Basketball : WNBA 2009

Candace Parker is returning to action for the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday when they host the Phoenix Mercury. Parker was cleared by doctors to begin practicing Tuesday. She has not played at all this season. Last season, Parker started all 33 games she played in, led the league in rebounding and led all rookies in scoring and rebounding.

Candace Parker has returned to practice with the Los Angeles Sparks after giving birth to her first child May 13. Parker, last year's league MVP and rookie of the year, averaged 18.5 points and a league-leading 9.5 rebounds. Meanwhile, Sparks center Lisa Leslie returned to practice for the first time since missing the last three games because of a right knee sprain. Neither Parker nor Leslie plan to play in the Sparks next game on July 5 at home against the Phoenix Mercury

Anete Jekabsone-Zogota has joined the Connecticut Sun after missing the first seven games while playing for Latvia in the European basketball championships. The guard, signed by the Sun in February, practiced with the team for the first time on Sunday. To make room on the roster, the Sun waived Barbara Turner.

Plenette Pierson is expected to be out for the rest of the season. The Detroit Shock said that the 27-year-old forward had successful surgery to repair right shoulder instability. She was injured in the WNBA opener against the Los Angeles Sparks on June 6. Pierson won the WNBA's Sixth Woman of the Year award in 2007.

Center Lisa Leslie is expected to miss about six games because of a sprained right knee. The three-time WNBA MVP hurt her knee and bruised her right hip Friday against Phoenix and sat out Sunday's 67-47 victory at Sacramento. Leslie, who will turn 37 next month, is averaging 10.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. She announced in February that she plans to retire after this season.

Minnesota Lynx All-Star Seimone Augustus will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL in her left knee. She was hurt in the second quarter of Wednesday's 104-80 loss at Phoenix. Augustus had an MRI on Thursday, which revealed the tear in her anterior cruciate ligament. Augustus was the Lynx's leading scorer and in 105 games with Minnesota, she is averaging 21.2 points and 3.9 rebounds.

The Indiana Fever have signed center Jessica Davenport, released by the New York Liberty at the end of training camp earlier this month. Davenport replaces injured veteran forward Yolanda Griffith on the Fever roster. She averaged 5.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in 47 games over two seasons with the Liberty.

Bill Laimbeer resigned as coach of the WNBA champion Detroit Shock three games into the season. Laimbeer, who led the Shock to three titles in six years at the helm, said he wants to explore a job in the NBA and is no longer passionate about his job. The team announced that assistant coach Rick Mahorn was promoted to head coach and another assistant, Cheryl Reeve, would remain an assistant and assume the duties of general manager.