Sports briefs for October 6, 2004

Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2004 | 10:13 a.m.

Sheffield won't face penalty for steroids

New York Yankees outfielder Gary Sheffield will not be penalized by the commissioner's office after his admission that he unknowingly used a cream two years ago that contained illegal steroids.

Sports Illustrated reported in this week's issue that Sheffield was supplied a cream by BALCO, the Burlingame, Calif.-based lab at the center of a federal probe into illegal steroids distribution. Sheffield said he applied the cream on his surgically repaired right knee in 2002. He was not told it contained an illegal steroid, the magazine said.

Sheffield also told ESPN he used another steroid called "the clear" for two months, the network reported Tuesday. He said it was to aid his recovery from workouts and that he stopped using it because it wasn't helping.

Bird leads Storm

A day after surgery on her broken nose, Sue Bird had 10 points and 14 assists to lead the Seattle Storm to an 82-62 win against the Sacramento Monarchs in the third and deciding game of the WNBA Western Conference final. The Storm will face Connecticut in the final.

Still unconscious

Tennessee Tech wide receiver Drew Hixon, the son of Washington Redskins assistant coach Stan Hixon, remained unconscious in a Charlottesville, Va., hospital after being injured Sept. 11 in a helmet-to-helmet collision in a game at South Florida.

Brazilian killed

Cleonicio dos Santos Silva, a 28-year-old striker for FC Zurich who is known as Renato, was shot and killed in Rio de Janeiro by thieves apparently trying to steal his car.

Rebels freshman hot

UNLV freshman Elena Gantcheva improved her college record to 8-0 with two more victories in the Riviera/ITA Women's All-American Classic at Pacific Palisades, Calif.