Wichtig » orce. Ogwumike blocked Jessica Brelands shot at the top of

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Mike Wallace was recalling the damage he inflicted on the Ravens as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers when Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs walked within earshot.They kept me out of the end zone pretty good, Wallace said. But they couldnt stop me from getting a lot of yards.Whoa! Whoa! Suggs shouted, lurching toward the veteran wide receiver.I didnt know you were there, Sizz, Wallace said with a laugh. Were on the same side now. Were wearing the purple, baby. Ravens!Wallace played in eight games against Baltimore for Pittsburgh from 2009-2012, making 31 catches for 426 yards and a touchdown. More than a few of those receptions came in the vicinity of Suggs, whos been part of this rivalry since 2003.Come Sunday, Wallace will see things from the Baltimore point of view for the first time.Its almost as if one of the Hatfield clan left to join the McCoys.Being on this side is little weird, but its fun, Wallace said. You want to be a part of it no matter what side youre on.Longtime rivals in the AFC North, Pittsburgh (4-3) and Baltimore (3-4) have long been among the top teams in the NFL. Although both teams are struggling this season -- the Steelers have lost two in a row and the Ravens have dropped four straight -- first place in the division is on the line Sunday.Just as important, the winner will hold bragging rights until the rematch on Christmas Day.No matter if youre wearing purple or black and gold, emotion for Steelers-Ravens always runs high.Youre going to respect each other because its two great organizations, two great football teams going up against each other, Wallace said. Its a battle for the division. Its going to bring a lot of hate. Respect, but a lot of hate. No love.After spending his first four NFL seasons with Pittsburgh, Wallace played with Miami in 2013-14 before scoring just two touchdowns for Minnesota last year. Eager to revive a career on the downswing, he signed with the Ravens as a free agent in March.The 30-year-old has been a huge asset. Wallace ranks second on the team with 35 catches and leads Baltimore with 490 yards receiving and three TD receptions.Mikes playing really well, coach John Harbaugh said. Great attitude and work ethic.Wallace scored 32 touchdowns over four exceptional seasons with the Steelers, and Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin is happy to see him maintain a high level of play.Hes still running by folks and ringing up the scoreboard. Weve got a great deal of respect for what hes capable of, Tomlin said. But more important than that, were proud of his success and what hes been able to do in his career. We take a great deal of pride that it started here for him.Even though hes now a Raven, Wallace just cant bring himself to despise the Steelers.I dont know if I could ever hate them because of all the stuff Ive been through in that organization, Wallace said. But Im definitely on this side to win. When we line up Sunday, none of those guys are going to be my friend.Suggs, meanwhile, intends to play despite tearing his left biceps on Oct. 16. He also expects to chasing Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who is day-to-day after undergoing knee surgery just over two weeks ago.Do not fall for that, Suggs said. I am telling my boys that No. 7 is playing.Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley (foot) and guard Marshal Yanda (shoulder) practiced Wednesday and expect to play Sunday. The status of wide receiver Steve Smith (ankle) remains uncertain.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFLCustom Cavaliers T-shirts . Traditional contenders Brazil, Greece and Turkey drew the other three spots to complete the 24-team field for this summers tournament in Spain, basketball governing body FIBA announced Saturday at its meeting in Barcelona. Custom Cavaliers Jersey China . PAUL, Minn. http://www.customcavaliersjersey.com/ . And follow TSN.ca right through Deadline Day for all the updates. From Pierre LeBrun While Anaheim GM Bob Murray said earlier this season he was not going to trade Jonas Hiller despite the fact hes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, some sources have told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun that Murray might be willing to move another goalie. Cavaliers Jerseys China . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Cheap Custom Cavaliers Jersey . 