was mad as hell.Five players were charged with misdemeanor m

MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve is an expert at analyzing her team, but this is one thing she really cant explain.In each of their five WNBA Finals appearances, the Lynx have had the best record and been the host for the first two games. However, theyve lost the opener now three times.Isnt that crazy? Reeve mused. I kind of went back and thought about it. I think each year is different, but it was surprising to me.Los Angeles won 78-76 on Alana Beards buzzer-beater on Sunday in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. Even while the game was being played, the Lynx knew what their biggest problems were: turnovers and fouls. But they werent able to satisfactorily fix those things before it was too late.Its two good teams going against each other, Minnesotas Maya Moore said. We cant give up easy points in transition off their aggressive defense. Its about moment-by-moment getting the ball where we want it on offense.Of course, the Sparks feel like they have things to clean up as well, despite winning the game.Theyre going to adjust to our pressure, for sure, L.A.s Candace Parker said. But we lost a lot of statistical categories, too. So this isnt just about them having to adjust to us. We have to make adjustments, too.Now well see which path the series takes from here. The teams meet again at Target Center on Tuesday (ESPN2, 8 p.m. ET) and the Lynx will try to become the first team to hold court in this series in 2016. The visiting team has won all four previous meetings this season.Sometimes, results of past seasons are irrelevant because personnel is different. But since Minnesotas core and coaching staff are the same, there is some reason to look back on those two previous Game 1 losses to see what the Lynx did then and how they responded.In 2012, the Lynx lost Game 1 to Indiana 76-70, and turnovers cost Minnesota then, too. The Lynx bounced back and won the second game, but then lost twice at Indiana, and the Fever got the championship.Then last year, again going against Indiana, the Lynx lost 75-69 in Game 1. Once more, turnovers were a factor, as was the Lynxs 15-of-23 shooting from the line, while the Fever went 16-for-16.But the Lynx ended up winning the series, taking the second game behind powerful performances from Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles, and the third game on Moores buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Indiana won Game 4, but Minnesota won the decisive fifth game basically by attrition, 69-52. The Lynx had worn out the Fever by then.That might be a factor in this 2016 WNBA Finals, too, especially if it goes five games. Sunday, Los Angeles coach Brian Agler stuck with a seven-player rotation, while Reeve used 10 players.I think well go deeper, but [Sunday] just wasnt that time, Agler said. It was sort of a gut feeling, and sometimes you just go with what was working. Im sure that going forward, well use our eighth and ninth players a little bit more.When the teams first met this season, on June 21 in Los Angeles, it was close throughout with the Lynx winning 72-69 on Renee Montgomerys 3-pointer with 2.9 seconds left.Three days later in Minneapolis, the Sparks took over the fourth quarter, outscoring the Lynx 29-17 for a 94-76 victory.They didnt play again until Sept. 6 in Los Angeles, and the Lynx were up by 10 with 35 seconds left. Game over? Not quite. The Lynx won 77-74, but a scoring surge from Sparks guard Chelsea Gray kept things uncomfortable down the stretch.The Sparks prevailing on Sunday in Minneapolis sent the crowd home disappointed, and the Lynx players were frustrated, too. But not overly so, since theyve been through this before. The Lynx dont lose a lot of games, period. But they especially dont lose much when they shoot 51 percent from the field, as they did Sunday (31 of 61).Minnesotas Seimone Augustus said after the game, she shut off her phone -- I didnt want to talk to anybody -- and went home to get a good nights sleep. She knew Mondays film session wouldnt be much fun, but would help.You can hit the rewind button and play it again. And hit the rewind and play it again, Augustus said of reviewing mistakes the Lynx made. Its something that we need.Its minor details that weve got to work out. Weve got to be smarter with the passes. Just knowing that theyre going to collapse on the ball. Youve got to be able to handle the pressure. Its the Finals and [the Sparks] came in to win, and thats what they did. Now weve got to put the pedal to the metal. Caleb Joseph Diamondbacks Jersey . -- When the Florida Panthers fell behind by two goals in the first period to the top team in the NHL, it appeared they were on their way to yet another loss. Abraham Almonte Diamondbacks Jersey .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. http://www.diamondbackssale.com/diamondbacks-caleb-joseph-jersey/ . