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Mercury rout Sparks for 14th straight victory

By WTOP Staff

CURTIS ZUPKE
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Phoenix Mercury’s winning streak has evolved so that they don’t need Diana Taurasi, Candice Dupree or Brittney Griner to lead the way.

DeWanna Bonner took her turn with a season-high 22 points to lead the Mercury to their 14th straight victory, 93-73 over the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday night.

Taurasi and Griner each had 18 points and Dupree added 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Mercury (20-3), four wins shy of the Sparks’ WNBA record of 18 straight wins in 2001.

Bonner recorded a season high in the first half with 20 points and finished with 22 on 7-for-9 shooting. It was the first time this season Bonner led Phoenix in scoring.

“We had a talk recently and I wanted her to be more aggressive on the offensive end,” Phoenix coach Sandy Brondello said. “People talk about our big three, but we actually have a big five . it was good for her to get going. I just want her to be aggressive. She can put numbers on the board, so I just wanted her to get involved as much as she can.”

Bonner and Griner combined to shoot 15 for 18 from the field to help Phoenix shoot 54 percent overall and score 48 points in the paint. The Mercury will go for No. 15 on Saturday against the New York Liberty, but they maintain that it’s not on their mind.

“I think we worked hard for it,” Bonner said. “Nothing came easy. But we don’t look ahead. We don’t look behind at what we did or what we’re doing.”

Nneka Ogwumike scored 23 points and Jantel Lavender had 16 for the Sparks (10-14), who lost their fifth straight home game and are 0-2 under new coach Penny Toler. Candace Parker returned from a strained knee and had 14 points and nine rebounds.

It was a big challenge for the Sparks, who played on Wednesday and fell into a deficit early. The Mercury set season highs for points in a first half (61) and first quarter (36).

The Sparks are in the middle of five games in seven days, and Toler said they have to stay positive.

“The things we’re doing are fixable,” Toler said. “Now I need everybody to continue believe in what we’re doing. This is a tough one. These cats are hot. It’s tough to play them even when you’ve got days between, let alone on a back-to-back. And they were coming in fresh. It was the first half that killed us.”

Phoenix led by double digits from 25-15. Taurasi made a 3-pointer early in third quarter to give Phoenix its biggest lead at 64-38 before the Sparks went on a 23-9 run finished by Candice Wiggins’ 3-pointer to get to 73-61.

The Mercury’s Shay Murphy scored on a drive with the shot clock winding down on the next possession and the Sparks never got closer.

Ogwumike scored 19 points in the second half but that was the main Sparks highlight on a night when owner Magic Johnson was in attendance. Toler, the longtime general manager, was hired on Sunday and said she is getting a lot of input from assistant coaches and players to ease the transition.

“I’m actually proud of them because this is a lot of distractions that we have right now and that’s recognizing that even as GM,” Toler said. “We’re trying to change some things and go forward, and it may take a minute. Obviously we want things to be instant, but it doesn’t work like that.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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