Game on: Detroit Shock looking for three-peat

September 30, 2008 – The Shock’s 75-73 victory over the NY Liberty sends them to their third consecutive trip to the WNBA Finals and fourth in the past six seasons. They will take on Becky Hammon and the San Antonio Silver Stars, who eliminated the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday to advance to their first finals.

Games 1 and 2 in the best-of-five series will be played in San Antonio on Wednesday and Friday. The Silver Stars will have home-court advantage in the finals because of their 24-10 regular-season record, while Detroit finished 22-12.

Detroit lost both of its regular-season games against San Antonio, but they were both before the August trade for McWilliams-Franklin, who was acquired after star forward Cheryl Ford was lost for the season with a torn knee ligament on July 22.

Thirty-seven year-old McWilliams-Franklin, one of the oldest players in the league, was key in helping Detroit reach the WNBA finals .

Will Detroit three-peat?

Cool Bike Accessories

Spring is making a comeback so it’s time to get outside and do some biking! From spoke riders and reflectors to bike horns and bells, Pretty Tough checks out the must-have accessories and the coolest ways to jazz up your bicycle.

Horns & Bells
Adding a horn or bell to your bicycle is a great way to make a lot of noise and safely let other people know that you’re on the road. An old-skool bugle horn or a bell is always nice, but if you really want to let people know you’re coming through, check out the Delta Airzound Horn. At 115 decibels, it just might be the most obnoxious-sounding warning device around. And, it’s the perfect way to signal motorists or scare little ol’ men.

The Bell Bike Bell offers classic styling with a shiny, chrome-plated finish that looks great on any bike. A rubber shim allows for a custom fit and prevents scratching. If you’re looking for something a bit more stylish and not so annoying, try the Mirrycle Incredibells - easy to mount bells with a covered dome that rings loud and clear. The Candibell comes in five delicious candy colors: Pink, Blue, Green, Orange and Purple.  Listen

Locks
The one bike accessory you never want to be without (besides a helmet) is a lock. There’s nothing worse than having some punk rip off your bike cause you left it unlocked somewhere. A good lock can also be used to secure other sports equipment as well. Best to get a solid steel U-shaped one – they’re nearly impossible to cut through and can easily be mounted to the frame of your bike. Check out the  On Guard Bulldog U Lock for a popular choice.

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Nagasu hangs on for ladies national title

ST. PAUL, Minn. Jan. 27, 2008 – On a night when a new generation came to the fore, Mirai Nagasu overcame a fall on her opening double Axel and a third-place finish in the free skate to capture the U.S. title.The ninth grader from Arcadia, Calif., became only the second skater in history to win the U.S. senior ladies crown the season after taking the junior title.

In a quandary for U.S. Figure Skating’s International Committee, the top two finishers, Nagasu and Rachael Flatt, are both too young under International Skating Union (ISU) rules to compete at the 2008 World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden.

With their gold and silver medalists unavailable, the committee named bronze medalist Ashley Wagner; fifth-place finisher Bebe Liang; and 2006 world champion Kimberly Meissner, who placed a devastating seventh in Saint Paul, to the 2008 world team.

Full story

Pretty Tough Trivia:

• Mirai means “the future” in Japanese. She’s definitely skating’s future.
• Only Tara Lipinski in 1997 was younger when she won the title (and just by a month).

Fourteen-year-old Mirai Nagasu leads after stunning short program

ST. PAUL, Minn. Jan. 25, 2008 – If 14-year-old Mirai Nagasu skates her free program anything like she did her short, she’ll easily take the ladies title at the 2008 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

What she won’t have is a trip to the 2008 World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden. She’s too young.

The winsome skater captured the crowd and judges with her peppy take to Gershwin’s classic, “I Got Rhythm.” The program included a strong triple Lutz-triple toe combination; speedy, well-centered spins; and a beautifully extended spiral sequence. Four of her five non-jumping elements gained Level 4.

Defending champion Kimmie Meissner sits fourth after falling on a triple flip in her short to Peter Gabriel’s “The Feeling Begins.” She enters the free skate with 57.58 points, 12.65 points behind Nagasu.

So what lies in store for the newest wunderkind? No one knows for sure but try catching Saturday’s performance for a clue.

Courtney Kupets headed to USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame

Jan. 24, 2008 – University of Georgia’s Courtney Kupets is one of the nation’s best collegiate gymnasts, but her accomplishments at the elite level are why she is headed to the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame. Kupets will be inducted as a member of the 2003 Women’s World Championships Gold Medal team at the Olympic Team Trials in Philadelphia on June 22.

