Pirate Galaxy » Fame.TRAINERS ROOMAthletics: C Josh Phegley

PHOENIX -- Penny Taylor looked sad, of course, but also irritated and disappointed as she left the court. She is an intense competitor, and her Phoenix Mercury being swept in the WNBA semifinals was an affront to her fighting spirit.Its not that she didnt acknowledge how good the victorious Minnesota Lynx are. We definitely lost to a better team, she said.But Taylor, who finished her stellar WNBA career with Sundays 82-67 loss, wanted her last stand to be a real battle to the end. It wasnt -- the Lynx didnt allow it to be -- but no one could doubt that Taylor gave everything she had, despite going 0 of 7 from the field.Oh, lets not look at that, she said later when glancing at the printed box score after the game, a show of her usual good humor.Her four points all came on free throws, including two in the first quarter after her face hit the floor in a scramble for the ball.Getting up slowly, in obvious pain, but then going to the line with determination and hitting both foul shots? Vintage Penny Taylor.I just wanted to make sure my face was still there, she joked. And then after that, I was fine. But, yeah, it gets harder. Today was hard, physically. In a way, it reinforces that there is an expiration date for everyone. Some days, you feel good. Today wasnt one of them.No, but there were a lot of days -- a lot of years, actually -- when Taylor soared.At the root of anybody that good is a burning competitive desire, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. There were so many facets to her game. I felt like every time I was scouting her, I would say, Penny Taylor is so good. She had a tenacity about her.Reeve can recall specific defensive plays that Taylor made over the years against the Lynx, and how she forced opponents into mistakes.She was so feisty and incredibly smart, Reeve said.Taylor might next take those qualities to the sidelines; she has an interest in becoming a coach. And the Mercury will have to move on without a player who has meant so much to the organization and the fans in Phoenix.Diana Taurasi, who had 12 points Sunday, will be 35 next year. Brittney Griner, who just completed her fourth WNBA season, is entering her peak years, but had an uneven performance at times in 2016. There are questions the Mercury will have to answer for 2017.Taylor has been an integral part of three WNBA championship teams. Phoenix has had to play without her before, including in 2015, when she sat out the season to rest. But this time, shes not coming back.Taylor was the last standing of the star players who retired this year: Indianas Tamika Catchings, New Yorks Swin Cash, fellow Australian Lauren Jackson and DeLisha Milton-Jones.Late in Sundays game, the crowd at Talking Stick Resort Arena gave Taylor a loud ovation when Mercury coach Sandy Brondello subbed her out. And as the closing seconds ticked away, the fans began to chant her name, Penny, Penny, Penny.Taylor came into the WNBA as the 11th pick in the 2001 draft, when she was just a 19-year-old from the other side of the world. She was picked by Cleveland, and when that franchise disbanded, she was the top selection by Phoenix in the dispersal draft.The Mercury faithful immediately loved her, and their affection was returned. In fact, any WNBA fan who wanted a selfie with Taylor got one; she has been a fantastic ambassador for the league. At some point, thats likely to continue as she moves to a new role outside of playing.I think that its important that players who understand professional basketball stay involved with it, she said. But I have a lot to still learn. When youre in the game, its so easy to get lost in your part of it. But in coaching, you always have to look at the whole.I am looking forward to that personal part of it where I can help players individually, which is something I feel like I could possibly be good at.The fact that a player with Taylors basketball acumen talks about how much she doesnt know is an indicator of why she has been such a great teammate. Shes always that humble.So we leave it to Brondello to state definitively: Whatever she does, whatever she puts her mind to, shell be great.Although Taylor wants a bit of a rest first.Im just going to enjoy doing nothing, and see how long that lasts, she said. I have a feeling not very long. But when I look back, I started professionally at roughly 16, so its a good stretch. And Ive loved every minute of it.Taylor has traveled the globe in her career, playing for the Australian national team, in overseas leagues, and in the WNBA. During that time, both of her parents died of cancer. But basketball has been, and will continue