Sunday's sports briefs

Last update: September 8, 2008 - 2:24 AM

BASKETBALL

Hammon, Silver Stars rout Connecticut

Becky Hammon scored 24 points and the San Antonio Silver Stars pulled into a first-place tie in the Western Conference with an 85-73 victory on Sunday over the Connecticut Sun in Uncasville, Conn.

San Antonio (21-10) and Seattle are tied for the lead in the West heading to the final week of the regular season.

Connecticut (20-11) saw its seven-game winning streak end, but it still leads the Eastern Conference by a game over Detroit.

Asjha Jones led the Sun with 22 points and nine rebounds; former Gopher Lindsay Whalen had 16 points.

• Former Gopher Janel McCarville scored 16 points before leaving with an injury, and the New York Liberty (18-12) rallied for a 69-61 victory over Chicago (11-20), which has lost three in a row. The loss eliminated Chicago from playoff contention, giving the East's final postseason berth to Indiana.

McCarville fell awkwardly while attempting a layup with about 3 1/2 minutes left. Her status was uncertain.

• Diana Taurasi scored 33 points, her ninth 30-plus performance this season, and led Phoenix to a 99-74 victory over visiting Houston. Phoenix, the defending WNBA champion, remained in the hunt for the last playoff spot in the West.

HORSE RACING

Rahy's Attorney wins Woodbine Mile

Canadian-owned Rahy's Attorney won the $1 million Woodbine Mile in Toronto as favored Kip Deville faded to fifth, five lengths back. Rahy's Attorney, ridden by Slade Callaghan, finished in 1:36.14, paid $27.30, $8.70 and $9.30 and clinched a berth in the Breeders' Cup Mile on Oct. 25 at Santa Anita Park.

BOXING

Former middleweight champ Giardello dies

Boxing Hall of Famer Joey Giardello, a former middleweight champion, died in Cherry Hill, N.J. on Thursday. He was 78. Giardello retired in 1967 with a pro record of 101-25-8, including 33 knockouts.

Giardello won the middleweight belt with a 15-round decision over Dick Tiger in December 1963. After a pair of non-title victories over Rocky Rivero, Giardello successfully defended his title against Rubin (Hurricane) Carter. Giardello lost the title to Tiger in a 1965 rematch.

AROUND THE HORN

Cycling: American Levi Leipheimer took the overall lead of the Spanish Vuelta following an eighth stage won by David Moncoutie of France. Moncoutie completed the 94-mile run to Salardu in the Pyrenees in 4 hours, 24 minutes, 58 seconds. Leipheimer has a 21-second lead on Astana teammate Alberto Contador.

Triathlon: Australia's Greg Bennett won his third consecutive Los Angeles Triathlon, followed by Andy Potts of the United States. Minnetonka native Becky Lavelle, an Olympic alternate and the 2003 L.A. champion, won the women's division, in which Americans took the first four spots.

Beach volleyball: Olympic beach volleyball gold medalists Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh lost for the second time since the Beijing Games on Sunday and missed their first AVP Crocs Tour final since April 2007. In the biggest upset in women's volleyball this season, No. 3 seeds Jen Boss and April Ross beat the top-seeded team of Walsh and May-Treanor 21-18, 15-21, 20-18 in a semifinal match of the AVP Crocs Cup Shootout in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Soccer: Nate Jaqua scored two goals, and Kei Kamara had two assists as the host Houston Dynamo (10-5-8) rolled to a 3-1 MLS victory over the Kansas City Wizards (6-9-8).

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Recent Lynx stories

Emily Fox released - September 8, 2008

Emily Fox released - Former Gopher Emily Fox was cut Friday as the Lynx reached its 11-player roster limit. Fox was a third-round draft pick this spring. More