Sports briefs
Ionescu top pick in WNBA draft
Oregon star Sabrina Ionescu was the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, as expected.
When she’ll play for the New York Liberty is unclear.
With sports on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic, it was a draft Friday night like no other with players in their own homes instead of a central location, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced selections from her home in New Jersey, holding up the jersey of the player being chosen.
Ionescu set the NCAA record for triple-doubles and was the first college player to have over 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists in her career. Ionescu was one of three first round picks for New York, which also had Nos. 9 and 12.
Ducks teammate Satou Sabally, one of three juniors to forego their last year of college eligibility and enter the draft, went second to Dallas. It’s the third time in the history of the draft that the top two picks were teammates in college.
Lauren Cox went third to Indiana and Chennedy Carter was the fourth pick by Atlanta. Dallas took Bella Alarie with the fifth pick. The Princeton star was only the second Ivy League player to be drafted that high. Harvard star Allison Feaster was also selected fifth in the 1998 draft by the Los Angeles Sparks.
South Carolina players Mikiah Herbert Harrigan and Tyasha Harris went sixth and seventh to Minnesota and Dallas. The Gamecocks finished No. 1 in the AP poll this season.
Blue Jackets sign Korpisalo
The Columbus Blue Jackets signed All-Star goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to a two-year contract Friday worth a reported $5.6 million.
Korpisalo, who turns 26 on April 28, set single-season career records in multiple categories – including games played, wins and goals-against average – after taking over as the starter when Sergei Bobrovsky left via free agency. He was set to be a restricted free agent when his current contract expired after the 2019-20 season.
Korpisalo’s first half earned him a spot on the NHL All-Star team, but his knee injury in late December sidelined him for 24 games. That opened the door for rookie Elvis Merzlikins to also stake his claim for the Blue Jackets’ starting job.
From Finland, Korpisalo has a 19-12-5 record, 2.60 goals-against average, .911 save percentage and two shutouts in 37 appearances this season.
Another virtual win for Pagenaud
A second straight victory in virtual racing for Simon Pagenaud and Team Penske, and tempers were hot at the end of this one.
Pagenaud, the reigning Indianapolis 500 winner, competed in his firesuit and captured IndyCar’s race Saturday at a simulated Twin Ring Motegi in Japan. A frantic final 10 laps decided the iRacing event.
Essentially, Penske drivers Will Power and Scott McLaughlin were racing each other for the lead – and probably the win – when they came upon the lapped car of Oliver Askew that caused Power to touch McLaughlin’s car.
McLaughlin, the V8 SuperCars champion and winner of the virtual race three weeks ago at Barber Motorsports Park, was sent spinning into the wall and out of contention.
Pagenaud then raced Power wheel-to-wheel and the cars appeared to touch before Pagenaud took the lead. He still had to hold off Scott Dixon’s last-lap attempt to pass him for the win.
Pagenaud also won last week at virtual Michigan International Speedway, and along with McLaughlin’s victory the Penske drivers have won three of the four IndyCar iRaces.
Pagenaud slowed after taking the checkered flag and Dixon ran into the back of his car – contact that sent him spinning into the lapped car of Helio Castroneves. Both Dixon and Castroneves went virtually airborne after the finish.
Dixon finished second, Power was third and Marcus Ericsson, Dixon’s new teammate at Chip Ganassi Racing, was fourth.