In brief: Jackson WNBA MVP 3rd time

Women’s basketball: Seattle Storm forward Lauren Jackson was selected the WNBA’s most valuable player for the third time in her career on Thursday night.

Jackson was honored before Game 1 of Seattle’s best-of-3 Western Conference final against defending champion Phoenix, which the Storm won 82-74. Also, the Storm’s Brian Agler was named the league’s coach of the year.

Jackson, a 6-foot-5 forward from Australia, averaged 20.5 points and 8.3 rebounds while helping the Storm to a 28-6 record – tying the league mark for the most wins in a season.

Jackson, selected by the Storm with the first overall pick in the 2001 draft, was previously league MVP in 2007 when she averaged a career-best 23.8 points, and in 2003 when Jackson was the first international player and youngest player to receive the award.

She joins Sheryl Swoopes and Lisa Leslie as only three-times selections.

Associated Press

Julian promoted to XC head coach

Cross country: Pete Julian has been named the head coach of the Washington State University cross country teams, it was announced on Thursday.

Julian is in his second season of coaching the Cougars’ men and women middle distance, distance and cross country runners at WSU.

Julian came to WSU from Metropolitan State College of Denver where he served four seasons as the men’s and women’s cross country head coach and three seasons as the men’s and women’s track and field head coach.

Chiefs reassign four players

The Spokane Chiefs reassigned four players in advance of their first preseason action this weekend.

Defensemen Boomer Rooney and Cole Wedman have been assigned to AAA Midget in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, Jordan Swenson has been assigned to AAA Midget in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and left wing Josh McEwan has been assigned to Junior A in Trail, British Columbia.

Spokane will travel to Everett for the Silvertips Preseason Classic beginning today carrying 31 players; four goaltenders, nine defenseman and 18 forwards. By age, the Chiefs have three 20-year-olds, six 19-year-olds, 10 18-year-olds, nine 17-year-olds, two 16-year-olds and one 15-year-old.