Fever win Outdoor Classic

Katie Douglas and the Indiana Fever stole the spotlight – under the moonlight – from the New York Liberty in the WNBA’s first outdoor game.

On a basketball court laid on top of the tennis court at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, Douglas scored nine of her 20 points in the fourth quarter, Tamika Catchings had 15 points and nine rebounds, and the Fever beat the Liberty 71-55 on Saturday night in the Liberty Outdoor Classic.

Even though the game was scheduled for a night start in hopes of avoiding the summer sun and heat, the game-time temperature was a steamy 87 degrees.

“Probably the biggest thing both teams will have to be concerned about is making sure we stay hydrated,” Catchings said. “Definitely trying to keep your body temperature low.”

Catchings was also part of the first outdoor women’s college game when Tennessee played Arizona State at Bank One Ballpark, the Arizona Diamondbacks’ baseball stadium, on Dec. 27, 2000.

Kids and adults were handed free fans as they entered the USTA Billie Jean National Tennis Center for the fan festival taking place at the Classic.

Former Knicks Allan Houston and John Starks along with former Liberty stars Kym Hampton and Sue Wicks participated in the fan festival.

“It kind of reminds me of the first days of the WNBA,” Hampton said of the fans flowing into the stadium.

Billie Jean King was enthusiastic about trading tennis balls for basketballs at her namesake venue. Nearly 35 years ago, she played at the Houston Astrodome against Bobby Riggs in the famous “Battle of the Sexes” match.

“It’s the perfect arena, it’s almost the same (dimensions),” King said. “Basketball was my first love, so for me, it’s very appropriate that the WNBA is playing the game at the center.

“Anytime we can use the venue, I think it’s great for the community.”

Mystics fire Rollins

The Washington Mystics fired Tree Rollins as coach and promoted assistant Jessie Kenlaw to the position on an interim basis.

In a statement, general manager Linda Hargrove didn’t say what prompted the move by the Mystics, who are 8-14 and 7 1/2 games behind the first-place Detroit Shock in the Eastern Conference.

Rollins played 18 seasons in the NBA and was an assistant coach with four NBA teams. He became Mystics coach in June 2007.

Sun stuck in slump

After getting off to a strong start, the Connecticut Sun are now mired in a slump.

Connecticut was the top team in the Eastern Conference for much of the first half of the season. However, six losses – including four straight – in the last eight games dropped the Sun into second, just a half-game ahead of third-place New York.

“We have some players that are struggling to shoot right now,” Sun coach Mike Thibault said. “The only thing we can do is persevere.”

Connecticut started the season without two of its top four scorers from last season – Katie Douglas (trade) and Nykesha Sales (sitting out) – and fielding a roster that included four rookies and only three players with more than five years’ experience.

Bevilaqua leaving Fever

The Indiana Fever are preparing for a stretch of four games without point guard Tully Bevilaqua.

Bevilaqua was set to leave the team after facing New York in the Outdoor Classic to train with the Australian national team for the upcoming Beijing Olympics.

“We will obviously miss Tully during her absence,” Fever coach Lin Dunn said in a statement, “but we wish her all the best as she prepares for the Olympics.”

Bevilaqua, 36, will be playing in the Olympics for the first time. She was on the Australian squad that won the gold medal at the 2006 world championships.

She will join Seattle’s Lauren Jackson, who left the Storm last week, and Phoenix’s Penny Taylor, who has missed the season, on Australia’s national team.