Wang Will Not Play for Chinese Team

Wang Zhizhi will not play for China in the World Championships at Indianapolis because his national federation wanted him to commit to playing in the Asian championships too.

Simon Chan, a U.S.-based advisor to Wang, said Tuesday there will not be a reconciliation agreeable to both sides.

In Oakland last week, Wang was told by a Chinese Basketball Assn. official that he could rejoin the national team if he signed a contract promising to play for China at the Asian championships in early October.

Such a commitment would conflict with the opening of NBA training camps.

“He’s at a point in his career where he wants a full training camp before beginning his third NBA season,” Chan said.

Wang, a 7-foot-1 center who played for the Dallas Mavericks last season, is a free agent.

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Reggie Miller is questionable for Thursday’s opening game of the World Championships because of a sprained right ankle. U.S. Coach George Karl said a decision on Miller likely would be made before the opener against Algeria.

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Philadelphia 76er forward Derrick Coleman is out until at least November because of chronic knee problems. General Manager Billy King said Coleman’s left knee is healing more slowly than expected after June surgery. The 35-year-old Coleman played much of last season with knee pain. To help with depth at forward, Philadelphia signed former Clipper Brian Skinner to a one-year contract.

Motor Racing

Former Indy Racing League champion Greg Ray won’t drive for A.J. Foyt in the last two IRL races of this season.

Ray has been released from his Foyt Racing contract for the rest of this season. Foyt’s spokeswoman, Anne Fornoro, said that Foyt had agreed to Ray’s request to be released from his contract so he could pursue other opportunities.

Jacques Villeneuve has turned down a three-year, $50-million deal to race one season in CART before returning to Formula One.

Villeneuve was offered by Player’s Forsythe and British American Racing to run one season in the CART series and two others in Formula One, Le Journal de Montreal reported.

Miscellany

Veteran Jenny Thompson won the women’s 50-meter freestyle, and fellow American and Olympic champion Tom Malchow won the 200 backstroke in the Pan Pacific swimming championships at Yokohama, Japan.

Thompson clocked 25.13 seconds to win her event. Malchow won his event in a meet championship record 1 minute 55.21 seconds, upsetting teammate and world-record holder Michael Phelps, who finished second.

UCLA guard Michelle Greco has been granted another year of eligibility by the Pacific 10 Conference. Greco, a fifth-year senior, was not allowed to play for the Bruins after Dec. 1 because of a history of concussions. Greco still requires a medical clearance for full participation with the team, including full contact drills when practice starts.

Baylor senior guard Wendell Greenleaf, a two-year starter, has been dismissed from the team after being arrested twice on assault charges.

American cyclist Tyler Hamilton will miss the rest of the season after colliding with a car while training in Belgium.