‘It feels like a dream’ for pair winning S.F. volleyball event

Ed Ratledge and partner Roberto Rodriguez earned their first AVP Pro Tour victories in winning the San Francisco Open at the Embarcadero on Sunday.

Ratledge, 41, had not finished better than third in 145 previous tour events. He and Rodriguez, 31, defeated the fifth-seeded duo of former NBA forward Chase Budinger and two-time Olympian Sean Rosenthal 21-15, 21-18. The final was also a first for Budinger, who made his professional beach-volleyball debut this season.

“It feels like a dream,” said Ratledge, who pondered retiring last year until he began posting the best results of his beach volleyball career. “I didn’t think like this was ever going to happen. If it never happened, I could have lived my whole life and been content, but it did. It’s not about the results, it’s about the lifestyle.”

In the women’s final, topseeded Emily Day and Betsi Flint claimed their second straight title, winning 21-17, 16-21, 15-7 over No. 4 Caitlin Ledoux and Geena Urango. The duo also won the AVP Seattle Open two weeks ago. WNBA: Skylar DigginsSmith had 32 points, seven rebounds and five assists to help the Dallas Wings win 97-87 at New York.

Liz Cambage added 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Wings (10-8), who won their third straight. Tina Charles had 26 points and nine rebounds to lead the Liberty (5-14).

Tiffany Hayes had 18 points and the host Atlanta Dream held off a late rally to beat the Phoenix Mercury 76-70.

Sue Bird scored 21 points while setting the franchise scoring mark to help the host Seattle Storm beat the Washington Mystics 97-91. MLS: Maximiliano Moralez got the breakthrough goal in the 85th minute and New York City FC beat the New York Red Bulls 1-0. Arrest: Former NFL cornerback Brandon Browner was arrested after police say he broke into the Southern California house of an ex-girlfriend who has a restraining order against him.

Police say Browner, 33, broke into the house, threatened to kill the woman and stole a Rolex watch valued at about $20,000.

Browner was arrested Sunday in La Verne, about 30 miles east of Los Angeles. He is from nearby Pomona and played football for Oregon State before signing with the Seahawks in 2011. He later played for the Patriots when they won the Super Bowl. Obituary: Basketball Hall of Famer Frank Ramsey, an All-American at Kentucky and member of seven NBA championship teams with the Boston Celtics, died Sunday at 86 in Madisonville, Ky.

Ramsey was a part of the Wildcats’ 1951 national championship team and a threetime All-American. The 6foot-3 guard was selected by the Celtics in the first round of the 1953 NBA draft and began his pro career a year later.

He averaged double figures in eight of his nine seasons and 13.4 points per game for his career. His No. 23 jersey is retired by Boston.