Long considered the heir apparent to Phil Jackson in sunny Los Angeles, Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis is taking a much different, and colder, route to a head coaching job.

Rambis and the Minnesota Timberwolves have an oral agreement and are completing details of the contract, which is expected to be announced this week. Timberwolves president David Kahn said in a text message he met with Rambis' agent yesterday but has yet to conclude the deal.

The selection ends a seven-week search after Kahn decided in June not to keep Kevin McHale. Rambis was one of three finalists, with TV commentator and former NBA star Mark Jackson and Houston assistant Elston Turner.

Rambis, 51, has the most head coaching experience of the group. He has been a Lakers assistant for 10 years, was their head coach in the lockout shortened 1998-99 season and has filled in on several occasions for his Hall of Fame coach.

Rambis won four titles with the Lakers as a player and three more as an assistant.

The Timberwolves have not made the playoffs since Kevin Garnett led them to the Western Conference Finals in 2004.

Lindsay Whalen had 16 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in the host Connecticut Sun's 96-67 victory against the Washington Mystics in the WNBA. Connecticut (11-10) tied Washington (11-10) for second place in the Eastern Conference."/>

• Ann Wouters hit a jumper from the free-throw line at the buzzer to lift the San Antonio Silver Stars (10-11) to a 89-87 victory against the Minnesota Lynx (11-11).

Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane was charged with attacking a cab driver in his hometown of Buffalo, N.Y., a beating that police said was sparked when the driver did not have 20 cents in change to give the player and his cousin. Buffalo police said Kane, 20, and his cousin, James Kane, 21, apparently caught a cab from the city's downtown nightclub district at about 4 a.m. The cab driver suffered cuts to his face and his glasses were damaged.

Cameron Wright, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Benedictine High School in Cleveland, gave Pitt a verbal commitment. Wright also had scholarship offers from Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio, Akron and Cleveland State. Wright is the second high school player to commit to Pitt for the 2010 recruiting class. The Panthers previously received a verbal commitment from point guard Isiah Epps. Both will be eligible to sign binding letters of intent in November.

Florida State's Bobby Bowden says he wants one more national title before retirement. At the annual football media day, Bowden said he believes the Seminoles are rebuilt and ready to win another national championship. He has two years to deliver before his successor-in-waiting, Jimbo Fisher, takes over in 2011.

"Definitely I want to win a national championship again," said Bowden, 79, who enters his 34th season at Florida State. "I wish I could leave here on top."

Bowden's '93 and '99 teams won national titles. The Seminoles narrowly missed another half-dozen times between 1987-2000.

Top-seeded Andy Roddick lost to Juan Martin del Potro in the Legg Mason Tennis Classic final in Washington, falling, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (6), to the defending champion. It was the first loss for Roddick in four Washington finals. Roddick won the tournament in 2001, 2005 and 2007.

• Italian Flavia Pennetta took advantage of error-prone Samantha Stosur for a 6-4, 6-3 victory in the LA Women's Tennis Championships in Carson, Calif., giving her a second title of the year. Pennetta followed up a three-set semifinal victory over Maria Sharapova by making quick work of Stosur, an Aussie doubles specialist who has yet to win a WTA Tour singles title. She is 0-5 in career finals.

Moon Township evened its record at 1-1 in pool play after an 11-1 victory against Northwest Washington, D.C., at the Little League World Series Mid-Atlantic Region tournament in Bristol, Conn. Moon next plays M-O-T, Del., at 2 p.m. tomorrow.