No shock: Detroit in WNBA finals again

Taj McWilliams-Franklin scored 15 of her 19 points in the second half last night to help the Detroit Shock reach the WNBA finals for the third straight season with a 75-73 win over the New York Liberty in Ypsilanti, Mich. Deanna Nolan scored 21 points for the Shock, who won the best-of-three Eastern Conference finals in three games and advanced to play San Antonio. Detroit beat Sacramento in 2006 and lost in five games to Phoenix last year. Detroit acquired the 37-year-old McWilliams-Franklin from Washington during the Olympic break after losing All-Star Cheryl Ford to a season-ending knee injury. McWilliams-Franklin was with the Connecticut Sun from 2003-06. The Shock led by 20 in the first half but had to fight off the deeper Liberty in the second half. Shameka Christon made two free throws with 0.8 seconds left, cutting Detroit's lead to 2, but the Shock ran out the clock . . . Indiana University blames former men's coach Kelvin Sampson and his assistants for the messy phone-call scandal that has tarnished its men's basketball program. In a lengthy response to a major NCAA allegation, failure to monitor, the university accused Sampson and his staff of withholding information and concealing impermissible phone calls from the school's compliance department, a Freedom of Information request revealed. Indiana still is awaiting word on possible NCAA penalties . . . Standout Santa Clara center John Bryant was recovering from stab wounds to the back stemming from an off-campus incident early Saturday. Bryant is expected to be able to play again soon . . . Former Texas Southern women's coach Surina Dixon filed a lawsuit against the school, alleging gender discrimination and retaliation in her firing in June.

Tiger Woods said his knee will probably be no more than 85 percent strong when he returns to competition, but he sees no reason he can't get back to the level of play that brought him nine victories this year. "I believe the stat is after [a six-month healing process], the ACL is 85 percent in strength, and then over the next year-and-a-half, it will gain its 100 percent strength," said Woods, who had surgery to rebuild the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee one week after winning the US Open in a 19-hole playoff. Woods spoke during a video conference to announce the 16-man field for the Chevron World Challenge Dec. 18-21 at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif., where the defending champion - Woods - will be limited to his role as tournament host. The field will include 23-year-old Anthony Kim, who began the year at No. 75 in the world and is now No. 6; Camilo Villegas, a 26-year-old from Colombia who is No. 7; and FedEx Cup champion Vijay Singh . . . Frank Dully (Kernwood CC), Jeff Seavey (Samoset), Brian Spitz (Black Rock), and Marc Spencer (Atkinson) won quarterfinal matches at the NEPGA Match Play Championship in Salem.

Lance Armstrong is hoping his comeback will start in Australia. The seven-time Tour de France winner wants to return to elite racing in January's Tour Down Under even though he's not eligible to return until Feb. 1. Armstrong said he's hoping authorities will grant him an exemption and allow him to ride. The International Cycling Union (UCI) requires riders coming out of retirement to be in the sport's anti-doping program for six months before racing. Armstrong filed paperwork Aug. 1 with the US Anti-Doping Agency and said he's already been drug-tested - in late August. The UCI said it will make a decision this week.

Deciding that $12 million per year is too much to pay for two goalies, the Chicago Blackhawks placed Nikolai Khabibulin on waivers. Khabibulin is entering the final season of a four-year, $27 million contract. He joined the Blackhawks from Tampa Bay as a free agent after leading the Lightning to the 2004 Stanley Cup. The Blackhawks signed free agent Cristobal Huet to a four-year, $22.5 million deal in July, giving them two top goaltenders. Khabibulin has been inconsistent and injured over the past three seasons.

Paul Menard will leave Dale Earnhardt Inc. at the end of the season to drive for Yates Racing. Menard is expected to announce today that he and his sponsorship will move to Yates, a person familiar with Menard's decision told the Associated Press. The loss could cripple DEI because Menard's sponsor is his father's midwest-based hardware chain. The loss of driver and sponsor leaves DEI with just one full-time sponsor and three drivers signed for next season . . . Richard Bahre, who helped his brother Bob build New Hampshire Motor Speedway from a small track into one that hosts top NASCAR races, died Saturday at 76.

Iraq lost its bid for reinstatement in 2010 World Cup qualifying after the sport's highest court refused to punish Qatar for using an ineligible player. The Court of Arbitration for Sport agreed with governing body FIFA that Iraq had no right to make an appeal because it was late in paying a $2,800 fee. The Iraqi Football Association missed the deadline by 11 days . . . A multi-city Breeders' Cup Legends Tour featuring Pat Day, Angel Cordero Jr., and Laffit Pincay Jr. will kick off Oct. 1 at Suffolk Downs. The Hall of Fame jockeys will sign autographs and meet with fans . . . Li Na beat Nicole Vaidisova, 6-1, 6-2, in the first match of the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany. Li next faces US Open champ Serena Williams, who had a first-round bye.