sport world

After a dogfight in the first half, the No. 2-seeded Sparks pulled away from the fifth-seeded Phoenix Mercury, and the defending WNBA champions won their playoff opener and the first game of their semifinal series Tuesday. The Sparks defense helped them stifle Phoenix in the second half of a 79-66 victory. “It went just like I thought it would, you’ve got champions over there,” said Sparks coach B...

LOS ANGELES >> Of the 159 rushing yards Ronald Jones amassed in USC’s season-opening victory over Weste Michigan, 122 came after contact. Deland McCullough, the Trojans’ ruing backs coach, took notice. “It ain’t always the flash and long runs,” McCullough said. “It’s the dirty work of lowering your shoulder, ruing through trash, breaking arm tackles and sending a physical message to yo...

OAKLAND >> The Rams will push their starters into the second quarter Saturday against the Oakland Raiders. It’s the typical plan of attack the second week of the preseason, with NFL coaches extending clock time for starters as they chart their flight plan toward the regular season. The primary objective is creating a smooth landing for the regular-season opener, as players prepare both their bodies and minds for the grueling 16-game schedule. But there are underlying objectives that go along with preparation. Even for starters who will give way in the second quarter to backups looking to...

LOS ANGELES >>USA Gymnastics reached a confidential, out-of-court settlement in Califoia before this year with a former teenage U.S. national team gymnast who alleges U.S. women’s Olympic and national team physician Larry Nassar sexually abused her, a former U.S. Olympian familiar with the case told the Southe Califoia News Group. The confirmation of the settlement by the former Olympian is one of the clearest indications to date that top USA Gymnastics officials were aware of Nassar’s alleged abuse of underage gymnasts and the measures the organization took to keep those allegati...

ANAHEIM >> In a game ruled by the three true outcomes of statistical royalty (home runs, walks and strikeouts), it was inevitable — a walkoff strikeout. With the game tied 2-2 in the ninth iing, Angels outfielder Ben Revere reached base with one out on an error by Dodgers sub shortstop Chris...

Kerri Walsh Jeings, the all-time wiingest beach volleyball player and three-time Olympic gold medalist, has refused to sign an agreement with the Association of Volleyball Professionals to play during its 2017 season, begiing with this weekend’s Huntington Beach Open.Walsh Jeings won the event last year with teammate April Ross before going on to capture the bronze medal in beach volleybal...

EL SEGUNDO >> Lakers coach Luke Walton stressed that durability has not been much of a conce for Brandon Ingram.Among NBA rookies, no one has logged more minutes than Ingram, who has played more than 2,000 in his debut season.But the 19-year-old forward will likely miss a second consecutive ...

DOWNEY >> Just about everything that could go wrong for Lynwood High’s football team did Friday night as the Knights had their homecoming celebration spoiled right from the opening kickoff in a 35-7 San Gabriel Valley League loss to Downey. Lynwood (3-4, 0-2) committed 16 penalties, tued the ball over five times (two interceptions, one fumble, twice on downs) and was forced to punt on four occasions. The Vikings (6-1, 2-0) took full advantage, begiing with the first play of the game, recovering a fumble after a Knights’ lateral attempt on the kickoff. Just three snaps and about 55 seconds later, Downey got on the board with a 2-yard touchdown run from Emari Demercado. From there, Down...

LOS ANGELES >> USC ruing back Justin Davis, who has a high ankle sprain, will not play on Saturday at Arizona, Trojans head coach Clay Helton aounced. Davis was not at practice this week. “He’s still being very tender on the ankle,” Helton said. Through six games, the 6-foot-1 senior leads the Trojans in rushing with 476 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. He had 341 yards in the past three games, including consecutive 100-yard rushing efforts against Utah and Arizona State. Davis injured his right ankle in the second half of USC’s 21-17 win over Colorado last Saturday. He left the locker room afterward on crutches. A walking boot was placed on his right foot. “It’s a next-man-up ...

Since Clay Helton was made USC’s full-time football coach in November, his team has gone 1-6. It is a slow start that has left a fervent fanbase frustrated. But as pressure has intensified, Helton said he understands the disappointment. “I know the expectations of ’SC, and I’m a realist,” Helton said this week. “We’re in a production-based business. If you don’t win, especially at this level, there’s going to be griping, and it’s well deserved.” The decision to remove the interim tag from Helton was popular late last season. Two days before the official aouncement, the Trojans had finished atop the Pac-12 South with a victory over rival UCLA. They had won five of six games. Players raved. T...

LONG BEACH >> It was a highly-anticipated season opener for the Long Beach City College football team, which is a consensus national top 10 program. The Vikings that took the field at the newly renovated Veterans Memorial Stadium was focused, and controlled all facets of the game in a 41-14 win over Pasadena. “In the first half our offense couldn’t have been much better,” said head Vikings coach Brett Peabody. “I thought after halftime we came out and looked a little complacent and full of ourselves. It’s not good enough for where we’re trying to go.” LBCC scored on its first two drives to take a quick 14-0 lead less than 10 minutes in, including a first-drive TD that came with 12:31 ...

