t-day meet.His coach, David Marsh, says Lochte has b | Forum

                                      LOS ANGELES -- Nneka Ogwumike remembers a feeling of uncertainty and even butterflies when she was playing in the Womens Final Four and championship games with Stanford. Harry Carson Jersey . Those games seemed like a whirlwind, where random chance might come into play in the one-and-done nature of the NCAA tournament.These WNBA Finals arent like that for her. Part of it is being older, sure. But its also that as her Sparks try to win the WNBA championship Sunday in Game 4 against Minnesota (ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET), there is so much familiarity.The Sparks and Lynx have met six times between the regular season and this series. They both know what they need to do Sunday. Now, its about who does it best.The beauty of professional sports is the best team usually does win, because they can sustain it over a series, Ogwumike said. Now, Im not thinking so much about whats at stake. Im staying level.We have a lot of information to work with, and they do, too. Ill probably feel a little anxiety beforehand, but the good kind of anxiety. Not really nerves.The Sparks all reflected that attitude Saturday as they talked about what it would take to knock off the defending champion Lynx. The three games so far have all been different.The opener came down to Alana Beards last-second shot for a 78-76 Sparks victory. The Lynx defense set the tone in the second game, a 79-60 Minnesota win. Then Friday, the Sparks were like a runner who takes off to set a blistering pace in a race and then never falters to let anyone catch up.So many things went right for the Sparks in their 92-75 victory at USCs Galen Center. As was the case in the first game, they made the Lynx pay dearly for turnovers. They won the rebounding battle 29-24. They shot 54.9 percent from the field (39-of-71) and had an offensive rating of 131.4.The Sparks got big offensive games from not just post players Ogwumike (21 points) and Candace Parker (24), but also guards Essence Carson (16) and Beard (15).We just have such a narrow focus right now, Carson said. I cant stress how important it is to continue that. When the picture gets too broad, thats when people get lost. You have to accept the moment for what it is. Were here for a reason. You have to be pretty damn good to be here.At the same time, you have to understand that there are all the little things that youve done all season, that you worked on day in and day out in practice, and they still need to be implemented.The Sparks did all those things Friday, right from tipoff.Im very proud of my team and proud of myself, too. We needed to persevere, Ogwumike said of coming back from the difficult Game 2 loss. It was pivotal, not just getting off to that start but maintaining it. Even through our troubled times during the game, we wanted to stay aggressive, stay on each other, stay positive.Considering the Lynx will have their backs against the wall, it likely will be difficult for the Sparks to dominate Sundays game from an energy standpoint the same way that they did Friday. They expect Game 4 to be very tight throughout.Well get Minnesotas best, Sparks coach Brian Agler said. And even though our players really havent been in this environment before in the WNBA, theyve been in it overseas, in college. So theyve experienced the tension, the edginess you go through.The Sparks also can look to how they came back from the last four minutes of the second quarter Friday, when they didnt score and had such a strong third quarter in response. They drifted briefly into that impatient offense that can hurt them, but then got back on course.We were settling for shots. And thats something we seem to revert to at times when we feel pressure or pushback, Ogwumike said. But at halftime, we said, We have to go back to what we were doing in the first quarter. What you saw then was a relentless drive to the hole.Agler has talked to his team a lot about staying committed to what they do best offensively and not getting rattled.Teams try to force us there, and sometimes we give into that, Agler said. This is a game of will, and its what your expectations are and what you want to get accomplished.For Parker, who won two NCAA titles and also has championships overseas and in the Olympics, this is about being as even-keeled as possible while still playing at peak level.I feel like Ive grown as a person the last two years, just understanding how mental the game of basketball is, Parker said. The skills arent going to change from game to game. But its the mentality. We know were playing a mentally tough team; theyve come back from down to win games before.Beard said one thing she told her teammates is to stay in the moment, because the Sparks ability to do that this season is as big a key as anything to getting them to this point.Thats why these Finals have been something Ive enjoyed, Beard said. Because Ive been able to do that: Be in the moment. Dalvin Tomlinson Jersey .B. -- The Baie-Comeau Drakkar took over sole possession of first place atop the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on Thursday with their sixth straight win. Custom New York Giants Jerseys . The Australian is competing in his final season in Formula One and still looking for his first win this year. He will look to end Vettels run of six straight race wins on Sunday. Webber, who is fifth in the championship, earned his second pole from the past three races and 13th of his career. http://www.authenticnygiantspro.com/Mark-bavaro-giants-jersey/ .Y. -- Bills receiver Stevie Johnson has a bone to pick with the NFL schedule maker. Michael Phelps?and Ryan Lochte have each dropped out of the 100-meter freestyle at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials in Omaha, Nebraska.Phelps, an 18-time Olympic gold medalist, earlier dropped the 200 free from his plans. Phelps famously swam and won a historic eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games.The decision to not swim in the 100-meter allows Phelps to focus on his three best events: the 100- and 200-meter butterfly and the 200-meter individual medley.Phelps wasnt necessarily a contender to win the 100- or 200-meter freestyle, but some thought he would swim the event in Omaha in an attempt to qualify for both of the relay teams that will compete in Rio.Now the only way he will appear in either of those relays is if head mens swimming coach Bob Bowman uses a discretionary pick to select Phelps.On Wednesday night, Phelps will swim his first final of the ttrials in the 200-meter butterfly. Phil Simms Jersey. He is the top seed in event.Last summer at the U.S. Nationals in San Antonio, Phelps swam the fastest time in the world in all three of his events -- the 100- and 200-meter butterfly and the 200-meter individual medley.Lochte, a 11-time Olympic medalist, qualified sixth in the 100-meter preliminaries Wednesday before deciding not to swim in the evening semifinals.Lochte has been competing hurt since pulling his groin last Sunday, the opening day of the eight-day meet.His coach, David Marsh, says Lochte has been getting treatment daily and is focused on preparing for the 200-meter individual medley, which starts Thursday.ESPNs Wayne Drehs and The Associated Press contributed to this report ' ' '