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Mercury finish sweep of Sky for third WNBA title

By WTOP Staff

SARAH TROTTO
Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — The Phoenix Mercury were without star center Brittney Griner. However, they still had Diana Taurasi.

Taurasi scored 14 of her 24 points in the fourth quarter and the Mercury beat the Chicago Sky 87-82 Friday night to complete a three-game sweep of the WNBA Finals for their third championship.

“We have the best player in the world, Diana Taurasi,” Phoenix coach Sandy Brondello said. “When you put the ball in her hands at crunch time, she makes it happen.”

Taurasi made big plays as the Sky were threatening to force a Game 4.

She hit a tiebreaking 16-foot jumper and was fouled with 14.3 seconds left and made the ensuing free throw to put Phoenix up 85-82.

Taurasi shot 4 for 9 on 3s and became the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer in the finals.

She had some help.

After she reached the podium, she slid her MVP trophy over toward her teammate Candice Dupree, a former Sky player who also scored 24 points on 11-for-16 shooting.

“Candice has probably been overlooked her whole career on whatever team she has played on,” Taurasi said. “I’ve never played with someone that I’m so confident going into a game with. You always know she’s going to be able to play.

“She led us in assists. She never passes, so you knew we were going to win today,” Taurasi said with a smile.

DeWanna Bonner had 12 points and Penny Taylor added 11 for the Mercury, who also won titles in 2007 and 2009. Phoenix, which had a WNBA-record 29 wins during the regular season, shot 49.3 percent overall from the field and never led by more than five.

Elena Delle Donne, who battled a back injury during the series, scored 23 points, Sylvia Fowles had 20 points and Allie Quigley had 19 for the Sky.

Dupree and the rest of the Mercury had to step up in the absence of Griner, who sat out following surgery to correct a retinal issue after she was hit in the right eye in Game 2. She averaged 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.0 blocks in the first two games.

Ewelina Kobryn had eight points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots in Griner’s place.

“Sandy told us before the game started we all had to pick up the slack, play harder,” Dupree said.

Courtney Vandersloot’s jumper with 3:32 cut Phoenix’s lead to 77-74.

Taurasi completed a three-point play a minute later for a four-point lead before Delle Donne cut it to two again. Quigley’s jumper tied it with 33.1 seconds left before Taurasi took control.

After Taurasi’s three-point play put Phoenix ahead, Delle Donne missed a 3-pointer with 10.9 seconds left, and the Sky fouled Taylor, who made both free throws with 9.3 seconds left for the final score.

Phoenix’s sweep in the finals was the fourth in the last five years, and fifth since the championship round went to a best-of-five format in 2005.

Taurasi said she thought the Mercury would have the opportunity to win several titles after their last championship in 2009. They were able to enjoy the sweep after the long wait.

“We do finally get here and knowing we have to take full advantage of it, we have to enjoy it,” she said. “Today, with two minutes left, we enjoyed that. That pressure of not knowing we were going to win, we enjoyed that.”

The Mercury had averaged 57 percent shooting and 90 points in winning the opener 83-62 and Game 2 97-68 by a finals-record margin in Phoenix.

Chicago was the first team with a losing record during the regular season to reach the finals.

“The first two games, we weren’t where we wanted to be,” Fowles said. “We tried to take into consideration we were home in front of our crowd and go out and play tough.”

The game was played at the UIC Pavilion because Allstate Arena was unavailable due to a Garth Brooks tour.

“It stings right now. It’s sad we didn’t have the showing we wanted,” Sky coach Pokey Chatman said. “I want to credit a team that when they had a man down their All-Star players stepped up.

“There were some crucial times in there we had opportunities to separate. D would hit a big shot, and that’s what big-time players do.”

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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