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Griner helps Mercury beat Sparks to sweep series

By WTOP Staff

CURTIS ZUPKE
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Brittney Griner bounced back from a poor performance and helped show why the Phoenix Mercury are such a dominant team.

Griner scored a career playoff-high 21 points, including a breakaway two-handed dunk, and Phoenix cruised to a 93-68 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks in Game 2 on Sunday night to complete a sweep in their Western Conference semifinals series.

Penny Taylor scored 17 points and Candice Dupree had 16 points and eight rebounds as Phoenix, which had a league-record 29 wins during the regular season, advanced to a matchup against defending champion Minnesota in the West finals.

Griner bounced back from a 2-for-11 shooting effort in the opener to go 9 for 9 from the field, setting a WNBA playoff record for most field goals without a miss.

“I played (terrible) that game and I didn’t help my team at all,” Griner said of Game 1. “I definitely wanted to come out and establish myself down in the paint and help my team out. The coaches did a good job getting us ready and letting us know that we definitely needed to bring it here in L.A. I think we did that.”

Griner’s dunk midway through the third quarter stretched Phoenix’s lead to 25 points. It was the second-year star’s fifth career dunk, giving her nearly half of the 11 dunks in WNBA history.

“That’s what I do,” Griner joked. “I dunk.”

Phoenix coach Sandy Brondello went over video with Griner after Game 1 on position, but said it was mostly a change in her mindset.

“I thought tonight she really established herself deep in the paint, and when she’s that deep it’s really hard for teams to bring that trap because she can go automatically into that shot,” Brondello said. “For Brittney, I knew she was ready to go. She told me. For a young player, she’s mentally tough, and that’s a great attribute to her.”

Griner’s effort helped overcame an off game from teammate Diana Taurasi, who finished with nine points on 3-for-11 shooting after scoring a playoff career-high 34-points in Game 1.

Candace Parker scored 21 points to lead the Sparks, and Nneka Ogwumike had 14 points and six rebounds. It was the third straight season the Sparks were eliminated on their home floor and the third time in six seasons they were eliminated by Phoenix.

It also was the end of a drama-filled season for the Sparks, who changed ownership in February and fired coach Carol Ross at the All-Star break. Their elimination came in front of owner Magic Johnson, who led the group that bought the team.

“Obviously we’re disappointed (with the loss),” Parker said. “We didn’t know where we were going to be in January. We didn’t know if we were going to have a team (or if) we were going to be in L.A. We had no idea. Rome isn’t built in a day. We realize that with this group coming in — they’ve built the (Los Angeles) Dodgers, and the Dodgers are doing well. We feel like they can do the same for us.”

The Mercury never trailed and led 24-8 with 4:16 remaining in the first quarter. The lead was 21 late in the final minute of the second quarter before the Sparks cut it to 52-33 at halftime.

The Mercury led by double digits the entire second half.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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