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? LeBrun: Over the last 48 hours, hes taken in the home-and-home between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene being the obvious targets. Alex Avila Diamondbacks Jersey . -- In one brief spurt, Brazil turned a close game into a rout and proved again it will be a strong World Cup favourite. Jarrod Dyson Diamondbacks Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. SOCCERCHICAGO -- U.S. womens goalkeeper Hope Solo was suspended for six months by U.S. Soccer for disparaging comments about Sweden following the Americans early departure from the Rio Olympics.Solo called the Swedes a bunch of cowards for focusing on defense rather than attacking the three-time defending champion U.S. team. Sweden ousted the U.S. 4-3 on penalty kicks following a 1-1 draw in a quarterfinal match.U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati said Solos comments were unacceptable and do not meet the standard of conduct we require from our National Team players.The 35-year-old Solo, who was previously suspended for 30 days early in 2015 for her conduct, will not be eligible for selection to the national team until February.PRO FOOTBALLSAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Chargers have withdrawn their contract offer to first-round draft pick Joey Bosa and will restructure a new deal that takes into account his absence from the team.The Chargers statement said they believe Joey will be unable to contribute for the full 16-game season without the adequate time on the practice field, in the classroom, and in preseason games. They characterized their previous offers to the Ohio state defensive end as fair and structurally consistent with the contracts of every other Chargers player.Bosa is the only first-rounder who has not signed with his team.Negotiations stalled over when Bosas $17 million bonus would be distributed and offset language in the contract.San Diego said it offered an initial signing bonus payment larger than any draftee received in the last two drafts, and more money in 2016 than anyone draftee except Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz.OLYMPICSRIO DE JANEIRO -- Nearly 80 percent of the tickets for next months Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro remain unsold, but sales have increased sharply since the end of the Olympics, organizers said.On Tuesday, 133,000 tickets were sold, a new daily record for the Rio Paralympics, which will be held Sept. 7-18.So far over 600,000 tickets, just over 20 percent of the 2.5 million available, have been sold.The sports in highest demand are athletics, swimming, 5-a-side football, wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball.Poor Paralympic ticket sales have compounded the financial challenges in Brazil that have already hit operations at the Olympics.Organizers have announced budget cuts that will mean one venue will close down, facilities will be dismantled and the workforce will be reduced.BRIGHTON, Mich. -- U.S. ski team physician Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher has opened The Sports Neurology Clinic at The CORE Institute.The director of the clinic says his goal is to help as many athletes as possible with their neurological health at the 7,000-square foot facility about 35 miles west of Detroit. His team of neurologists, athletic trainers, physical therapists, and neuropsychologiists will treat athletes of all ages.ddddddddddddKutcher was the U.S. ski teams first specialist evaluating and treating concussions during the 2014 Winter Olympics. He is the NBA concussion program director, advises the NFL and NHL Players Associations and helped to create the NCAAs concussion-related policies.Kutcher founded the University of Michigans NeuroSport program, which he says limited the number of athletes he could evaluate.NEW YORK -- U.S. swimmer James Feigen apologized for the serious distraction he and three teammates caused at a gas station during the Rio Olympics, saying he omitted facts in his statement to police.Feigen says in a statement on the website of his lawyer in Austin, Texas, that I omitted the facts that we urinated behind the building and that Ryan Lochte pulled a poster off the wall.He maintains the group didnt force their way into a bathroom and a gun was pointed at them.Feigen says he paid the driver the cab fare and as I walked away, the man with the gun pointed it at me and my teammate and ordered us, in Portuguese, to sit.Feigen was pulled off an airplane last week by police for more questioning. He says he paid a fine of $10,800 for return of his passport.COLLEGE FOOTBALLSOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly says his first reaction to six players being arrested over the weekend was disappointment.Kelly says he reacted like any father would, saying after feeling disappointment he then felt embarrassment. He says then he was mad as hell.Five players were charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession after being stopped for allegedly speeding in Fulton County, about 40 miles south of South Bend. Three face an additional misdemeanor charge of possession of an unlicensed handgunIn a separate incident, cornerback Devin Butler was accused of tackling a police officer and punching him during an altercation outside a bar near campus. Butler had been suspended indefinitely from the team. Kelly kicked starting safety Max Refield off the team.Kelly said the other four players are practicing with the team and will be available to play in the opener against Texas unless the university takes action.HOCKEYGLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Arizona Coyotes have hired Dawn Braid as skating coach and say she is believed to be the first full-time female coach in NHL history.Braid has a long association with the NHL.She worked part-time for the Coyotes last year and has served as a skating consultant with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres and Calgary Flames.Braid also spent seven years with the Athletes Training Center as director of skating development. Among the skaters she worked with while there is New York Islanders center John Tavares. ' ' '