Mercury even WNBA Finals with OT win
PHOENIX >> Brittney Griner dunked while scoring 29 points, Diana Taurasi had eight of her 20 points in overtime and the Phoenix Mercury evened the WNBA Finals with a 91-86 win over the Chicago Sky on Wednesday night in Game 2.
Griner kept the Mercury within reach of Chicago during a sluggish start and brought the Phoenix Suns players sitting courtside to their feet with her second career playoff dunk in the first quarter. She scored on a turnaround jumper to help give Phoenix a late fourpoint lead in regulation, but just missed blocking Courtney Vandersloot’s tying layup with 4.4 seconds left.
Taurasi opened overtime with a four-point play and added a 3-pointer that put Phoenix up 89-86 with 1:24 left. She then came up with a huge defensive play, getting a steal with 36 seconds left.
Skylar Diggins-Smith, who had 13 points and 12 assists, sealed it on a layup with 12.8 seconds left.
Vandersloot led the Sky with 20 points and 14 assists. Allie Quigley added 19 points.
Game 3 is Friday in Chicago.
Soccer
WEAH, DEST SPARK US TO 2-1 WIN OVER COSTA RICA >> Tim Weah scored his second international goal in the 66th minute after Sergiño Dest started the comeback from a first-minute deficit, and the United States rallied past Costa Rica 2-1 to ease pressure as World Cup qualifying neared the halfway point.
Goalkeeper Zack Steffen, one of nine new starters inserted by coach Gregg Berhalter following Sunday’s dismal 1-0 loss at Panama, made a costly headed clearance that led to Keysher Fuller’s goal 60 seconds in,
the fastest goal conceded by the U.S. in 23 years.
Dest, another new starter by his rotation-emphasizing coach, tied it in the 25th minute when he curled a shot past Keylor Navas.
The U.S. has 11 points after six of 14 matches, with its three toughest games still ahead — at home against Mexico on Nov. 12 plus away matches at Mexico and Costa Rica.
Tennis DIMITROV DOWNS TOPSEEDED MEDVEDEV IN 3 SETS AT INDIAN WELLS >>
Grigor Dimitrov outlasted top-seeded Daniil Medvedev 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open, extending the parade of upsets that has knocked out several top players.
Medvedev’s loss left the combined ATP and WTA tournament without its top two men’s and women’s seeds. Karolina Pliskova lost in the third round and No. 2 Iga Swiatek went out in the fourth round.
Dimitrov reached the quarterfinals at Indian Wells for the first time, where he’ll meet No. 8 Hubert Hurkacz, who beat 19th-seeded Asian Karatsev 6-1, 6-3.
Running
KENYAN DISTANCE RUNNER AGNES TIROP FOUND DEAD AT HER HOME >> Kenyan Olympic runner and two-time world championship bronze medalist Agnes Tirop was found dead at her home with stab wounds and her husband was missing and wanted for questioning, police said.
Elgeyo Marakwet County police chief Tom Makori said they were searching for Tirop’s husband after his family reported he had phoned them crying and asking for God’s forgiveness for something he had done.