Thursday's sports briefs

Last update: August 28, 2008 - 11:25 PM

boxing

De La Hoya confirms bout, backs off retirement talk

Oscar De La Hoya finally has an opponent for his farewell fight -- only the Golden Boy's tantalizing matchup with Manny Pacquiao might not be his final bout after all.

De La Hoya and Pacquiao have confirmed their plan to meet Dec. 6 in Las Vegas, matching the most popular star in boxing with arguably the sport's best pound-for-pound fighter.

After Pacquiao, the dynamic Filipino lightweight, agreed to move up 12 pounds to welterweight, De La Hoya inked a deal for what's certain to be boxing's most lucrative bout since his split-decision loss last year to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the richest fight in boxing history.

Yet De La Hoya (39-5-0, 30 KOs) changed the fight's stakes Thursday when he acknowledged he wasn't sure he'll retire afterward. De La Hoya repeatedly had said he would quit boxing after this year, but his inability to land a rematch with Mayweather in September might have altered his plans.

"Let's just say my foot's got caught in the door," De La Hoya said. "My focus is my training. My focus is my next fight. I'm not going to talk about retirement. I'm not going to think about retirement. I want to be 100 percent focused on the job I've got to take care of, and we'll see after the fight how I feel."

De La Hoya will take on Pacquiao (47-3-2, 35 KOs) at the MGM Grand Garden.

WNBA

Perkins scores 19 in Sky's victory over Liberty

Jia Perkins scored 19 points to lead the Chicago Sky to a 69-60 victory over the host New York Liberty, the teams' first game after a monthlong Olympic break.

U.S. national team gold medalist Sylvia Fowles had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Sky (9-17). Essence Carson scored a career-high 19 points for the Liberty (15-11).

Connecticut 84, Indiana 58: Tamika Whitmore scored 15 points and the Sun (17-10) raced out to a big early lead to beat the Fever (12-15) in Indianapolis.

San Antonio 77, Phoenix 55: Sophia Young scored 18 points and Ann Wauters added 15 points and nine rebounds to lead the Silver Stars (19-9) over the host Mercury (12-16).

• Seattle Storm star Lauren Jackson had surgery on her right ankle in Australia.

AROUND THE HORN

College basketball: Oklahoma State point guard Andrea Riley, the Big 12's top scorer, has been reprimanded and suspended for one game by the NCAA for fighting with LSU's Erica White during the Cowgirls' final postseason game last season.

NHL: Colten Teubert, the 13th pick in this year's draft, agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Kings. ... Stars center Stu Barnes, 37, is retiring after 16 years in the NHL and has agreed to a two-year contract to join Dave Tippett's Dallas coaching staff as an assistant.

Auto racing: Phil Hill, the only American-born Formula One champion, died of complications from Parkinson's disease. He was 81.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

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