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Y E S T E R D A Y…

Sun 87, Sparks 61: Playing with a league-mandated eight players in uniform is never a positive thing, especially when three of those missing are Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker and DeLisha Milton-Jones. Connecticut took advantage of a Sparks lineup hamstrung by the fallout from Tuesday’s brawl, holding L.A. to 35-percent shooting. Connecticut’s Lindsay Whalen threw in a game high 22 points, including 7-7 from the line.

T O D A Y…

Nationals at Dodgers (7:40 p.m. PST, KCAL): While Chad Billingsley may be the most effective starter for the Dodgers, it’s almost too bad that he takes the hill on Brad Penny Bobblehead Night. The Nationals are in town for the first time this season and who better to take deep than Nats lefty John Lannan and his yellow submarine. In his last outing, Lannan gave up one run over six innings to beat the Braves, but he’s never faced the Dodgers. The Blue Crew is starting to put it together at the plate, and Washington will likely have little to stop them. They’re 23rd in the Majors in team ERA and have the second worst record.

Angels at Orioles (4:05 p.m. PST, KCOP): With a commanding 10 game lead in the West, the Angels venture east. It’s the first time since 1996 that they travel to Baltimore, Boston and New York on the same road trip. Virginia native Joe Saunders takes the mound versus the Orioles’ Brian Burres. The Angels took two out of three from the O’s in May and are 31-18 on the road this season.                                  

N E W S W O R T H Y…

• Apparently, a $900,000 potential raise is not enough to sway Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic from considering bolting Los Angeles for Europe.
• West coast media members named USC the near-unanimous kings of Pac-10 football. And returning seniors like Brian Cushing, who passed up the NFL for a shot at a national title, are why.
• In a minor surprise, Golden State matched the Clippers’ 3-year, $9 million offer to guard/forward Kelenna Azubuike.
• Wide receiver Jamil Turner and offensive lineman Aaron Meyer have left the UCLA football program. But not for Europe.
• Spring Training adjustments helped transform K-Rod from top 10 closer to the best in the world.
• Halos single-A first baseman Mark Trumbo has been turning the plate into a Cucamonga launching pad with 23 homers in 385 at-bats.
• Five Sparks players were suspended for their roles in Tuesday’s Detroit romp city.

C O L U M N S…

• The L.A. Times’ Bill Plaschke says the USC-UCLA football rivalry is already heating up, and it’s only July. Rick Neuheisel is ready to throw down, dropping “when we catch them” bombs about becoming “leader of the Pac” and, of course, bringing former ‘SC coordinator Norm Chow along.
• David Beckham’s influence on soccer in Los Angeles and the United States has been slightly less effective than a 1960’s anti-marijuana campaign. And the Daily News’ Scott Wolf says Becks is oblivious to it all.
• After a year in San Antonio, Cowboys training camp is back in Oxnard and the HBO cameras are following them. Sam Farmer of the L.A. Times says the ‘Boys are perfect reality TV. Aside from Tony Romo’s “I Heart Jessica” campaign, there’s really nothing going on. Well, unless Terrell Owens stops crying, someone revokes Tank Johnson’s membership in the NRA, Wade Phillips fails to look over his shoulder at head coach in waiting Jason Garrett, Terry Glenn decides to end his holdout, Jerry Jones sells the team and, oh yeah, Adam Jones quits actually acting like… Pacman.

• SportsHubLA Column of the Day: Kevin Pearson from the Press-Enterprise names Jake Locker, Joe McKnight, Sammie Stroughter, Patrick Chung and Willie Tuitama as the top five playmakers in the Pac-10. I agree with the first three, but choosing Chung over USC’s Taylor Mays or UCLA’s Al Verner is kind of like an emo kid preferring sunlight instead of his mom’s basement or anybody liking “Batman & Robin” better than “Dark Knight.” As for Tuitama, despite his numbers, he’s not even the best quarterback in Arizona. That title belongs to ASU’s Rudy Carpenter. At the same time, this list makes the Pac-10 seem worse than a 60 second clip of the reality show spinoff “I Love Money,” especially considering last year’s list would’ve included Dennis Dixon, DeSean Jackson, Antoine Cason and Jonathan Stewart.

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