Lynx star Augustus out for rest of year

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Jun 19, 2009 | by Anonymous

Minnesota Lynx star Seimone Augustus will miss the rest of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee.

Augustus was the Lynx's leading scorer with 21 points per game, third-best in the WNBA. The two-time All-Star, who played on the U.S. Olympic team last summer, was hurt in the second quarter of Wednesday's loss at Phoenix.

Augustus had an MRI on Thursday, which revealed the tear. A fourth-year player, Augustus will need surgery, though an exact date has not yet been determined.

-- Lauren Jackson scored 21 of her 26 points in the first half, and the host Seattle Storm shot nearly 73 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes on the way to a 90-62 rout of the Lynx. ... Sancho Lyttle scored 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the host Atlanta Dream to a 93-81 victory and the Washington Mystic's first loss of the season. ... Asjha Jones scored 17 points and had nine rebounds and the host Connecticut Sun routed the Chicago Sky 91- 61 to snap a two-game losing streak. ... Tamika Catchings scored 15 points and the visiting Indiana Fever beat the Detroit Shock 66-54 in Rick Mahorn's debut as Shock coach. ... Janel McCarville scored 18 points to lead the host New York Liberty to a 77-61 win over the San Antonio Silver Stars to get its first win of the season. ... Cappie Pondexter scored 21 points and Tamkea Johnson added 18 as the host Phoenix Mercury defeated the Los Angeles Sparks 89-80.

Tennis

Defending champion Tamarine Tanasugarn upset top-ranked Dinara Safina 7-5, 7-5 in the semifinals of the Ordina Open in Den Bosch, Netherlands. Tamarine, who beat Safina in last year's final, will play Belgian teenager Yanina Wickmayer today. Wickmayer overcame a swirling wind and match-point jitters to defeat Francesca Schiavone 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-3.

-- Virginie Razzano reached the Aegon International final in Eastbourne, England, when Marion Bartoli retired with a leg injury while trailing 6-4, 1-0. Razzano will play sixth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, who defeated Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada 3- 6, 6-4, 6-4. On the men's side, second-seeded Dmitry Tursunov will face qualifier Frank Dancevic in the final. Turnsunov beat eighth- seeded Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-2, 6-2, and Dancevic defeated Fabrice Santoro 6-4, 6-4.

NHL

The St. Louis Blues re-signed veteran forward Keith Tkachuk to a one-year contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Tkachuk, 37, had 25 goals and 24 assists last season.

-- Center Steven Reinprecht signed a three-year contract with the Florida Panthers after the Phoenix Coyotes traded his rights to Florida for left wing Stefan Meyer. Terms were not disclosed. Reinprecht, 33, scored 14 goals with 27 assists in 73 games with the Coyotes last season.

Cycling

Luxembourg rider Kim Kirchen won the seventh stage of the Tour of Switzerland, giving Team Columbia-Highroad its fifth stage win, while Tadej Valjavec of Slovenia kept his overall lead. Kirchen finished the 127-mile stage in 4 hours, 56 minute, 41 seconds. Defending champion Roman Kreuziger of the Czech Republic trailed by 2 seconds.

Boxing

Jean Pascal overpowered Adrian Diaconu, claiming the WBC light heavyweight title with a unanimous decision before 13,659 fans at the Bell Centre in Montreal who seemed split in their support of the two hometown fighters.

Golf

Gavin Coles, Chris Tidland and Jason Enloe matched 11-under 129 totals to share the second-round lead in the Nationwide Tour's Fort Smith (Ark.) Classic. Coles fired a 4-under 66 at Hardscrabble Country Club.