LOS ANGELES - The Sparks built a 21-point lead in the first half, then waited for Detroit to catch up.
But the Shock never erased the double-digit deficit, and two-time champion Los Angeles won 75-63 Friday night in the opener of the best-of-three WNBA title series.
Lisa Leslie, last year's MVP, scored 14 of her 23 in the first half and had 12 rebounds for Los Angeles, which seeks a three-peat. Swin Cash scored 16 for Detroit. Game 2 is Sunday in Detroit.
BRYANT CASE: Kobe Bryant's attorneys asked a Colorado judge to close the Oct. 9 preliminary hearing, saying publicity would threaten the Lakers guard's right to a fair trial on a sexual assault charge. They also accused authorities of secretly recording a statement by Bryant. Also, Bryant's accuser joined prosecutors in asking a judge to throw out the defense subpoena seeking her testimony.
McGRADY Q&A: Magic guard Tracy McGrady told a New York magazine for its November issue he believes "5 percent" of NBA players are gay and said he witnessed incidents of homosexual behavior. He would not expand his answer in the interview with Stuff writer Bill Schultz. McGrady also criticized Magic management for not involving him in the signing of free-agent forward Juwan Howard. "I'm finding out from friends that we signed Juwan Howard, and I'm thinking I should have been one of the first to know," he said. "I'm really happy to have him on the team, though."
PISTONS: Darko Milicic, the No. 2 overall pick in this year's NBA draft, signed a three-year contract worth about $11-million. Milicic of Serbia and Montenegro has played professionally in Europe since he was 14.
COLLEGES: Baylor keeps president
Baylor's board of regents voted 31-4 to keep Robert Sloan as president after faculty members urged his ouster in a no-confidence vote. Sloan's leadership was questioned after the summer death of basketball player Patrick Dennehy, arrest of former player Carlton Dotson on murder charges and the ensuing disclosure of major violations in the basketball program.
LAWSUIT: A coaching coalition sued the investigative arm of Congress, saying its review of gender equity in sports understates cuts in men's teams. The College Sports Council contends the General Accounting Office used flawed data in its 2001 report on the growth and elimination of teams for men and women. That is significant, the council said, because the report has been central to the Education Department's enforcement of Title IX, which bars sex discrimination at schools receiving federal funds. The suit wants the report rescinded.
GOLF: The Florida women (308) finished 14th in the first round of the NCAA Fall Preview hosted by Auburn (286), which led the 18-team field. Freshman Naree Song of Bradenton led the Gators at 3 over and was tied for 32nd.
SOCCER: Junior Amy Pfitzinger scored twice as host Tampa topped Central Arkansas 3-1. The men beat Southern Indiana 3-0. ... Senior Sean Miller of St. Petersburg scored as Eckerd beat visiting Montevallo 4-1. The women fell 3-1 to the Eagles.
TENNIS: Greatest match ever?
Justine Henin-Hardenne's victory over Saddlebrook's Jennifer Capriati in the semis of the U.S. Open was added to the WTA contest for the greatest women's match played in the Open era (1968-present). The match, won by Henin-Hardenne 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4), was added to 15 others. Results will be announced in November.
ET CETERA
FOOTBALL: A player who collapsed during a game died from clogged arteries, according to a coroner's report. Julian Yearwood, a 6-foot-2, 260-pound fullback/linebacker for the Bakersfield (Calif.) Blitz, passed out while on the bench of an arenafootball2 game on July 19.
WRESTLING: Americans finished 21-1 at the World Freestyle Championships in New York after two sessions of pool competition.
