Griner’s plight gets attention

Before the host Connecticut Sun beat the Phoenix Mercury 77-64, players from both WNBA teams met at midcourt and stood silently for 42 seconds for what the teams called a “moment of solidarity” with imprisoned Phoenix center Brittney Griner.

Griner, an eight-time WNBA All-Star who wears No. 42, was convicted Thursday in Russia of drug possession and smuggling, and was sentenced to nine years behind bars.

“None of our tough days are as tough as any of BG’s days, right?” Phoenix head coach Vanessa Nygaard told ESPN before the game. “So we always keep that in mind, and we’ve carried this with us for the season every day. But today is really, really tough.”

In the game, Jonquel Jones had 14 points and 10 rebounds and Brionna Jones added 13 points and nine rebounds for the Sun.

Teaira McCowan had 21 points, two on a tiebreaking shot with 11.4 seconds left, as the host Dallas Wings beat the Las Vegas Aces 82-80. Tennis: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic withdrew from the upcoming hard-court tournament in Montreal because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19, a status that would keep him from playing in the U.S. Open when it begins in New York on Aug. 29.

Unvaccinated foreign citizens can’t go to Canada or the United States, so Djokovic pulled out of the Montreal event a day before the event’s draw.

Djokovic, ranked sixth in the world, has said he won’t get the shots. He missed the Australian Open in January after being deported from that country and had to sit out two events in the United States earlier this year.

Emma Raducanu reached the quarterfinals of the Citi Open in Washington by edging Camila Osorio 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4).

On the men’s side, Yoshihito Nishioka beat seventh-seeded Karen Khachanov 7-6 (2), 7-6 (1).