Late scuffle mars Sparks win over Shock

[DeclinetoState]

Women's basketball:

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP)—Candace Parker wanted to focus on all of the good parts of the Los Angeles Sparks’ win over the Detroit Shock.

Unfortunately, it will be the final 5 seconds that everyone else is going to remember.

Parker was one of three players ejected along with Detroit assistant coach Rick Mahorn after an ugly scuffle with 4.6 seconds left in Los Angeles’ 84-81 victory.

“To be honest, I don’t recall exactly what happened,” said Parker, who led Los Angeles with 21 points. “I’ll have to watch the tape.”

The skirmish started moments after Parker and Detroit’s Cheryl Ford had to be separated after Ford fouled Parker.

On the next possession, Parker got tangled up with Detroit’s Plenette Pierson and fell to the ground. As she was getting up, Pierson intentionally ran into her, setting off the melee.
Link (http://sports.yahoo.com/wnba/recap?gid=20080722010&prov=ap)

[DeclinetoState]

Videos (http://video.google.com/videosearch?client=safari&rls=en&q=sparks%20shock%20scuffle&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&um=1&sa=N&tab=wv#)

[Beowulf]

Nothing like a cat fight on a grand scale!!:thumb:

[DeclinetoState]

Thu Jul 24, 3:55 PM ET

NEW YORK (AFP) - Women's National Basketball Association officials suspended 10 players and an assistant coach Thursday after a brawl, setting up the return of 50-year-old Nancy Lieberman to the league.

The Detroit Shock, which signed Lieberman to a seven-day contract after the bans were announced, and Los Angeles Sparks each had five players suspended after a melee in the final seconds of an 84-81 Los Angeles triumph on Tuesday.

Shock assistant coach Rick Mahorn, a former NBA player with the Detroit Pistons, was banished for two games after escalating the altercation by shoving Sparks' star and US Olympian Lisa Leslie to the court.
More (http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080724/sp_afp/basketnbawomenbrawl;_ylt=Agp3aI.9Qgpv2ELePhRyP7m79 LQF)