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Griner helps Mercury set WNBA record with 29th win

By WTOP Staff

MARK MOSCHETTI
Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP) — Brittney Griner isn’t surprised by the Phoenix Mercury’s success this season. Not even her team’s record-setting 29 wins.

Griner had 18 points and 10 rebounds as the Mercury beat the Seattle Storm 78-65 in the season final Sunday night, setting a new WNBA mark for victories.

Candice Dupree added 16 points to help Phoenix (29-5) top the previous record shared by Los Angeles (28-4 in both 2000 and 2001) and Seattle (28-6 in 2010). Penny Taylor and Erin Phillips had 11 points apiece.

“Throughout the year, I could see it,” Griner said. “We just kept playing hard. We hate losing, and we just kept going every day. … We grew and got better as the season progressed, so I definitely saw more wins coming our way.”

First-year Mercury coach Sandy Brondello said switching the team’s mindset from offense to defense was instrumental in setting the record — one she said she didn’t necessarily expect.

“I never look at wins and losses when I take over a team like that. It was more about getting the team together where I thought we needed to be (in order) to be successful,” Brondello said. “It was team chemistry. And it was buying into playing defense first and playing out of there on the offensive end, which is something new for this franchise.

“They bought in and really embraced what we wanted to do.”

The Mercury, who have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, will host Los Angeles in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals on Friday. Phoenix won all five regular-season games against the Sparks, and also beat them in three games in last year’s West semifinals.

“They’re a tough team — you look at their roster,” said Mercury star Diana Taurasi, who was limited to just two points on Sunday. “But it’s whoever is best at the end of the day, and we’re going to have to be that.”

Crystal Langhorne scored 16 points to lead Seattle (12-22), which will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2003, and the first time during coach Brian Agler’s seven-year tenure with the Storm.

“It’s sort of uncharted territory for us,” Agler said. “We can debate about why it happened. But just being (in this situation) was not easy. That being said, we talked about it in the locker room. We don’t like being here, so we have to come back hungrier next year, so at this time a year from now, we’re finding a way to get ourselves in the playoffs.”

Phoenix didn’t give up the lead after scoring the first six points of the game. They were up 56-49 entering the fourth quarter, and extended the margin to 12 with 8:40 left. Seattle didn’t closer than nine after that.

The Mercury shot 54 percent from the field (30 of 66), the 18th time in 34 games that they topped 50 percent. Their season percentage of 48.4 was a league record, beating the old record of 47.4 set by Minnesota last year. The Storm hit just 37 percent (25 of 68) and finished with fewer than 70 points for the 18th time.

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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