LOS ANGELES — A taxpayer lawsuit will be filed today against the city of Los Angeles alleging an unlawful “gift of public funds” to the Los Angeles Rams in the form of security at home games. The lawsuit will be filed by former Los Angeles City Councilmember Deis Zine and Los Angeles resident James Bibeau “to prevent the city from expending any additional taxpayer funds to provide over 200 LAPD officers free of charge to secure Rams home games,” according to a statement from the Los Angeles Police Protective League. “Rams owner Stan Kroenke has refused to pay in full for the police services necessary to ensure public safety at his team’s home games,” the statement said. “This free use of LA...

It’s hard to imagine a win in a season opener matching what La Mirada High School accomplished last season by wiing CIF Southe Section and CIF State Bowl championships. But Friday might be the exception. The Matadores, outscored 118-15 in two games against Trinity League foes last year, enjoyed that championship feeling after scoring a 21-14 victory over Orange Lutheran at Orange Coast College. The host Lancers began the season ranked No. 14 in the state by MaxPreps.com. Nick Heandez led the Matadores with 177 yards rushing and scored the game-wier on a 4-yard run with 6:54 left in the fourth quarter. “As bad as this sounds, we made so many mistakes, offensively,” La Mirada coach Mike Mosch...

IRVINE >> It’s another first for Rams rookie quarterback Jared Goff, who will play his first NFL preseason road game at Denver on Saturday. Goff hopes for another first: a successful first drive. “I’d love to go out there and score a touchdown,’’ Goff said after Thursday’s practice at UC Irvine. “That’s what we’re supposed to do.’’ Thus far, Goff hasn’t come close. On his initial series two weeks ago against Dallas, Goff was hit and threw an interception on his third play. Last Saturday against Kansas City, Goff tripped over a teammate’s foot and fumbled on his second play. So the bar is low for improvement, but there’s reason to believe Goff could be ready to take a step forward Satu...

KANSAS CITY >> This weekend is going to carry a little extra meaning for Albert Pujols. The Angels will be playing their last series of the season against the Boston Red Sox, which means Pujols will likely be playing his final games against retiring star David Ortiz. “He’s like a big brother to me,” Pujols, 36, said of the 40-year-old Ortiz. “It’s going to be pretty emotional knowing that’s the last time I’m going to play against him.” Pujols has had his eyes on Ortiz since long before they played against each other. Originally signed by the Seattle Mariners, Ortiz played as a teenager at the Mariners academy in the Dominican Republic, which was near the school Pujols attended. “I use...

TROON, Scotland >> Henrik Stenson is the champion golfer of the year, thanks to a final round for the ages. He kept hitting the best shots of his life, one after another, and he needed each one to stay ahead of Phil Mickelson in a British Open duel that ranked among the best in major championship history. Stenson made 10 birdies, including a 50-foot putt across the 15th green that had him pumping his fist in a rare show of emotion Sunday. The final stroke in this masterpiece was a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that curled into the cup on the final tu. It gave him an 8-under 63, tying Johy Miller at Oakmont for the greatest closing round by a major champion, and Stenson didn’t ev...

Chris Arreola doesn’t belong in the same ring as Deontay Wilder, some might say. Wilder is bigger, stronger, faster, younger and just better than Arreola has ever been. Arreola is 1-1-1 with a no-decision in his past four fights. Wilder is 36-0 with 35 knockouts. But Arreola scoffs at the notion he’ll have no chance when they square off Saturday for Wilder’s heavyweight world title at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala. (on Fox). “Anybody that has two hands has an opportunity,” Arreola, of Riverside, said. “All it takes it one punch to knock somebody out. Just one punch. I could be losing the whole fight and just hit him with one punch that makes him go to sleep.” Arreola has to think this way...

It’s time to climb on the high-flying Welsh, um, dragon if you’re not there already at Euro 2016 in the wake of the U.S. and Mexico exits at Copa America. One of the European Championship’s most welcome and unlikely participants is now an even more surprising contender as much for its entertaining, inventive play as landing in the fortuitously weak side of the bracket that will see the big guns of Europe facing off against the other as the final 16 gets underway this weekend. One half of the bracket boasts nations that have won 11 World Cups and nine Euros; the other half, none. So while the heavyweight likes of Germany, Italy, Spain, France and England slug it out en route to the final, Wa...

LONG BEACH >> The top-ranked USA women’s volleyball team is in Southe Califoia for the weekend as the Americans play host to the FIVB World Grand Prix, with Pool E matches against Japan today and Turkey on Sunday. Friday evening, the USA faced No. 11 Germany to start World Grand Prix action. The No. 1 Americans made a statement to start off what they hope will be an historic summer, topping the Germans 25-17, 24-26, 25-10, 25-23. Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid is playing host to all four teams this weekend, as part of the second week of the World Grand Prix. The Americans opened strong on Friday, taking control of the first set early and cruising to a 25-17 win that saw them hit ov...