West is best behind Moore
Maya Moore provided the example, former Stanford star and reigning league MVP Nneka Ogwumike gladly followed along, and Sue Bird received attention and recognition she deserved.
Those veterans on the West roster knew exactly how to turn the first WNBA All-Star Game in Seattle into a showcase.
“I thought it was a great game, a great pace. You don’t want anybody to get hurt, but you also want to play with a certain intensity to show off your athleticism and I thought we were able to do that,” Moore said.
Moore scored 23 points, Ogwumike added 22 points and the West outlasted the East 130-121 in the WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday, where most of the focus was on Seattle’s 10-time All-Star playing in front of her home crowd.
The veteran West squad with 55 total All-Star Game selections on its roster, pulled away after a close first half. Moore made 9 of 17 shots, including five 3-pointers, while Ogwumike made 11 of 15 attempts off the bench. Bird had a hand in many of those baskets, finishing with a game-record 11 assists and eight points.
Moore was named the game’s MVP for the second consecutive All-Star Game.
No matter what Moore, Ogwumike or impressive East standout Jonquel Jones did in the game, it was secondary to Bird. She was the focus of the entire weekend welcoming the All-Star Game to her adopted hometown for the first time. It was her record-tying 10th All-Star appearance for No. 10, although it was her hope not to have all the attention specifically on her.
Easier said than done. Bird received the loudest ovations as she was introduced , drowning out those that went to Diana Taurasi, Seattle teammate Breanna Stewart and others. “I know when she always talks about Seattle she always gloats and she always gets a smile on her face. So it was nice to see that love back to her and you can tell it’s a mutual love,” Taurasi said.
Former Cal star Layshia Clarendon had 14 points off the bench for the East. Clarendon set the record for assists in an All-Star debut with 10.
Motor sports
KYLE BUSCH RACES TO POLE POSITION AT BRICKYARD 400 >> Kyle Busch won the pole position as he chases an unprecedented third consecutive NASCAR Brickyard 400 victory in Indianapolis. Busch earned the top qualifying spot on his final lap with a speed of 187.301 mph on the 2.5-mile oval. Kevin Harvick was second at 186.332, and Jamie McMurray qualified third.
It’s the second consecutive year Busch has claimed the Indianapolis pole. NHRA’S PRITCHETT QUALIFIES WITH TRACK RECORD >> Leah Pritchett took the No. 1 Top Fuel qualifying position in the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colorado. Pritchett set an elapsed-time track record with a 3.733-second pass at 326.24 mph. TEENAGER BYRON NARROWLY TAKES XFINITY SERIES WIN >> William Byron’s first trip to Indianapolis Motor Speedway ended with an unforgettable finish.
The teenage rookie used some savvy moves and a little luck to hold off the hardcharging Paul Menard for his third NASCAR Xfinity Series win in less than a month. The margin of 0.108 seconds was the narrowest in race history, and he did it by successfully blocking the 2011 Brickyard 400 winner for the final two laps while dealing with a troublesome tire for the final 20.
Golf
STALLINGS UP BY A STROKE >> Scott Stallings birdied the final hole for an 11-under 60 and a one-stroke lead in the PGA Tour’s Barbasol Championship in Opelika, Alabama. NELLY KORDA TAKES TWOSTROKE LEAD >> Nelly Korda birdied the final two holes for a 5-under 66 and a twostroke lead in the Marathon Classic. The 18-year-old Korda, the sister of LPGA Tour winner Jessica Korda and daughter of tennis major champion Petr Korda, had a 15-under 198 total at Highland Meadows in Sylvania, Ohio.
Volleyball
WALSH JENNINGS INJURED >> Five-time Olympian Kerri Walsh Jennings (Mitty High/Stanford) injured her shoulder during the semifinals of a beach volleyball tournament in Poland and forfeited the bronze medal match.
Walsh Jennings and new partner Nicole Branagh (Miramonte High) were tied in the third set of their match against Canada when Walsh Jennings dove for the ball with her right arm and twisted her hand in the sand.
NHL
COYOTES SIGN MARTINOOK >> The Arizona Coyotes have signed restricted free agent forward Jordan Martinook to a two-year, $3.6 million contract, avoiding arbitration.
Tennis
RODDICK GOES INTO HALL OF
FAME >> Andy Roddick says jokingly he can now keep Roger Federer from a unanimous selection for the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
As a new inductee, Roddick gets to vote on future candidates. He jested ahead of his enshrinement in Newport, Rhode Island, that he’ll use it to get back at Federer, who stood in his way during at least four Grand Slam finals.
Roddick joins inductees Kim Clijsters, six-time Paralympic medalist Monique Kalkman and journalist and historian Steve Flink. Tennis instructor and innovator Vic Braden was inducted posthumously.
Soccer
NEW YORK CITY FC STAYS
UNBEATEN AT HOME >> David Villa and Frederic Brillant scored minutes apart early in the second half and New York City FC beat the Chicago Fire 2-1 to extend its home unbeaten streak to seven games . ... Cristian Colman scored his first two goals of the season and FC Dallas rallied to beat the Montreal Impact 2-1 . ... Teal Bunbury scored twice, Diego Fagundez had three assists and the New England Revolution beat the Los Angeles Galaxy 4-3 to snap a four-game losing streak . ... Benny Feilhaber scored on a penalty kick to help Sporting Kansas City tie Real Salt Lake 1-1 and extend its unbeaten streak to seven games. Kansas City (8-4-9) hasn’t lost since May 27, 1-0 loss to the Colorado Rapids.
UFC
WEIDMAN PREVAILS OVER
GASTELUM >>It had been a long time since he could experience that feeling.
Seven hundred and ninety one days, to be exact.
“It feels like a championship,” Weidman said, after he submitted Kelvin Gastelum with an arm triangle choke at 3:45 of the third round in a UFC on Fox event at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. “I can’t wait to tell my kids I won.”
Weidman the former Hofstra wrestler fighting just across the Hempstead Turnpike from the university’s campus, snapped a three-fight losing streak to improve to 14-3. Gastelum dropped to 14-4-0 with one no-decision.
The win was Weidman’s first since knocking out Vitor Belfort at UFC 187 on May 23, 2015.
“This is a surreal feeling,” Weidman said. “This is an indescribable moment. I wanted to come out here and prove myself.”
After spending much of the first two minutes feinting and circling, Weidman successfully wrestled Gastelum to the canvas. But with seconds left in the round, Gastelum landed a hook to Weidman’s chin that dropped the former middleweight champion before the bell rang.
Horse racing
ARROGATE UPSET >> Accelerate stunned overwhelming favorite Arrogate to win the $300,000 San Diego Handicap by 81/2 lengths at Del Mar, snapping the sevenrace winning streak of the world’s top-ranked horse.
Swimming
TWO MORE GOLDS FOR CHINA
>> China earned two more gold medals at the world championships in Budapest, Hungary, including its eighth victory in diving.
Li Zheng and Wang Han finished first in the synchronized mixed 3-meter event with 323.70 points. Grace Reid and Thomas Daley of Britain took the silver (308.04), while the bronze went to Jennifer Abel and Francois Imbeau-Dulac of Canada (297.72).