p the fence, running the best race of his life. You cant expe

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Candace Parker is finally in the WNBA Finals.Her first trip to the championship caps off an eventful, and at times difficult, year for the Los Angeles Sparks star.She was left off the Olympic team despite being a two-time gold medalist and mourned the passing of her college coach, Tennessees Pat Summitt. Now she has a chance to win her first WNBA title, the only thing missing from her incredible basketball resume.Parker scored 29 points and the Los Angeles Sparks beat the Chicago Sky 95-75 on Tuesday night to advance to the WNBA Finals.Its been a long journey. We havent done anything yet. We havent accomplished our goal, Parker said.Parker shot 6 of 10 from the field and made 14 of her 15 free throws to lead the Sparks to the finals for the first time since 2003 after they won championships in 2001 and 2002.Its been an emotional year for her, Sparks coach Brian Agler said. She had a great year, a great playoff. We all know Candace is one of the best in the world. We like it when the ball is in her hands.Parker missed the finals her rookie year in 2008 when the Sparks lost in the Western Conference finals.Youre young. You think, `Oh, well be back next year, Parker said. That didnt happen, then the next and the next. You look up and its eight years. I really appreciate this.Kristi Toliver added 21 points and league MVP Nneka Ogwumike had 17 points and nine rebounds for the second-seeded Sparks, who won the semifinal series 3-1.They will face the defending champion Minnesota Lynx in a best-of-5 series for the league title. The top-seeded Lynx swept Phoenix in the other semifinal and will be going for their fourth title in six years.Cappie Pondexter scored 19 points and rookie Imani Boyette had 15 to lead the fourth-seeded Sky. Clarissa Dos Santos had 14 points and Jessica Breland added 12. Chicago played without 2015 MVP and leading scorer Elena Delle Donne, who has a thumb injury.The Sparks won the first two games of the series by an average of 17.5 points before the Sky took Game 3 70-66 on Sunday.For the most part we played with a lot more composure tonight, Agler said.After shooting 6-of-33 from beyond the arc in Game 3 against the Skys zone, the Sparks made 9 of their 13 3-pointers Tuesday. Toliver hit all four of her 3s.We just countered (the zone) with movement, Ogwumike said. A lot of times you can get stuck literally without moving the ball and bodies in the zone. We did a great job of moving the ball and recognizing gaps.The Sparks shot 55 percent from the field and made 28 of their 30 free throws.The Sky got within eight early in the fourth quarter before Parker scored the next eight points on a 3-pointer and five free throws to put the game away.I give her all the credit. She did what she had to do for her team to advance, Pondexter said.TIP-INS:The Sparks won six of their seven games against Chicago this season and scored at least 93 points in five of those victories. . Los Angeles dropped two of three to Minnesota during the regular season. ... Toliver has made at least one 3 in every game she has played.STILL SIDELINEDDelle Donne missed her 10th consecutive game after undergoing thumb surgery on Sept. 13.Im extremely proud of them, but Im not surprised, Sky coach Pokey Chatman said of how her team played without Delle Donne. We sped up the pace a little bit.UP NEXTGame 1 of the WNBA Finals is Sunday in Minneapolis Custom New York Islanders Jerseys . It might not have mattered. While the Dodgers are preparing for the playoffs, the Padres showed their future has promise behind two rookies. Leo Komarov Islanders Jersey . -- Adam Snyder returned to the San Francisco 49ers this season because the offensive lineman thought it was his best opportunity to win a championship. http://www.islanderssale.com/authentic-billy-smith-islanders-jersey/ . A knee to the thigh might have stung him the most, but his sixth straight double-double made up for the brief burst of pain. Anthony Beauvillier Jersey . Still, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke thought taking him out before the fifth inning was an unusual move. "Im looking up at the board and hes got two hits given up and one run, and Im taking him out after the fourth inning," Roenicke said. Cal Clutterbuck Islanders Jersey . The Montreal Canadiens announced on Friday that the veteran forward will return to the teams line-up on Saturday night when the Habs visit the Nashville Predators. ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. -- Mondialiste was bred in Ireland and is trained in England, but from all appearances, he is most at home in North America. In his first trip overseas, he won the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile; in his second, he finished second to Tepin in the Breeders Cup Mile; and in his third, on Saturday at Arlington, he won a thrilling edition of the Arlington Million by a neck over the South American import Kasaqui.Kasaqui surged up the fence to nip the Irish 3-year-old Deauville for second, the top three all lapped on one another at the wire. It was three-quarters of a length back to Greengrassofyoming in fourth, and the entire 11-horse Million was separated by less than five lengths.But Mondialiste proved best of the tightly packed bunch, getting a flawless ride from Daniel Tudhope, whose second U.S. mount produced his first North American win, his third Group or Grade 1, and the most important victory of his career.Tudhope plunked Mondialiste in sixth, two wide outside Kasaqui, and never let the leaders, who set a slow tempo, get too far out of range. Tudhope and Mondialiste began moving up starting at the half-mile pole, getting into position on the far turn. Mondialiste came into the stretch with run, and when Tudhope truly called on him at the furlong grounds, Mondialiste gave it all, and all was just enough.It couldnt have worked out better, to be honest, Tudhope said. We went over the race so many times beforehand, but you just dont know how its going to go. We couldnt have asked for a better run.The Million is a Breeders Cup Win and Youre In race offering a fees-paid berth into the BC Turf, but that 1-1/2-mile race lies outside of Mondialistes scope, and Mondialiste is more likely to return for another crack in the BC Mile, according to trainer David OMeara, who is already widely respected at age 39 and has done fine work getting Mondialiste back into form this year.Owners Geoff and Sandra Turnbull purchased the Irish-bred 6-year-old son of Galileo out of Occunpandiste, by Kaldoun, before his 5-year-old campaign last year, but after hitting peak form at Woodbine and Keeneland, Mondialiste finished 12th in the Hong Kong Mile in December and was little better in his first two starts this year, when he was a distant seventh in the Prix dIspahan and 12th at Ascot.But OMeara never lost faith. He said the Hong Kong trip knocked out his horse, the race in France was especially salty and not really run to suit his horse, and that Mondialiste had never run worth a damn over the straight course at Ascot. And voila, Mondialiste popped right back into form, finishing a sstrong second to the high-class Time Test in the York Stakes on July 23 in England.ddddddddddddIt was a few days after that we took a look at the Million, said OMeara.Take the Stand made the front comfortably Saturday and galloped along on a clear lead, setting splits of 25.56 seconds, 49.74, and 1:14.14 on a course that was firm because heavy rain Friday just barely missed Arlington. Getting a perfect outside pressing trip was 7-2 favorite World Approval, with Deauville tracking the leaders from the No. 2 path. The field stacked up across the track at the top of the stretch, anybodys race, but there was Tudhope, tall by American jockey standards, raising his crop in a mighty swoop, Mondialiste poised for one final surge that carried him to victory. Mondialiste was timed in 2:01.87 and paid $10.80 to win.Take the Stand stopped badly and finished last, and World Approval, finally taking a step back after coming forward all year, faded to seventh. I have no excuse for him, said trainer Mark Casse. It just wasnt his day.Kasaqui, the Arlington Handicap winner, had a bit of a hard-luck tale. Jockey Robby Albarado thought he might have won had he been able to find room earlier, and Kasaqui did finish gamely up the fence, running the best race of his life. You cant expect more from our horse, said trainer Ignacio Correas. Hes all heart. Were very pleased and very proud of him.Just one 3-year-old has won the Million, and Deauville, with a poor post in 12, turned in a good performance to be third. Like all of trainer Mike Makers horses Saturday, Greengrassofyoming ran to the best of his ability, edging Danish Dyafmormer for fourth. The latter was followed by The Pizza Man, the races defending champion, who still has not found his best form this year.Hes just not himself right now, said jockey Mike Smith. Hes just going through the motions.Tryster, the 4-1 second choice who had been pointed to this spot for months by Godolphin, was reluctant to load, was hindered by the slow pace, and, after looming at the top of the stretch, fell back to eighth.Things just didnt really go his way before the race, and he kind of ran that way as well, said jockey William Buick. Down the back before the last turn, I got behind the winner, and he traveled well, and I thought when I pulled him out hed go ahead and do something, but the usual response wasnt there.Mondialiste, on the other hand, gave his usual response -- the response, at least, he has to North American racing. ' ' '