BASKETBALL

MVP’s late basket sends Sparks to WNBA title

Nneka Ogwumike’s short jumper with 3.1 seconds left gave the Los Angeles Sparks a 77-76 victory over the defending champion Minnesota Lynx in the deciding game of the WNBA Finals on Thursday night in Minneapolis, delivering the Sparks their first title in 14 years.

Ogwumike, the league MVP, finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Candace Parker had 28 points and 12 rebounds for the Sparks.

NBA: Philadelphia 76ers forward Elton Brand announced his retirement.

Brand, the first overall pick in the 1999 draft by Chicago, averaged 15.9 points and 8.5 rebounds in 17 seasons.

• The Pistons exercised their option on forward Stanley Johnson through the 2017-18 season. Johnson averaged 8.1 points and 4.2 rebounds as a rookie last season.

COLLEGES

FIELD HOCKEY: Libby Riedl scored two second-half goals to help the University of Maine (11-5, 4-1 America East) to a 3-0 victory over UMass-Lowell (7-8, 2-3) at Orono.

Ella Mosky scored in the 41st minute, and Riedl added goals in the 56th and 65th minutes.

Emma Cochran made three saves for the shutout.

WOMEN’S SOCCER: Meghan Cavanaugh scored with 6:42 to play to give Albany (8-7-1, 5-1-1 America East) a 2-1 win over Maine (7-8, 3-5) at Orono in the Black Bears’ season finale.

Maine’s Vivien Beil and Albany’s Meghan Malone traded goals earlier in the second half.

The Black Bears must wait for the conference schedule to conclude to find out if they will reach the tournament.

BASKETBALL: The University of Maine women’s team was ranked third in the America East preseason coaches’ poll, garnering two first-place votes and 51 points.

Albany topped the poll with 60 points (five first-place votes). UMBC was next with 53 points (two first-place votes).

Maine won the regular-season title last year, but fell to Albany in the tournament final.

• Maine was last in the men’s coaches’ poll, receiving just eight points. Vermont was first with 62 points.

TENNIS

NADAL OUT: Rafael Nadal said he is cutting short his 2016 season to fully recover from a left wrist injury that kept him out of action for more than two months this season.

GOLF

PGA: Justin Thomas opened his CIMB Classic title defense with an 8-under 64 for a share of the lead with fellow Americans Keegan Bradley and Derek Fathauer at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

LPGA: Minjee Lee birdied the final three holes for a 7-under 65 and a two-stroke lead in the Blue Bay LPGA at Hainan, China.

EUROPEAN TOUR: Scotland’s Marc Warren birdied the first six holes and finished with an 8-under 63 to take a one-stroke first-round lead in the Portugal Masters at Vilamoura.

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