HOCKEY

Ducks cap season ticket sales at 15,000

The Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks have capped season ticket sales at 15,000 and opened a waiting list for all future orders.

The team made the move to give fans a chance to purchase single-game tickets for the upcoming season. Those tickets go on sale Sept. 15.

At the start of last season, the Ducks had sold more than 11,000 season ticket packages.

pro basketball

Pondexter's free throws lift Mercury

Cappie Pondexter scored 26 points — including two crucial free throws with 2.1 seconds left — to lift the visiting Phoenix Mercury to a 102-100 victory over the San Antonio Silver Stars in Game 1 of the WNBA Western Conference finals.

Phoenix, which won the season series 3-1, now returns home for Game 2 on Saturday and Game 3, if necessary, on Sunday.

AUTO RACING

Gibbs expected to announce Toyota deal

Joe Gibbs Racing has scheduled a news conference for Wednesday and several published reports say the team will announce it has signed a deal to field Toyotas in the Nextel Cup series.

The reports, citing unidentified sources, said JGR will end its 16-year relationship with General Motors and give Toyota its first big name team in Cup.

GOLF

Steinhauer leads LPGA event

U.S. Solheim Cup player Sherri Steinhauer shot a 5-under 67 in windy conditions to take a one-stroke lead in the LPGA State Farm Classic at Springfield, Ill., while Annika Sorenstam was four shots back in defense of her last tour title.

Steinhauer had five birdies in her bogey-free round on the Panther Creek Country Club course.

Warren ahead by one: Scotland's Marc Warren shot an 8-under 65 to take a one-stroke lead in the first round of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, Scotland.

Finchem says drug testing could start next year: The PGA Tour is nearing completion on a comprehensive drug policy, and commissioner Tim Finchem said that testing could start as early as next year.

Finchem spoke to the 16-man Player Advisory Council on Monday and updated them on the tour's progress.

JURISPRUDENCE

Woman who tried to extort Starr sentenced

An 82-year-old Texas women who pleaded guilty to trying to extort $2 million from Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr was sentenced to one year probation.

A federal judge in San Antonio ordered Ruby Y. Young to not have any contact with Starr or his family or contact the media about an alleged relationship she had with the two-time Super Bowl MVP in 1960.

Young pleaded guilty in June.