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Sam leads Sting to first win of season

In Charlotte, N.C., Sheri Sam scored 24 points to help the Charlotte Sting beat the Los Angeles Sparks, 84-75 on Saturday night, for their first victory of the season.

Dawn Staley added 12 points and 10 assists for the Sting, who opened the season with three straight losses. Staley, who scored all of her points in the second half, did not have a turnover in 36 minutes.

Two days after reaching 3,000 points in her WNBA career, Chamique Holdsclaw recorded her fourth consecutive double-double for the Sparks, finishing with 26 points and 11 rebounds. Lisa Leslie added 16 points and nine rebounds, and Tamika Whitmore had 14 points.

The Sting shot a season-best 52 percent and hit eight 3-pointers, matching their combined total from the first three games.

Nykesha Sales added 21 points, and Lindsay Whalen guided the Sun's up-tempo game with seven assists.

The Sun picked up their first win over Phoenix in the past three meetings and spoiled the homecoming of former UConn star Diana Taurasi, the Mercury's first pick in the 2004 draft.

Taurasi finished with 19 points, but had no assists. Anna DeForge led Phoenix with 20 points.

Formula One

Heidfeld takes Nuerburgring pole

At Nuerburgring, Germany, a German will be on the pole for the European Grand Prix, and his name is not Schumacher.

Nick Heidfeld delighted a home crowd Saturday by winning the first pole position of his career and first under Formula One's revamped qualifying format.

Seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, who has won three of the past four European GPs, was in 10th place after the qualifying for today's race.

With track temperatures about 112 degrees, Heidfeld was timed in 1 minute, 30.081 seconds on the 3.199-mile circuit in his Williams-BMW.

Heidfeld ended Kimi Raik¤konen's run of three straight first-place starts. The McLaren-Mercedes driver, winner of the past two races, was second quickest in 1:30.197. Third fastest was Heidfeld's Williams-BMW teammate, Mark Webber, in 1:30.368.

Last year, Michael Schumacher won the pole in 1:28.351.

Series points leader Fernando Alonso was sixth in his Renault in 1:31.056.

Horse Racing

American Freedom claims Red Bank

In Oceanport, N.J., American Freedom beat Spruce Run by a neck in the $150,000 Red Bank Handicap at Monmouth Park.

Ridden by Jose Velez Jr., American Freedom covered a mile on the soft turf in 1:43 and paid $25.80, $12.20 and $5.40.

Spruce Run returned $9.60 and $6.60, and Royal Affirmed paid $5.40 to show.

Molto Vita, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, covered six furlongs in 1:09.50 and paid $4.60, $3 and $2.20.