WNBA, Union Haven’t Settled Yet

The WNBA and its players’ association had differing views of where they stood Saturday, one day after the union announced an agreement in principle on a new labor deal.

The union said the process had reached the stage of lawyers exchanging documents. The league said negotiations were ongoing.

“Sometimes people agree to disagree. We can’t seem to agree that we agree,” union spokesman Dan Wasserman said.

On Friday, the union said it accepted a five-year collective bargaining agreement, staving off the NBA’s threat to cancel the seventh season for the women’s league.

Play is scheduled to begin May 22; the WNBA called off a tryout camp and the draft last week.

“Documents are being written up, exchanged and reviewed so that a full agreement can be completed as soon as is practical,” Wasserman said Saturday. “This is similar to many other labor negotiations where the two sides reach an agreement in principle, pending full ratification and completion of a full agreement, which is taking place over the next several days.”

NBA Commissioner David Stern was more optimistic that the deal was all but done.

“We’ve made substantial progress,” Stern said Saturday. “If we could get the union lawyers to work the weekend, we could have it done by Monday. Hopefully it’ll be done by Tuesday.”

Stern said it’s a four-year deal with the owners holding an option for the fifth year if “certain conditions occur.” He said it goes up 4% every year for the first four years.

Reiterating its stance from Friday, though, the WNBA wouldn’t confirm that a deal is in place.

“We characterize it differently,” league spokeswoman Traci Cook said. “This is a very complex and complicated negotiation. There are a lot of details to be worked out.”

Tennis

Elena Dementieva ended top-seeded Justine Henin-Hardenne’s seven-match winning streak with a 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory in the semifinals of the Bausch & Lomb Championships at Amelia Island, Fla.

The 10th-seeded Dementieva moved into the fifth final of her five-year pro career, including the 2000 Olympics.

In today’s final she will play second-seeded Lindsay Davenport, who defeated Jennifer Capriati, 6-3, 5-7, 6-2.

Defending champion Juan Carlos Ferrero easily eliminated Vince Spadea, 6-3, 6-4, to reach the final of the Monte Carlo Masters at Monaco. In today’s final, Ferrero will play Guillermo Coria of Argentina, who beat 1998 French Open champion Carlos Moya, 7-6 (3), 6-2.

Second-seeded Magui Serna beat Ludmila Cervanova, 6-3, 6-2, to advance to the final of the Budapest Grand Prix in Hungary. Serna will meet third-seeded Alicia Molik, a 6-4, 6-4 semifinal winner over Maria Sanchez Lorenzo, in today’s final.

Motor Racing

Brothers Michael and Ralf Schumacher finished 1-2 in qualifying for the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola, Italy, and then flew to Germany to see their mother, who is in a coma. The Schumachers are planning to race today.

Michael Schumacher won the 52nd pole of his career with a fast lap of 1 minute 22.327 seconds on Ferrari’s home 3.065-mile Enzo and Dino circuit. Ralf Schumacher, of Williams BMW, turned a lap of 1:22.341.

Japanese motorcyclist Daijiro Kato, 26, died this morning in Tokyo after suffering head, neck and chest injuries at the Grand Prix of Japan two weeks ago, the MotoGP said on its Web site.

Arena Football

Arizona stopped Grand Rapids quarterback Clint Dolezel on a two-point conversion attempt in overtime as the Rattlers (7-5) beat the Rampage, 82-81, at Grand Rapids, Mich. The Rampage fell to 8-4.... Aaron Garcia threw eight touchdowns passes as the New York Dragons beat the Detroit Fury, 69-40, at Uniondale, N.Y. The Dragons are 6-6, the Fury 5-7.... The San Jose Sabercats (8-4) overcame a three-point halftime deficit but scored a 73-71 win over the visiting Indiana Firebirds (5-7).

Miscellany

Former Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson’s manager plans legal action in response to documents purporting to show that Carl Lewis and other U.S. athletes were allowed to compete in the 1988 Olympics after failing drug tests.

Morris Chrobotek, Johnson’s lawyer and manager, told the Sydney Morning Herald that U.S. Olympic Committee officials should be jailed and that he would pursue a lawsuit.

Valdosta (Ga.) State baseball Coach Tommy Thomas set the NCAA Division II record for victories when his Blazers beat Lincoln Memorial, 9-1, for his 1,199th win. He broke the mark of Cal Poly Pomona’s John Scolinos.

World champion bull rider Chris Shivers lost his grip after 1.8 seconds on 1,600-pound Little Yellow Jacket, failing in his bid to win $1 million at Colorado Springs, Colo.