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A18 SPORTS
Saturday 12 OctOber 2019
Bringing it home:

Delle Donne, Mystics

earn 1st WNBA crown

By DOUG FEINBERG it for the person next to us.
AP Basketball Writer We'll remember this season.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Elena I'm kind of sad the season's
Delle Donne felt cursed. Ev- about to be over. My good-
ery time she made it to the ness, we sure ended this on
game's biggest stage, she a high note."
was hindered by injuries. It was a fitting conclusion
This time around it was three to an entertaining series
herniated disks in her back. and WNBA season. This was
The league's MVP wouldn't the seventh series in league
let that keep her from her history that had gone to a
first WNBA championship. deciding Game 5, and the
Emma Meesseman scored home team has won five of
22 points and Delle Don- them. Washington Mystics center Emma Meesseman holds the trophy in the locker room after Game 5
ne added 21 to help the Delle Donne scored four of basketball's WNBA Finals against the Connecticut Sun, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019 in Washington.
Washington Mystics beat points during a decisive 8-0 Associated Press
the Connecticut Sun 89- run that gave the Mystics
78 on Thursday night in the an 80-72 lead with under Chicago, hoping to get crazy journey. It's been my on her right knee after suf-
winner-take-all Game 5 of three minutes left. But it was the Mystics their first title. own path. It's been differ- fering a bone bruise in last
the Finals. Meesseman, the soft-spo- She grew up about an hour ent from everyone else's. year's Finals.
"Every time I get the Fi- ken Belgian who unveiled from the city in Delaware "I've just kind of believed Coach Mike Thibault
nals, something happens," a new, aggressive "Playoff and wanted to be closer to in it, and you've got to fol- earned his first WNBA cham-
Delle Donne said. "I think I Emma" persona during the home. Delle Donne sat out low your heart, and I've pionship. The league's all-
pissed the basketball gods title run, who was named a year in college when she always trusted in her. An- time winningest coach had
off when I decided to step MVP of the Finals. transferred in the summer other reason I can battle reached the Finals three
away (in college). I hope Meesseman missed last before her freshman sea- through injury is like she's times in his career — twice
this ends the drama that I'm season while playing with son from UConn to Dela- been dealt the worst cards with Connecticut — and
having in the Finals." the Belgian national team. ware to be closer to her sis- possible with her disabilities, last season with Washing-
It was the first title in fran- "I don't think I'm the missing ter Lizzie, who is blind, deaf and every day she gets up, ton, but fell short each time.
chise history. piece. I'm their teammate and has cerebral palsy. she smiles, she laughs, she The game got off to a slow
"It feels phenomenal, my (and did what) I need to "Lizzie has been my journey, loves. So she's always just start with choppy play, but
goodness, feels so good. do to help my team win a and some people have been my inspiration." it picked up during a back-
Hard to put it into words," championship. This is my never understood my deci- Delle Donne has battled and-forth second half.
said Delle Donne, who fell family right here," she said. sions. Others have. But she's injuries and illnesses all sea- The Mystics trailed by nine
short in two previous Finals Delle Donne, a seven-year been my path, and some- son, breaking her nose ear- midway through the third
appearances. "To win it veteran and two-time MVP, how she's gotten me to ly in the year. She still wears quarter before rallying
with such a great group of came to Washington three this moment," Delle Donne a mask to protect it. She within two at the end of the
people. We wanted to win years ago in a trade from said. "You know, it's been a also wears a knee brace period. q

Continued from Previous Page last year's Shanghai Mas- secutive tournament final.
Djokovic had been 8-0 in ters and the title in Tokyo He reached his first Grand
quarterfinal matches at last week. Slam final at the U.S. Open,
the Shanghai Masters, and Tsitsipas has now beaten and then won titles in Cin-
won four titles. Federer had Djokovic twice in three cinnati and St. Petersburg.
been 5-0. matches. The Greek player Medvedev leads the tour
Federer received a code defeated Djokovic in their with 57 match wins this
violation for hitting a ball first meeting at the 2018 season and is 40-1 on hard
into the stands, and then Toronto tournament and courts when winning the
received a point penalty Djokovic won their match first set. The only time he
for unsportsmanlike con- in Madrid this season. lost a hard-court match af-
duct after flicking a ball "It's the best comeback ter winning the first set was
into the air when trailing 3-0 that I have ever had prob- against Gael Monfils in Rot-
in the third set. ably," Tsitsipas said of Fri- terdam.
When asked about the Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece celebrates after defeating Novak day's victory. Prior to Friday's match, Fog-
Djokovic of Serbia in the men's singles quarterfinals match at the
point penalty after the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament at Qizhong Forest Sports Tsitsipas also earned a nini said Medvedev was
match, Federer didn't want City Tennis Center in Shanghai, China, Friday, Oct. 11, 2019. place at the year-end ATP one of the most dangerous
to go into any detail. Associated Press Finals for the first time on players to face. "If some top
"So you could write on Twit- Friday. But that was guar- players like Fabio can say
ter, you mean?" Federer meetings. Zverev will next play Mat- anteed when third-seeded this about me, shows that
answered. "No, it would "I mean, they're knocking teo Berrettini, an 11th-seed- Daniil Medvedev beat Fa- I'm on the good way, I'm
be nice to write something on the door big time, the ed Italian who defeated bio Fognini 6-3, 7-6 (4) in an- playing good, and it's not
nice once also about the young guys," Federer said. fourth-seeded Dominic other quarterfinal match. easy to play against me,"
game. "It's exciting. They're great. Thiem 7-6 (8), 6-4. Medvedev, who will face Medvedev said. "Surely,
"Next question." It's really open now, I think, Until Friday's match, Djokov- Tsitsipas in Saturday's semi- yeah, that's what I tried to
The 22-year-old Zverev now for the finish of this tourna- ic had won 24 straight sets finals, is one match away show today on the match
leads Federer 4-3 in career ment." in Asia, a run that included from reaching a sixth con- and it worked out."q