The junior Gym Dog had to sit out of the 2003 World Championships because of an Achilles injury, but was the 2002 World Champion on the uneven bars, and the 2003 USA Gymnastics Athlete of the Year. She came back from injury by winning the U.S. National Championship on the beam, and the co-title in the all-around in 2004.

“As great as Courtney has been as a collegiate gymnast, she had an unbelievable amount of success at the elite level prior to coming to Georgia,” said Georgia head coach Suzanne Yoculan said. “She has won at every level she has been at, and I can’t think of many gymnasts more deserving of a place in the USA Hall of Fame for our sport.”

At Georgia, Kupets claimed the 2006 and 2007 NCAA All-Around titles, and has also won NCAA individual championships in the vault, balance beam and uneven bars.

Maria the one to beat after finishing off Henin in quarterfinal match

Jan. 22, 2008 – Those hoping the Australian Open quarter-final between Justine Henin and Maria Sharapova would be as exciting as the pair’s last meeting, got something less than fireworks at Melbourne Park on Day 9.

Henin and Sharapova, who have nine Grand Slam titles between them, last met in the Tour Championships final in Madrid, with the Belgian emerging victorious from a match which lasted three hours and 24 minutes, the longest in the Open era.

Both players entered the match in impeccable form but Sharapova was unstoppable this time as she steamrolled Henin 6-4 6-0 in 98 minutes, inflicting the Belgian’s first loss in 33 matches since the semi-finals of last year’s Wimbledon Championships.

If Sharapova can reproduce that effort against Jelena Jankovic, who beat defending champ Serena Williams earlier in the day,  there may be no stopping her collecting a maiden Australian Open crown.

Women of Troy beat crosstown rival UCLA in dramatic fashion

LOS ANGELES, Calif. Jan. 19, 2008 – The USC women’s basketball team pulled out a dramatic and tight win over crosstown rival UCLA on Saturday afternoon, tallying the Trojans’ sixth straight win over the Bruins with a victory at Galen Center.

In the final seconds of the game, Nadia Parker hit the front end of her free throws to give USC a 59-56 lead. With 2.6 seconds left, after a Parker block on UCLA’s last shot attempt, the loose ball was gathered in by Allison Jaskowiak, who was fouled as she held onto the ball.

A scuffle ensued that resulted in four technical fouls (one against USC and three against UCLA) and four ejections, as an additional three UCLA players and USC player left their respective benches. Two technicals off-set, giving Jaskowiak four free throws to shoot before the one-and-one granted from the initial foul. She knocked down the first five of the six shots, ballooning USC’s three-point lead to a final score of 64-56.

Pretty Tough Trivia:
- Attendance of 8,545 was the fourth largest crowd in USC women’s basketball history.
- Nadia Parker had her fourth double-double of the season

Soccer – USA defeats Finland and takes on China for Four Nations Title

GUANGZHOU, China,  Jan. 18, 2008 – The U.S. Women’s National Team dispatched Finland with little drama in its second match of the 2008 Four Nations Tournament, getting two goals from Lindsay Tarpley, one from Lauren Cheney and one from Angie Woznuk in a 4-1 victory that set up a clash with host China on January 20 for the championship.

Full story at US Soccer

Marion Jones sentenced to six months

WHITE PLAINS, NY, Jan. 12, 2008 - Former track star Marion Jones will spend half of 2008 behind bars, after pleading guilty and lying to federal agents about steroid use.

Line up for 2008 ASP WCT announced – Hedges takes pregnancy hiatus

Jan. 9, 2008 – Motherhood has claimed another of Australia’s top surfers, with former world champion Chelsea Hedges quitting the world championship tour to give birth this year. The 2005 world champion will not tour in 2008 as she and board-shaper husband Jason are expecting their first child in June.

Hedges is the second top rated Australian surfer to quit in the past 12 months, with WA’s Melanie Redman-Carr stepping off the tour last October when she revealed she too was expecting. Hedges, 24, is currently enjoying her last surf trip, holidaying on the Caroline Islands with friends including recently crowned 2007 world champion Stephanie Gilmore.

Hedges, who finished seventh in the 2007 world ratings after winning the opening event on the Gold Coast, could return directly to the WCT next year if she applies for and is granted a wildcard.

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