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SPORTS Thursday 27 July 2017
WNBA Roundup

Clarendon becomes 6 th

player with triple-double

ATLANTA (AP) — Lay- team and found an open
shia Clarendon had 15 teammate but Sugar Rod-
points, 10 rebounds and gers’ 3-pointer was off the
11 assists to become the mark. The ball was batted
sixth WNBA player with a around and Rodgers was
triple-double, helping the off on a shot from the cor-
Atlanta Dream beat the ner at the buzzer.
Phoenix Mercury 99-91 Connecticut 93, Chicago
in overtime on Tuesday 72
night. Alyssa Thomas had 20
It was the WNBA’s first points, nine rebounds and
triple-double since Teme- five assists to help the Sun
ka Johnson’s on July 24, beat the Sky. Chicago was
2014. within 65-57 with 1:01 left in
Atlanta led 82-77 until Di- the third quarter but didn’t
ana Taurasi was fouled score again until Cappie New Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman, left, and chairman Dan Gilbert take
on a 3-pointer and made Pondexter’s basket with questions during an NBA basketball news conference at the team’s training facility in Indepen-
three free throws with dence, Ohio, Wednesday, July 26, 2017.
1:44 left in regulation. Associated Press
Taurasi tied it at 82 and
gave Phoenix the lead on Cavaliers execs reject Irving
a step-back jumper with
eight seconds left. After trade talk, deny team in chaos
a timeout, Brittney Sykes
took an inbound pass,
curled off a high screen By TOM WITHERS “Right now Kyrie Irving is for the Cavs, who didn’t
and made a driving la- AP Sports Writer under contract with the defend their title and were
yup to tie it at 84. INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) Cleveland Cavaliers for beaten in five games by
Atlanta opened over- — Cavaliers owner Dan two or three years, de- Golden State in the Finals.
time on an 11-0 run and Gilbert spent more than 30 pending on the last year,” The bumpy ride began with
cruised. minutes presenting a posi- Gilbert said. “As of now Griffin parting ways with
Sykes scored 20 points Minnesota Lynx forward tive portrait of his franchise. he’s one of our best players the club over philosophi-
and grabbed 13 re- Rebekkah Brunson (32) is The reality is that the Cavs and sure, we expect him to cal differences with Gilbert,
stripped of the ball while,
bounds for her first career driving for a shot, by New are troubled. be in camp.” who was then rebuffed
double-double for Atlan- York Liberty center Kia In his first public comments Gilbert was clearly at- in adding former Pistons
ta (10-11). Tiffany Hayes Vaughn (7) during the fourth since Kyrie Irving asked to tempting to avoid making guard Chauncey Billups to
had 19 points, Elizabeth quarter of a WNBA basket- be traded, Gilbert would things worse for the Cavs or his front office.
Williams 16 and Sancho ball game Tuesday, July 25, not confirm whether he’ll doing any further damage And while numerous teams
Lyttle 14. 2017, in St. Paul, Minn. honor the All-Star point to the club’s relationship got stronger via free agen-
Associated Press
Taurasi scored 31 points guard’s request, but he with Irving, who has blos- cy and trades, Cleveland
for Phoenix (11-10), which also didn’t rule out the real somed into the one of the was hamstrung financially
has lost four straight with- 6:41 remaining. possibility that Cleveland league’s best backcourt by salary-cap issues.
out Brittney Griner. Dallas 84, Indiana 82 may deal its second best players. Then, the Irving trade de-
Sheryl Swoopes is the only At Arlington, Skylar Diggins- player — or if he thinks LeB- While Irving may want out, mand was a cannonball in
player in league history Smith scored 21 points for ron James will stay around the Cavs aren’t obligated Gilbert’s backyard basket-
to have a triple-double in her sixth straight 20-plus beyond next season. to move him and new gen- ball pool.
regular season and post- game as the Wings beat “These things are fluid,” Gil- eral manager Koby Altman “Well, how is your guys’
season. the Fever. bert said. “We think that Ky- said Irving remains an im- summer going?” Gilbert
Minnesota 76, New York Dallas trailed 80-76 with rie Irving is one of the best portant piece for a team quipped in a light-hearted
75 2:45 left, but the Wings guards in the NBA. He was that has been to three moment.
WNBA-leading Minnesota scored on their next four part of a championship, straight Finals. Beyond its implications with
edged the Liberty 76-75, possessions for an 84-82 three years straight to the “He’s a core piece of what the Cavs, Irving’s appeal to
with Maya Moore scoring lead on Allisha Gray’s bas- Finals and we value his tal- we’ve done,” said Altman, be traded appears to have
a season-high 27 points ket with 45 seconds left. ent — significantly.” who was promoted to damaged his relation-
and Lindsay Whalen mak- Erica Wheeler missed two Despite several direct ques- full-time GM after filling in ship with James. The stars
ing a go-ahead baseline shots on the Fever’s next tions about Irving’s status, when David Griffin left ear- have taken swipes at each
jumper with 47.7 seconds possession and, after a Dal- Gilbert would not provide lier this summer. “Kyrie is a other with posts on social
left. las turnover, Wheeler was any specifics about recent tremendous player. He has media , and it remains to
Epiphanny Prince made off again at the buzzer. conversations with him or made great contributions be seen if they can patch
1 of 2 free throws to pull Gray finished with 12 points his agent. Gilbert said he to this franchise and we en- things up.
New York to 76-75 with for Dallas (11-12) and Glory expected the 25-year-old, joy him as a player. We’re Altman dismissed any Ir-
31.8 seconds left. Min- Johnson added 11. Court- whose jumper in Game going to keep this stuff in ving-James rift.
nesota lost control of it ney Paris grabbed 10 of 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals house in terms of what was “I think a lot of it has been
and New York won the the Wings’ 30 rebounds propelled Cleveland to its said in those meetings, but overblown,” he said. “I
jump ball with 15.1 sec- and Aerial Powers scored first championship since he continues to be a core think the people who are
onds left. After a timeout, nine points in her first game the Browns in 1964, to be piece of who we are and in this building every day
Prince drew a double of the season.q at training camp with the what we do.” haven’t seen any of that
team in September. It’s been turbulent summer animosity. q