8 Iowa State on Saturday, sending the Cyclones to their third consecutive loss. The Longhorns (14-4, 3-2) got their biggest win of the season with their third in the row in the Big 12.LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Nneka Ogwumike was presented her MVP award by WNBA president Lisa Borders before Wednesdays playoff semifinal opener with Chicago. She smiled and posed for a few photos, but she didnt get a really good look at the trophy until she walked into the Sparks locker room after the game and saw it sitting there.By that point, shed put on a fantastic display as to why she won it. Ogwumike and the No. 2 seed Sparks went to their strength in a 95-75 victory against Chicago: They dominated the post.Ogwumike had 27 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and two blocked shots. Candace Parker had 30 points, nine rebounds and three assists. And Jantel Lavender came off the bench to add 12 points and four rebounds.Combined, they made 28 of 37 shots: 75.7 percent. Somebody needed to check the nets for burn marks.Especially against a team missing last years MVP, 6-foot-5 forward/guard Elene Delle Donne (out with a thumb injury), the Sparks knew this game was about relentlessly wielding the cudgel they have.We understood that we couldnt get away from what we do well, Ogwumike said. Thats kind of what happened after the Olympic break. We lost ourselves a bit, and then we regrouped.Which is why I think this 12-day break [before the playoffs] was beneficial for us, because we handled it differently than the Olympic break. We were able to dissect their defense and figure out how we could score against it.So, just like Minnesota pounded Phoenix in the first game of their semifinal Wednesday in St. Paul (which will be the Lynxs home next year, as Target Center is being renovated), the Sparks also clobbered their foe in an alternate gym. The Walter Pyramid, on the campus of Long Beach State, was used because there was a facility conflict with Staples Center. The Sparks will return to Staples for Game 2 against Chicago on Friday (ESPNews, 10 p.m. ET).Parker added that she thought there was a silver lining in the Sparks struggles in late August and September, when they went 5-5 to close the regular season. They realized they were resilient, Parker said, and that they could bounce back when things didnt go well.It had been easy for the Sparks to say they were a cohesive unit during their 21-3 run before the Rio de Janeiro Games. But they really proved that to themselves with how they stuck together during some hard times.It takes battling through adversity to win a championship, Parker said. Thats what I took from it. That we have to continue to play and trust the process.Parker has won the MVP award twice: in her rookie season of 2008, and in 2013. Ogwumike, who like Parker was a No. 1 draft pick, came to the Sparks in 2012 and made a point of studying everything that Parker didd.ddddddddddddTheres so much to learn from her, Ogwumike said. Its fun to see where our chemistry is now.Parker returned the compliment, saying she is also learning plenty from Ogwumike.I think its been an amazing journey for me to sit back and watch Nneka develop the way she has, Parker said. Shes always played with the same amount of energy, selflessness and passion since she got to L.A.It takes work and energy to go in there with four people rebounding and come out with the rebound.But thats something Ogwumike seems to do all the time. Even when youre sure shes so outnumbered that she cant possibly be the one who rebounds the ball, she somehow still gets it.And that relentless energy was evident all night Wednesday, but encapsulated by one particular third-quarter tour-de-force. Ogwumike blocked Jessica Brelands shot at the top of the key, chased down the ball, and raced down the court for a layup.It was among the Sparks plays that got Magic Johnson, one of the teams owners, out of his seat and on his feet applauding.I think that was probably the epitome of how Ive been playing, Ogwumike said when asked about that sequence.Why was she still diving for loose balls and making hustle plays even late in the game when the outcome was essentially decided? Ogwumike said she doesnt think you can just turn effort off and on based on the score of the game. Her dial is set at on all the time.As for the MVP trophy, she said it was heavier than she expected. And the magnitude of it is still setting in for Ogwumike.Its been amazing, but Im not sure its really hit me yet, she said. It will maybe after the season. Its pretty cool.Where is the trophy going to be displayed?Its going to my mom, Ogwumike said, laughing. Shes already claimed it.The Sparks, though, stressed that they fully realize they have not yet claimed their spot in the WNBA Finals, despite such a resounding victory. They still have to win two more games, and the Sky are going to do whatever they can to make it harder on Ogwumike and Parker.Good luck with that. Sparks coach Brian Agler was especially proud of how Wednesday exemplified the effort that Ogwumike has shown every game and practice this season.The thing thats just so eye-opening to me is how efficient she is, he said. Shes worked on her game, and she plays so hard, so competitive. Ive coached a lot of really good players. And the one characteristic I would say you need if you want to be an MVP player is that they play with such great intensity, and focus. And theyre hungry to have success. Weve seen it all year long with her. ' ' '