Parker fell to the floor and seconds later pulled Pierson down with her, who was standing over the rookie. During the melee, Shock assistant coach Rick Mahorn appeared to push the Sparks’ Lisa Leslie to the floor.
Leslie’s teammate DeLisha Milton-Jones responded by punching Mahorn in the back. Parker, Pierson, Milton-Jones and Mahorn were ejected. The Shock’s Deanna Nolan and the Sparks’ Shannon Bobbitt received technicals.
Also, Shock forward Cheryl Ford will miss the rest of the season with a torn knee ligament — an injury suffered while trying to hold back Pierson.
Hawks’ Childress signs with Greek club.
Swingman Josh Childress, who averaged 11.8 points and 4.9 rebounds last season, is leaving the Atlanta Hawks to join Greek club Olympiakos with a three-year deal worth about $20 million after taxes. Childress can opt out of the contract after each year.
• The Los Angeles Clippers acquired Jason Hart from the Utah Jazz in exchange for Brevin Knight in a swap of point guards.
• Guard Sebastian Telfair signed his new contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves, a two-year deal that includes a player option for a third season.
Ducks coach signs extension.
Randy Carlyle, who coached the Anaheim Ducks to the Stanley Cup championship in 2007, signed a two-year extension. Financial terms were not announced.
• The Boston Bruins signed defenseman Dennis Wideman to a multiyear contract extension.
• Former Avs forward Martin Rucinsky, who played the last two seasons for the St. Louis Blues, has decided to leave the NHL and play for Czech club Sparta Prague.
Footnotes.
Former Missouri basketball coach Norm Stewart is recovering from open-heart surgery. Stewart, 73, who had an aortic valve replacement procedure Friday, is expected to be released from the hospital this week.
• The nation’s largest steroids testing program caught only two Texas high school athletes taking unauthorized substances out of more than 10,000 students who were tested.
• NASCAR tried to even out the competition in the Nationwide Series by ordering all teams using Toyota motors to squeeze down their horsepower before this weekend’s race in Indianapolis.
• Unbeaten middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik has finalized a deal to fight longtime title-holder Bernard Hopkins on Oct. 18 in Atlantic City, N.J.
• The fight between Roy Jones Jr. and Joe Calzaghe is expected to be rescheduled for Nov. 8.
• Brian Mullan and Brian Ching scored goals as Houston beat D.C. United 2-0.
The Associated Press