to be, a comfort to her.My mother used to keep everything, because I wasnt very good at doing that, Taylor said of memorabilia. For a while there, I didnt know where my [Olympic] silver medals were. Because were always moving as basketball players.But even if I dont have the physical things, the memories are what I carry with me, and thats all that matters. Steve Mandanda Jersey . All of the scoring came in the final 20:04. Lucic scored on a power play at 15:46 of the third period, when he tipped a shot over Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen for a 3-1 lead. Patrice Evra Jersey . The 20-year-old Pelicans big man glanced up and smiled widely at the well-wishers -- a fitting end to a day he wont soon forget. Davis responded to his selection earlier in the day as a Western Conference All-Star with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-91 on Friday night. http://www.nationalfrancesoccer.com/mamadou-sakho-france-jersey/ . -- Team after team passed on Andre Ellington in the draft. NGolo Kante France Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. Antoine Griezmann France Jersey . Sulaiman, 44, was chosen unanimously Tuesday in a vote by the leadership, the World Boxing Council said. Sulaiman becomes the sixth president of the organization. ST. LOUIS -- Khris Davis saw he had a chance to score, so he took off.Davis hustled home on an infield grounder in the eighth inning and the Oakland Athletics rallied for two runs, beating the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 Saturday night.Oakland trailed 2-1 in the eighth when Davis singled with one out against Matt Bowman (2-5) and Ryon Healy doubled, extending the longest active hitting streak in the majors to 13 games.Seung Hwan Oh relieved and Max Muncy hit a grounder that Brandon Moss stopped with a dive, but Davis easily beat the throw to score the tying run.The play was to see the ball through the middle, stay on the corners, Davis said. He dove, so as soon as he dove I thought it would be a good time to go.Brett Eibner followed with a sacrifice fly.St. Louis starter Mike Leake was scratched because he was still recovering from having shingles. The Cardinals fell to 1-8 in interleague games at Busch Stadium this season.Zach Neal pitched a career-best six innings. Oakland pitchers held the Cardinals without a hit after the fourth inning, retiring the last 17 batters.I caught a second wind after that third inning, said Neal. My mechanics started flowing a little bit. The ball was coming out better than it was early on.Daniel Coulombe (2-1) and Liam Hendriks combined for two perfect innings to set up Ryan Madson, who pitched a perfect ninth for his 26th save.They were great, Oakland manager Bob Melvin said about his bullpen. Daniels now all of a sudden in a role he hasnt been in before and has to go back out and get the first out of the eighth. Hendriks came in. He was probably more rested then weve had in a while and then to get a clean ninth against that team with no base runners.Cardinals rookie Alex Reyes made hiis first major league start, giving up one run on two hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings.ddddddddddddI feel like my command could have been better, Reyes said. Four walks, I wasnt able to get deep in the game, but I tried to execute pitches as best as I can. Things didnt work my way, but hopefully next time they will.Zach Duke relieved and hit pinch-hitter Danny Valencia to load the bases, then walked Davis to force home a run. Reyes had started his big league career with five relief appearances, pitching 9 1/3 scoreless innings.Randal Grichuk hit his 18th homer, a 431-foot drive in the second. The Cardinals have homered in 16 straight games, one shy of their season best.ENSHRINEMENTPrior to the game, the Cardinals inducted former players Joe Torre, Chris Carpenter and Terry Moore, as well as former club president Sam Breadon, into the teams Hall of Fame.TRAINERS ROOMAthletics: C Josh Phegley was hospitalized Friday night with synovitis in his right knee. He underwent surgery on the knee on July 5 to remove a cruciate ligament cyst and was supposed to go out on a Minor League rehab assignment on Saturday.Cardinals: Manager Mike Matheny said Leake first displayed symptoms of shingles on Monday and has been healing slowly.UP NEXTAthletics: RHP Andrew Triggs (0-1, 4.38 ERA) will be making his fifth career major league start. The As will be trying to win their first road series since taking two of three from Texas Rangers from July 25-27.Cardinals: LHP Jaime Garcia (10-9, 4.37 ERA) will be making his first career start against Oakland. He is 1-1 with an 11.00 ERA in his last two starts. ' ' '