In brief: Seattle’s Jackson opts for surgery
WNBA: Reigning WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson has decided to have surgery to repair the torn labrum in her left hip and will likely be out for eight to 12 weeks.
The Seattle Storm made the announcement on Wednesday. Jackson is scheduled to have the surgery today at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colo., performed by Dr. Marc Philippon.
Jackson said after talking with the doctors and her family, surgery was determined to be the best course of action and she hopes to be able to return before the end of the WNBA season. Seattle’s regular season ends on Sept. 11 at home against Chicago.
The three-time league MVP hurt the hip last week in a victory over Tulsa. The initial plan was for Jackson to have three weeks of rest and physical therapy before deciding if surgery was needed.
NBA players, union take one final stab
NBA: The NBA is headed to deadline day, with perhaps one last chance to avoid a lockout.
Negotiators for owners and players will meet today, about 12 hours before the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement and seemingly nowhere close to a deal.
The sides remain far apart on just about every major issue, from salaries to the salary cap, revenues to revenue sharing.
After meeting twice a week for most of the month, this is the only session scheduled this week. The sides could continue bargaining past the deadline, but that probably requires owners to see evidence of the gap narrowing today.
Otherwise, they could lock out the players for the first time since the 1998-99 season was reduced to 50 games, although Commissioner David Stern has refused to say what would happen if a deal is not done today.
“We’re not going to negotiate in the media,” he said Tuesday after meeting with owners. “We haven’t before, we’re not going to do it now.”
• Blazers give Odean qualifying offer: The Trail Blazers gave former No. 1 draft pick Greg Oden an $8.8 million qualifying offer to stay in Portland.
The offer means the often injured 7-foot center becomes a restricted free agent. The Blazers can match any other offer made for Oden.
Oden didn’t play this past season after microfracture surgery on his left knee. He missed his rookie season in 2007-08 after microfracture surgery on his right knee. Two seasons ago he broke his left kneecap.
Goodell, Smith take trip to Florida
NFL: Roger Goodell and DeMaurice Smith took their buddy act on the road, creating a buzz among rookies in Florida then returning to Minneapolis for talks to try and end pro football’s labor impasse.
The NFL commissioner and the players’ boss took questions from rookies at an orientation symposium in Sarasota, Fla., where recent draft picks were glad – and relieved – to see their two surprise guests.
“Guys are hurting for money right now,” said quarterback Christian Ponder, a first-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings. “It’s a crazy time, especially with the uncertainty of when we’re going to start and get some money in our pocket.
“It’s big for them to come together. I thought that was pretty cool. It looks like they have a pretty good relationship.”
Smith and Goodell certainly seem closer than when the lockout began in March. Whether that will translate into a new collective bargaining agreement is the big question. Training camps are scheduled to open in just more than three weeks and the Hall of Fame game is on Aug. 7.
Clemens maneuvers to discredit McNamee
Drugs in sports: Baseball star Roger Clemens is arguing he should be allowed to introduce evidence during his upcoming steroid trial in Washington that the leading witness against him raped an unconscious woman and lied to police investigating the assault.
The move is part of Clemens’ attempt to discredit his former trainer Brian McNamee, who was never charged in the investigation but admits he lied when questioned by Florida police in 2001. In a filing late Wednesday night, Clemens’ attorneys argued the experience gave McNamee a motive to falsely accuse Clemens of using drugs to save himself from becoming a target of a federal criminal investigation in 2007.
That’s the year that McNamee told federal agents and investigators that he repeatedly injected Clemens with steroid and human growth hormone.
Earlier in the day, prosecutors argued that several major league players should be allowed to testify at Clemens’ trial about their own drug use. Clemens wants the judge to prevent his former Yankees teammates from testifying they got performance-enhancing drugs from McNamee.
Brazil nips Australia in World Cup opener
Soccer: Rosana’s second-half strike lifted Brazil to a 1-0 victory over Australia in its opening match at the women’s World Cup at Moenchengladbach, Germany.
The breakthrough in a Group D match came in the 54th minute, when Cristiane capitalized on some scrappy Australian defending to head the ball to Rosana.
“We have to improve when you play a World Cup,” Brazil coach Kleiton Lima said.
Lisa De Vanna might have scored an equalizer but fired over in the 87th minute with only the goalkeeper to beat, and Australia also went close from a corner at the very end.
In the earlier Group D match, Emilie Haavi scored a late winner to give Norway a 1-0 victory over tournament newcomer Equatorial Guinea, a nation of less than 700,000.
Moscow’s Williams wins at Publinx
Golf: The University of Washington’s Chris Williams (Moscow, Idaho) defeated Michigan State’s Dan Ellis 4 and 3 during match play at the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championships at Bandon (Ore.) Trails Golf Course.
The sixth-seeded Williams was down one hole through six, but he won the next two holes to take the lead for good. He’ll play Michigan’s Jack Schultz today.
• Woods’ niece advances: Qualifying medallist Cheyenne Woods, the niece of Tiger Woods, advanced to the second round of match play in the Women’s U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, beating Ashley Edwards 4 and 3 Bandon Dunes’ Old Macdonald course.