American Christina McHale and Sabine Lisicki could await in the second

INDIANAPOLIS -- Tamika Catchings had 23 points and four steals to help the Indiana Fever hand the Los Angeles Sparks their first two-game losing streak of the season in a 92-82 victory Tuesday night.Despite the loss, the Sparks clinched a playoff berth. Its the fifth straight year that the team has reached the postseason. Los Angeles is still looking for its first championship since the franchise won back-to-back titles in 2001 and 2002.Catchings made steals on consecutive Los Angeles possessions, leading to Erica Wheelers give-and-go layup and Lynetta Kizers baseline jumper for an 86-70 lead. Kristi Toliver hit her fourth 3-pointer of the fourth quarter to pull Los Angeles to 90-82 with 56.2 seconds left, but Catchings made two free throws on the other end.After starting the season with 20 wins in their first 21 games, the top-ranked Sparks have lost two in a row.Toliver finished with 18 points for Los Angeles (20-3). Nneka Ogwumike had 16 points and 14 rebounds for her 12th double-double and Candace Parker added 15 points.Kizer and Wheeler each scored 14 points for Indiana (11-12), which is ranked No. 6 in the AP poll. Briann January added 12 points and nine assists.Wheeler scored six points in the final 2 minutes of the first half, including a driving layup with 1.9 seconds left for a 49-40 lead. Indiana led the entire second half. USWNT Jerseys China . The Clippers were angry about blowing a big lead; the Kings didnt like being in that kind of hole and nearly digging themselves out only to lose. USWNT Shirts . McPhee said that Ovechkins father Mikhail is in stable condition after having the surgery this week and is no longer in intensive care. "Weve told him to stay as long as necessary with your dad," he said. Ovechkin and his Russian national team were eliminated from the mens hockey tournament in Sochi on Wednesday with a 3-1 quarter-final loss to Finland. https://www.cheapuswnt.com/ . Ivanovic was leading 7-5, 1-0 when Hantuchova withdrew after falling 0-40 behind in the second game. The match started slowly for Ivanovic, who surrendered her first two serves as Hantuchova took a 5-3 lead. Cheap USWNT Jerseys .Y. -- Jayna Hefford scored the winning goal Friday as Canada survived a scare with a 4-3 win over Sweden at the Four Nations womens hockey tournament. Wholesale USWNT Jerseys . The 26-year-old Ireland striker, who has four goals this season, has signed a three-and-a-half year contract with his new club. Winning a Grand Slam tennis tournament requires years of practice and preparation, but the unruly, random path to victory is framed in a matter of mere minutes.Welcome to the US Open draw, circa 2016 -- our road map for the fortnight that begins Monday.Hoping to avoid that hot qualifier right out of the box? Perhaps dodge the dangerous floater in the third round? Maybe lock in a few comfortable opponents youve never lost to? The die is cast as quickly as the numbered chip comes out of the lidless silver trophy.Friday at the National Tennis Center, all 256 slots for the mens and womens singles draws were revealed with tournament referee Brian Earley serving as master of ceremonies. The highlights:Best first-round matchesMen: No. 16 seed Feliciano Lopez versus Borna Coric. This one nicely frames the changing-of-the-guard vibe of this looming event. Lopez, a 34-year-old Spaniard, was a surprise quarterfinalist in New York a year ago. Serbias Coric, still a teenager, beat Nick Kyrgios and Rafael Nadal in back-to-back matches last week in Cincinnati before retiring (knees) against eventual champion Marin Cilic. Coric, according to his team, should be good to go.Women: No. 1 Serena Williams versus?Ekaterina Makarova. This one is just pure nastiness for Serena, but it could be the wake-up she needs. After a rough go at the Rio Olympics, theres no chance Serena will take the crafty Russian lightly. It was Makarova who beat Serena four years ago in the fourth round of the Australian Open, and she comes in as the newly minted Rio gold-medal winner with doubles partner Elena Vesnina. Serena, who has the pressure of some serious history in her sights, has beaten Makarova in straight sets in their two previous US Open encounters, in 2012 and 2014.Toughest quarter of the drawMen: Top quarter, top half. At first glance, it might appear that No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic could have a dicey first-round match, but 2013 Wimbledon semifinalist Jerzy Janowicz of Poland is only 1-4 in his US Open career. More concerning is the rest of that bracket, which is laced with heavy hitters -- not the best thing for an ailing left wrist. Djokovic could see ace machine John Isner, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or Kevin Anderson, not to mention a projected quarterfinals meeting with No. 7 seed Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion.Women: Top quarter, bottom half. While Serena and Simona Halep are projected to meet in the quarterfinals of the top quarter, the third quarter is loaded with young power. In theory, American Madison Keys, 21, would see French Open champion Garbine Muguruza, 22, in the quarters. But there are also these players to consider: Coco Vandeweghe, who got to the fourth round at Wimbledon, and Rio singles gold medalist Monica Puig.Favorites most at riskMen: No. 3 seed Stan Wawrinka. The Swiss is a ttwo-time Grand Slam champion, but he has his hands full with a first-round match against wily Fernando Verdasco, who was a US Open quarterfinalist in 2009-10.dddddddddddd Believe it or not, Verdasco has won three of their five career matches. That includes a victory earlier this year on the grass at Queens Club -- and the only hard-court meeting, four years ago in Acapulco. If thats not bad enough, Wawrinka could face ascendant Aussie Kyrgios in a fourth-round match -- if he makes it that far.Women: A year ago, No. 7 seed Roberta Vinci was the surprise finalist in New York, stunning Serena in the semifinals. Even if she gets past the sometimes-dangerous Anna-Lena Friedsam in her first-round match, American Christina McHale and Sabine Lisicki could await in the second and third rounds. Lisicki, who pounds the ball, made it to the fourth round a year ago.Favorites best positioned to flourishMen: No. 2 seed Andy Murray. In some minds, hes the favorite here, and now he has a relatively easy route to the quarterfinals. The 29-year-old Scot has the momentum, coming off his victories at Wimbledon and the Rio Olympics and a finals appearance in Cincinnati. His first-round match is against Lukas Rosol, who is 1-5 at the US Open. Next up could be Juan Monaco in the second, No. 30 Gilles Simon in the third and Lopez in the fourth. No. 6 Kei Nishikori -- a finalist here two years ago -- would be the projected quarterfinal opponent.Women: No. 2 seed Angelique Kerber. She has a reasonably comfortable draw that begins with Polona Hercog. Alize Cornet might be waiting in the second, with No. 27 Sara Errani in the third. In the fourth it could be No. 14 Petra Kvitova, who has won two Grand Slam singles titles but reached the quarters in New York only once. Vinci is slated to meet Kerber in the quarters.Cinderella candidatesMen: Lucas Pouille. In his last major, the No. 24 seed went all the way to Wimbledons quarterfinals. The 22-year-old Frenchman has a decent draw and could face Roberto Bautista Agut in the third round. Nadal, whose physical condition after the rousing Rio Olympics might have been compromised, theoretically would provide fourth-round opposition.Women: Karolina Pliskova Shes the No. 10 seed, so were taking some liberties here. But based on her track record in Slams -- in 17 majors, she has never advanced past the third round -- we believe shes capable of losing a glass slipper. While Pliskovas only 2-3 in previous US Open action, the Czech is having another terrific year. Her draw is doable; shes projected to face No. 6 Venus Williams in the quarterfinals. Pliskova leads all women with 407 aces, 147 more than second-place Serena Williams. ' ' '