Bobcats turn over Sting to WNBA

The Charlotte Sting were turned over to the WNBA on Wednesday after Charlotte Bobcats officials said they would no longer operate the team.

The league is now in negotiations to sell the team, one of the league’s original franchises.

The Sting made the championship series only once in their 10 seasons and have suffered from declining attendance.

“The Minnesota Lynx hired former Timberwolves assistant Don Zierden as head coach.

Zierden worked with the Timberwolves and Flip Saunders from 2000-05, before following him to the Detroit Pistons.

Auto Racing

Johnson out, Speed in

Scott Speed, the only American driver in Formula One, was tabbed to replace NASCAR star Jimmie Johnson on Team USA’s entry in the Race of Champions Nations Cup in Paris.

Johnson had to withdraw from the race after breaking his wrist over the weekend in a fall from a golf cart.

Indy Racing League champion Sam Hornish Jr. declined an invitation to replace Johnson because of the short notice.

“Former Daytona 500 winner Ward Burton landed a full Nextel Cup ride, signing a deal to drive the State Industries-sponsored No. 4 Chevrolet for Morgan-McClure Motorsports.

“Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Sr.’s arrest last summer on charges of resisting and disobeying police resulted from confusion, Unser’s attorney told a jury in Albuquerque, N.M.

“Daytona Beach, Fla., police officers who responded to NASCAR chairman Brian France’s condominium in response to a report of an erratic driver did not give him special treatment, a prosecutor said.

The Volusia County state attorney’s office reviewed the results of an internal investigation and determined last week that authorities handled the case properly.

On Nov. 6, a motorist called 911 after spotting a man in a Lexus driving erratically. The caller, store clerk Shirley Hill, followed France to the guard shack of his condo while she spoke to the dispatcher and described the man driving on curbs, striking a parked car and scraping a tree.

Soccer

Brazil turns in bid

Brazil is a candidate to host the 2014 World Cup.

Ricardo Teixeira, president of the Brazilian Soccer Confederation, presented Brazil’s letter of intention in Tokyo, where many FIFA officials have gathered for the Club World Cup.

“The 2007 MLS Cup will be played at RFK Stadium, bringing the title game to Washington for the third time, an official within the league told the Associated Press.

“Former U.S. women’s coach April Heinrichs is leaving her coaching job at UC Irvine to join the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Heinrichs, who guided the American women to a gold medal in the 2004 Olympics, will be a team leader in the USOC’s sports performance department.

Miscellany

Davenport expecting

Three-time major champion Lindsay Davenport is pregnant and will miss at least the start of the 2007 tennis season.

Davenport and her husband, Jonathan Leach, are expecting their first child in early summer, according to a news release issued by her agent, Tony Godsick.

“DNA testing in the Duke lacrosse rape case found genetic material from several males in the accuser’s body and her underwear – but none from any team member, defense attorneys said in court papers.

“Didier Cuche of Switzerland had the fastest World Cup downhill training session at Val Gardena, Italy.

Cuche charged down the 2.1-mile Saslong course in 1 minute, 59.10 seconds. Patrik Jerbyn of Sweden was second 0.28 seconds behind.

Bode Miller was the top American placer, finishing 27th.