Taylor scores 22 as Phoenix defeats Minnesota | Sports digest

WNBA

Taylor leads high-scoring Mercury past Lynx: Penny Taylor had 22 points and seven assists as the host Phoenix Mercury beat the Minnesota Lynx 110-92 Thursday night.

Phoenix's fourth win in five games puts the Mercury (11-13) two games ahead of San Antonio for second place in the WNBA's Western Conference with 10 games to play.

Minnesota (7-16) has lost five straight and is a half-game behind fourth-place Los Angeles in the West. Charde Houston scored 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the Lynx.

Silver Stars end road woes, defeat Mystics: Becky Hammon scored all of her 16 points in the second half and Chamique Holdsclaw added 17 points and 11 rebounds as the visiting San Antonio Silver Stars beat the slumping Washington Mystics 79-75.

Sophia Young scored 16 points for the Silver Stars (9-15), who entered the game having lost eight of 11 overall and six of seven on the road but have now won four straight in Washington.

Monique Currie scored seven of her 22 points in the second half for the Mystics (13-10), who have lost five of six since the All-Star break.

NBA

Police: Ex-NBA player Wright shot to death: Former NBA big man Lorenzen Wright, whose body was found in the woods outside Memphis, Tenn., was shot to death and the case is being investigated as a homicide, police said.

Police wouldn't answer questions about motive or suspects. But records indicate that Wright, 34, revered in his hometown as a generous and likable sports hero, was probably carrying a large amount of cash when he disappeared July 18. A court affidavit obtained by The Associated Press also said Wright had sold two vehicles to a man affiliated with a Memphis drug ring that's suspected in six deaths.

Hawks re-sign center: Jason Collins, who saw little action at the end of Atlanta's bench under Mike Woodson, is returning as a backup center for the Hawks under new coach Larry Drew.

House to Miami: Eddie House's agent said the veteran guard has agreed to terms on a $2.8 million, two-year contract with the Miami Heat.

Tennis

Sharapova, Azarenka reach quarterfinals: Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka made it to the quarterfinals of the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, Calif. Former world No. 1 Sharapova, the fifth seed, beat Belarus' Olga Govortsova, 6-3, 6-3, and the eighth-seeded Azarenka topped American Melanie Oudin, 6-3, 6-1 in second-round action. Maria Kirilenko knocked off sixth-seeded Shahar Peer, 6-4, 6-3.

College basketball

Pitino tells jury he hoped to keep tryst secret: Rick Pitino, worried that his wife and kids would find out he had a one-night stand with a woman he met in a bar, acknowledged he didn't immediately tell police about demands for cars, cash and housing in order to keep the tryst secret.

The Louisville basketball coach told jurors he kept quiet for nearly two months, hoping he could "contain" the damaging information.

Intimate details emerged over the past two days as Pitino, 57, testified against the woman, Karen Cunagin Sypher, at her federal extortion trial in Louisville. He recounted the sex, the threatening calls he said left him "sick to my stomach" and strongly denied allegations he raped Sypher.

NCAA adds to Arizona's self-imposed sanctions: The NCAA added to self-imposed sanctions by Arizona's men's basketball program, vacating 19 wins from the 2007-08 season and removing an additional scholarship for violations involving Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson.

College football

UCLA, Chow agree on contract extension: UCLA will get to keep its offensive coordinator for two more seasons as Norm Chow has agreed in principle to an extension that it is believed will make him the highest-paid assistant coach in Bruins history. He is expected to earn between $400,000 and $500,000 per season.

Horse racing

Haskell draws top field: The second season for the 3-year-old Thoroughbreds begins this weekend, and Sunday's $1 million, 1-1/8-mile Haskell Invitational will feature more depth and quality than any of the spring classics did.

Kentucky Derby hero Super Saver and Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky will have their rubber match at Monmouth Park, N.J., but it would be no shock if neither won. Ice Box and First Dude, second at Churchill Downs and Pimlico, respectively, and rising star Trappe Shot are serious challengers. Lookin At Lucky drew the inside post and was made the 5-2 favorite. Super Saver (post 6) and Trappe Shot (post 8) are next at 3-1.

Track and field

German sprinter wins women's 100: Veronica Sailer of Germany won the women's 100 meters in 11.10 seconds at the European Championships in Barcelona, Spain.

Cheruiyot takes 5,000: World champion Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya won the women's 5,000 at the African championships in Nairobi, Kenya, in 16 minutes, 18.72 seconds.

Cycling

Phinney to ride for RadioShack: Track cycling world champion Taylor Phinney, 20, has been promoted from the development squad to ride for Lance Armstrong's Team RadioShack for the rest of the road-race season.

Seattle Times news services