In Brief

cycling

France anti-doping head will cooperate in Armstrong probe

The head of France's anti-doping agency is ready to collaborate fully with a U.S. federal investigation into seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong.

Pierre Bordry said Thursday he will hand over Armstrong's "B" samples from the 1999 Tour to Jeff Novitzky if the Food and Drug Administration agent makes an official request.

French sports daily L'Equipe reported in 2005 that Armstrong's backup samples from 1999 contained EPO -- a banned blood-boosting hormone. Armstrong was cleared by an independent panel.

Novitzky and a federal prosecutor have been handling an inquiry into allegations of organized doping in professional cycling, including whether Armstrong and members of his United States Postal Service team might have been involved. Six of Armstrong's record seven Tour wins came with the team.

hockey

Penguins' Staal to miss start of season with injured foot

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jordan Staal will need five to six weeks to recover from the latest procedure performed on his injured right foot and will miss the start of the NHL season.

A tendon on the top of Staal's foot was sliced when Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban stepped on it during an April 30 playoff game. Staal had surgery and returned to play in less than a week.

After the Penguins were eliminated in the series, Staal had two additional procedures to remove infected tissue in the foot.

Also: The Chicago Blackhawks gave coach Joel Quenneville, who last season led the team to its first Stanley Cup championship since 1961, a three-year contract extension. Financial terms were not disclosed.

miscellaneous

Storm win second WNBA title, rip through playoffs unbeaten

The Seattle Storm completed their undefeated march through the postseason, beating the host Atlanta Dream 87-84 for a three-game sweep in the WNBA finals and their second league title.

Swin Cash led a balanced Seattle offense with 18 points, as the Storm overcame 35 points by Atlanta's Angel McCoughtry. Seattle, which went 7-0 in the postseason, also won the 2004 title.

Also: Miami prosecutors dropped marijuana possession charges against Heat forward Udonis Haslem, saying the case could not be proven. Haslem was arrested Aug. 15 after being clocked driving 78 mph in a 60 mph zone.

Sacramento police are hoping witnesses will come forward after a mural of Sacramento Kings player Omri Casspi was defaced with a swastika for the second time in a little more than a week.

A swastika was found painted on the mural of Casspi on Sept. 8, and the mural was found defaced again Thursday morning.

Casspi, who is Jewish, is the only NBA player born in Israel.

Virginia Tech forward J.T. Thompson will miss this season after tearing the ACL in his left knee during a pickup basketball game. He averaged 7.3 points and 4.6 rebounds last year.

Russell Wilson threw for 333 yards and three touchdowns, and North Carolina State beat Cincinnati 30-19 in Raleigh, N.C., to improve to 3-0 for the first time in eight years.

The Wolfpack are off to their best start since winning their first nine games behind eventual NFL first-round draft pick Philip Rivers at quarterback in 2002.

Middle Tennessee State senior quarterback Dwight Dasher, the Sun Belt Conference's preseason offensive player of the year, must sit out four games and repay a $1,500 loan to become eligible again.

The NCAA student-athlete reinstatement staff ruled that Dasher violated preferential treatment rules by receiving a loan from someone in the community.

The University of Michigan will spend $1.8 million to add permanent lights at the Big House, the school's venerable football stadium.

Rafael Nadal has clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking for the second time in three years. The 24-year-old Spaniard, who won the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2010, also finished at the top of the ATP rankings in 2008.

George Coetzee of South Africa took advantage of ideal conditions to shoot 7-under-par 65 and take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Austrian Open in Atzenbrugg, Austria.

The UNLV men's swimming and diving team was picked to win its seventh straight Mountain West Conference championship in the preseason coaches poll. The women's team was picked to finish fourth, with Brigham Young chosen to repeat as champion.

Team Nevada finished tied for 42nd place on the final day of the USGA Men's State Team Championship in Santa Rosa, Calif.

Las Vegas' Steve Fink shot 77 and finished at 239. Brady Exber of Las Vegas had an 81 and finished at 238.

Team Kansas won the event.