Briefs | WNBA: Sacramento Kings franchise folds

WNBA

League talks to potential investors about relocating team: The Sacramento Monarchs folded Friday, a disappointing development for the league and one of its original eight franchises.

The decision was largely based on the Maloof family's desire to focus all its energy and efforts on the NBA Sacramento Kings. Maloof Sports & Entertainment had owned both teams.

League officials are trying to find a new owner for the organization and a suitable market, perhaps Oakland or San Jose. WNBA president Donna Orender said in a statement that the league is in discussions with potential investors to relocate the Monarchs to the San Francisco Bay Area in time for next season.

The Monarchs won the championship in 2005.

"We enjoyed our time with the WNBA and the Monarchs," co-owner Joe Maloof said in a statement.

The franchise is scheduled to have the second pick in the 2010 draft.

Tennis

ATP says it can't reopen Agassi drug case: ATP Tour officials will not reopen a doping case against Andre Agassi, even though he admitted to lying about using crystal meth in 1997.

Agassi revealed in his recent autobiography that he failed a 1997 drug test, a result he says was thrown out after he lied by claiming he "unwittingly" took crystal meth. ATP chairman Adam Helfant said there was no way to sanction the American retroactively because he is no longer playing on the Tour.

Boxing

Pacquiao-Cotto bout got 1.25 million pay per views: Manny Pacquiao confirmed he is a box-office hit, generating 1.25 million pay per views for his fight with Miguel Cotto in a performance that could set up perhaps the richest fight ever, against undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The fight made the top 10 of best-selling pay-per-view boxing events. Ross Greenburg, HBO Sports president, said it grossed $70 million. Pacquiao stopped Cotto in the 12th round last Saturday in Las Vegas.

The biggest PPV fight was in 2007 — Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya, which was sold to 2.4 million homes.

Soccer

Rioting in Egypt: Egyptian fans burned Algerian flags and rioted outside the Algerian Embassy in Cairo, smashing cars and shop windows, in an escalating dispute between the two countries over a bitter World Cup rivalry. The Interior Ministry said 11 police and 24 protesters were injured, 20 people arrested and 15 vehicles damaged.

Egyptian fans — and the country's media — have been thrown into a frenzy over reports Algerians attacked and injured Egyptians after their countries' teams squared off in a World Cup qualifier in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, this week. Algeria won 1-0, giving it a spot in the 2010 Cup in South Africa.

College baseball

Murphy was 629-284-1 as coach of Sun Devils: Pat Murphy, 50, resigned after 15 seasons as coach at Arizona State. No reason was given for the move, announced by university officials in a news release.

Murphy, hired by Arizona State in August 1994 after seven seasons at Notre Dame, went 629-284-1 with the Sun Devils.

Figure skating

Rochette leads after Skate Canada short program: World silver medalist Joannie Rochette scored a personal-best 70 points in the short program at Skate Canada in Kitchener, Ontario, putting the Canadian ahead of U.S. champion Alissa Czisny of Bowling Green, Ohio, and Mirai Nagasu of Arcadia, Calif.

The free skate is today.

American Jeremy Abbott won the men's short program.

Skiing

Stiegler's season is over: American Resi Stiegler, 24, is out for the season after breaking two bones in her left leg in a crash during giant-slalom training Thursday at Copper Mountain in Colorado.

Horse racing

Washington-bred Reba Is Tops triumphs: Washington-bred Reba Is Tops, a 5-year-old mare trained by Mark Glatt, won the $47,000 allowance feature at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif. Reba Is Tops, ridden by Joe Talamo, ran 6 furlongs on turf in 1 minute, 9.18 seconds and paid $4.80 to win.

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