<strong><span class="subhead">Melee in the WNBA</span></strong></p><p>The last 5 seconds of the Los Angeles Sparks win over the Detroit Shock was &#8230; well a shocker as both benches joined in a melee that included Detroit assistant coach <strong>Rick Mahorn </strong>shoving Sparks center <strong>Lisa Leslie </strong>to the floor.</p><p>It began when Detroit&#8217;s <strong>Cheryl Ford </strong>and the Sparks&#8217; <strong>Candace Parker </strong>had to be separated after Ford fouled Parker. On the next possession Parker and <strong>Plenette Pierson </strong>got tangled up, and Pierson fell to the floor. As she got up, she intentionally ran into Parker, setting off the melee.</p><p>Parker tossed a punch at Pierson before Detroit&#8217;s <strong>Deanna Nolan </strong>tackled Parker. Players and coaches from both teams joined in, including Mahorn, who was punched in the back by <strong>DeLisha Milton-Jones</strong> joined the festivities.</p><p>&#8220;I think Rick was trying to play peacemaker, but he&#8217;s just too big,&#8221; Sparks coach <strong>Michael Cooper </strong>said. &#8220;I didn&#8217;t see exactly what happened, but he apparently gently tried to push Lisa away.&#8221;</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Track leader contacts Bush</span></strong></p><p><strong>Doug Logan</strong>, the new CEO of USA Track and Field, wrote a letter to <strong>President Bush </strong>asking to deny <strong>Marion Jones&#8217; </strong>request to commute her six-month prison sentence for lying to federal agents about her use of performance-enhancing drugs.</p><p>&#8220;As the new CEO of USA Track and Field, I have a moral and practical duty to make the case against her request,&#8221; Logan wrote.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Black Hawks playing outdoors</span></strong></p><p>With the windchill hovering at about 72 degrees Tuesday at Wrigley Field, the Chicago Blackhawks previewed the NHL&#8217;s third outdoor game in league history. The Blackhawks will play Detroit on New Year&#8217;s Day at Wrigley Field. Outdoor games have been played in Buffalo and Edmonton.</p><p>The event is expected to draw 42,000 fans to Wrigley.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Knee injury sidelines Serena</span></strong></p><p><strong>Serena Williams </strong>withdrew from the East West Bank Classic in Carson, Calif., because of an injury to her left knee. It was the second time in less than a week that she has had to withdraw. Her status for the Beijing Olympics is still up in the air.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Shoes yes, coach no</span></strong></p><p><strong>Ron Hunter</strong>, the IUPUI basketball coach who went barefoot for a game last season to publicize a shoe campaign, won&#8217;t be able to deliver shoes to the poor in Nigeria this month because the U.S. State Department said it wouldn&#8217;t be safe to go.</p><p>Instead, Hunter and a group of about 40 others, will deliver about 15,000 pairs of shoes in Lima, Peru. Hunter said he had been looking forward to a trip to Africa, but &#8220;I&#8217;ve got to worry about the well-being and the safety of the people going with us.&#8221;</p><p>Samaritan&#8217;s Feet will distribute about 150,000 pairs of shoes around the world this year.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Elsewhere</span></strong></p><p>&#8226;Rain suspended play at the U.S. Junior Amateur with most of the field still on the course. <strong>Curtis Yonke </strong>of Overland Park was one of the few who finished his round, shooting a 78 and finishing at 9-over park. He was tied for 84th. <strong>Ryan Marks </strong>of Warrensburg was 3 over par, tied for 23rd, but still on the course when play was suspended. The top 64 players make the match-play portion of the event. At the U.S. Junior Girls Championships <strong>Gianna Misenhelter </strong>of Overland Park improved on her first-round score with a 79. She did not make the match play portion of the event.