Taurasi, Mercury down Aces to advance to WNBA Finals
LAS VEGAS » Diana Taurasi scored 14 of her 24 points in the fourth quarter, and Brittney Griner had 28 points and nine rebounds as the Phoenix Mercury beat the Las Vegas Aces 87-84 Friday night to advance to the WNBA Finals.
Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum scored 22 points each for Las Vegas, and A’ja Wilson added 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Shay Peddy made two of three free throws with 4.8 seconds left to give the Mercury an 86-84 lead, and Griner added one from the line to close the scoring. Griner also had a block on Wilson with 0.7 seconds remaining to secure the win.
Taurasi made a 3-pointer with 1:12 left to give the Mercury an 84-81 lead, and Gray responded with a 3 just 6 seconds later to tie it for the Aces.
The Mercury will face the Chicago Sky in the finals. Game 1 is on Sunday. IRVING COULD JOIN NETS AT PRACTICE AFTER RULING FROM CITY » Kyrie Irving could join the Brooklyn
Nets at practice this weekend after a ruling that their practice facility doesn’t fall under a New York coronavirus vaccination mandate.
The Nets were told that the training center is considered a private facility. The city’s vaccine mandate requires pro athletes practicing or playing in public venues to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Irving still wouldn’t be able to play in home games if he doesn’t meet the vaccination requirement, but at least he can be with the Nets when they are practicing at home.
Soccer
MLS SUSPENDS HERNANDEZ
FOR GAMBLING VIOLATIONS » Major League Soccer suspended Sporting Kansas City midfielder Felipe Hernandez
without pay for the rest of the season for violating the league’s gambling integrity rules and standards of conduct.
MLS said Hernandez engaged in extensive and unlawful sports gambling, including placing wagers on two MLS matches, in direct contravention of league rules.
Tennis
BUDGE PATTY, 1950 WIMBLEDON,
ROLAND GARROS CHAMP, DIES » John Edward “Budge” Patty, a former No. 1-ranked tennis player who won back-toback major titles at the French Championships and Wimbledon in 1950, has died. He was 97.
The International Tennis Hall of Fame, which inducted Patty in 1977, said he died on Sunday at a hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Patty lost in the final at Roland Garros in 1949 before beating future Hall of Famer Jaroslav Drobny in five sets for the title the following year. He then defeated another Hall of Famer, Frank Sedgman, in the Wimbledon final.