Phoenix makes history with WNBA title

The tattoo on Cappie Pondexter’s arm was inked when she was still in high school. It features the WNBA logo, and reads “The Future.”

That future is now for Pondexter and the Phoenix Mercury, which beat the Detroit Shock, 108-92, on Sunday at Auburn Hills, Mich., to wrap up its first league title in the deciding Game 5 of the championship series.

A fast start helped Phoenix become the first team in the WNBA’s 11-year history to claim the title on the road. Pondexter, in her second year in the league, scored 26 points and was chosen as the series most valuable player.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Pondexter, who lost the NCAA title game in her senior year at Rutgers. “It’s something I’ve been waiting for, working hard for, and it’s finally here.”

Penny Taylor scored 30 points and Diana Taurasi had 17 for the Mercury.

The Shock lost the last two games of the series, ending its bid to win consecutive titles. Detroit also won the title in 2003.

Deanna Nolan led the Shock with 27 points.

Mercury Coach Paul Westhead also won an NBA title as coach of the Lakers in 1980.

MOTOR RACING

Raikkonen wins Belgian Grad Prix

Kimi Raikkonen dominated from start to finish to win the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps for the third straight time, beating Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa.

World champion Fernando Alonso took third ahead of McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton to reduce the rookie’s lead in the world championship standings to only two points.

There are three races remaining in the season.

Gary Scelzi topped the funny car field in the O’Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals, edging teammate Jack Beckman by 0.0013 of a second in the final at Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park.

Pro stock driver Dave Connolly again outran former points leader Greg Anderson in the final for his sixth victory of the year.

Top fuel pilot Melanie Troxel took out three of the men in the Countdown to Four top fuel field, including Bob Vandergriff Jr., Brandon Bernstein, and Doug Herbert in the final.

Pro stock rider Andrew Hines raced to his third win in a row at Memphis Motorsports Park and surged into the overall lead by 24 points.

Ben Spies won the season-ending race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca at Monterey, Calif., to successfully defend his AMA Superbike championship.

Spies, the 23-year-old Suzuki rider from Longview, Texas, passed teammate and series leader Mat Mladin on Lap 16 of the 28-lap final and pulled away to a 2.526-second victory. With his seventh victory of the year, Spies edged Mladin by a point in the closest finish since 1978, when the title was decided on a tiebreaker.

SOCCER

Cabana’s goal salvages a tie for America

Salvador Cabana’s goal with nine minutes left gave America a 1-1 tie against Tigres at Mexico City in what could be last game for Eagles Coach Luis Fernando Tena.

Also, Pumas won their first home game in seven months with a 2-0 victory over Tecos.

In Guadalajara, Omar Esparza scored and Guadalajara got a 1-0 victory over Cruz Azul.

Santos played to a 1-1 draw with Monterrey; Puebla beat Atlas, 1-0; Toluca defeated Pachuca, 2-1; and Morelia drew a 1-1 tie against Jaguars.

PRO BASKETBALL

Russia edges Spain, but both reach Olympics

Jon Robert Holden scored with two seconds remaining to lift Russia over Spain, 60-59, in the final of the European Basketball Championship at Madrid.

Andrei Kirilenko had 17 points as the Russians won their first European title in 22 years.

MISCELLANY

Davenport wins at Bali Open

Lindsay Davenport won her first singles title after almost a year’s absence from the tour, defeating Daniela Hantuchova, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, at the Bali Open at Nusa Dua, Indonesia.

“I’m a little bit in shock,” said Davenport, who also won the event in 2005. “It’s just overwhelming and exciting. I swear this is probably the first tournament I’ve played in four years where I didn’t have anything wrong with my lower extremities.”

Davenport had not competed on the WTA Tour since reaching the Beijing quarterfinals in September 2006.

Svetlana Kuznetsova won the opening singles match to clinch the Fed Cup final with a 4-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5 victory over Italy’s Francesca Schiavone at Moscow.

Elena Vesnina beat Mara Santangelo, 6-2, 6-4, to make the final score, 4-0. The doubles match of the best-of-five format was canceled.

Pittsburgh point guard Levance Fields was subdued with a stun gun and arrested outside a Pittsburgh nightclub after authorities said he tried to grab an off-duty police officer’s weapon.

The nightclub was holding an under-21 dance and was not serving alcohol, owner Vince Isoldi said.

Coach Jamie Dixon said he had been told about the incident.

Jarrod Shoemaker and Laura Bennett earned spots on the 2008 U.S. Olympic triathlon team by being the top Americans at the Beijing World Cup.