though he doesnt know how often he will play.He only knows

NEW YORK -- The WNBA changed its playoff format this season to ensure the best teams advanced and to create more of a buzz for the postseason.While the playoffs dont tip-off until Wednesday, the change definitely made for an exciting finish to the regular season. Half of the eight seeds werent determined until the final day of the regular season Sunday and only one game separated fifth place from eighth.This format is great as every game counts, said Atlantas Elizabeth Williams. We literally didnt know our seeds until the last game. I like the one and done, its kind of like March Madness in that respect.Williams one and done reference was in regards to the first two rounds of the playoffs, which will be single elimination contests with fifth-seeded Indiana hosting No. 8 Phoenix and seventh-seed Seattle playing at No. 6 Atlanta on Wednesday. The second round begins Saturday with New York and Chicago waiting -- and it will also be single elimination.The eight teams with the best record qualified for the playoffs, regardless of conference affiliation. And they were seeded according to their record.It definitely gives you a feeling that anyone has a chance to win, said Seattle guard Sue Bird. In the past if you were the four-seed in the conference you knew youd have a really tough time getting out of the opening round against the No. 1.Teams will be reseeded after every round. And while it turned out that four teams from both the Eastern and Western Conferences made the playoffs, the top teams with the best two records were both from the Western Conference. However, they wont play until potentially the WNBA Finals.The new WNBA playoff format is extremely fan-friendly, because were able to showcase across the best eight teams, full-stop, regardless of conference, said ESPN vice president for womens sports programming Carol Stiff.Minnesota and Los Angeles had the best marks all season long and earned them byes until the semifinals. The Lynx are looking to become the leagues first back-to-back champions since Los Angeles repeated in 2001-02.Thats the last time that the Sparks won a title, a drought they are trying to end.We know its going to be a series as opposed to one game, Sparks coach Brian Agler said of getting the bye. Its unchartered waters for everybody and I like it. I think it adds an element of urgency and an element of suspense throughout the season.Aglers team last played on Sept. 16 and wont play against until the 28th of the month.The dynamic will create an extremely competitive atmosphere, said Los Angeles Nneka Ogwumike. 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LeBron James Lakers Jersey .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- A great start to the week got even better for Stewart Cink on Thursday.Three days after his wife, Lisa, received a good report on her Stage 4 breast cancer, she was in the gallery at Sea Island as he posted a career-low 62 to finish one shot behind in the RSM Classic.Huge blessing, Cink said.It showed in his easy smile and the peaceful walk on a gorgeous day in the Golden Isles, a happy day in a year filled with unimaginable trials.Cink, winless since his British Open victory at Turnberry in 2009, stepped away from the PGA Tour in May when his wife was diagnosed with cancer. After nine rounds of chemotherapy, doctors at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston switched her over to what Cink described as a maintenance program.I am just really encouraged by the way shes been able to fight and handle it, Cink said. Shes had definitely a lot of ups and downs and she feels pretty well, and she got a good report Monday -- real good. Shes really like an inspiration for me.Mackenzie Hughes, the Canadian rookie, flirted with a sub-60 round until pars on the final three holes on the Seaside course for a 61 and a one-shot lead over Cink and Jonathan Byrd. All of them were at Seaside in ideal conditions for scoring.Cink was a strong presence, especially with his wife in the gallery.She has only missed one tournament since a sporadic return to golf, usually walking 18 holes. The exception was the St. Jude Classic at Memphis this summer, when she only managed nine holes each round.It was about a million degrees, Cink said. The wig is hot.Cink, with six PGA Tour victories, five Ryder Cup teams and a claret jug from his British Open playoff victory over Tom Watson, was jolted when his wife was diagnosed in the spring. His primary concern was her health, and over time, he worked on his own state of mind.Im just trying to let golf be a piece of my life and not let life be a piece of golf, Cink said. It grew out of our situation with Lisa where I felt like I had a chance to do some things to just kind of turn myself around. The last few years havent been that great for me productivity-wise on the golf ccourse.dddddddddddd So I decided to make some changes and felt like if Lisa can fight, I can fight.It started to turn at the end of last season when he tied for 14th in the Wyndham Championship, his best finish in more than a year. He is coming off encouraging performances in Las Vegas and Mexico (he tied for 15th at both tournaments), and then headed to Houston for his wifes visit with doctors.That felt like a victory.She had very limited side effects, which I can only say that shes being looked after by someone bigger than us. So shes responded well, Cink said. Shes still got Stage 4 cancer. The cancer, its like when the horses get out of their yard. Its hard to get them back in, cant get them back in. So shes going to be on maintenance hopefully for a long time.Cink is using his one-time exemption from the top 25 in career money to play this season, though he doesnt know how often he will play.He only knows he wont be at tournaments without his wife.If you see me out here playing, then you can assume that means that shes doing fairly well, at least well enough to travel, he said. Because Im not going anywhere without her.She was in for quite a show on Thursday.Cink poured it on toward the end of his round with four straight birdies, capping it off with a fairway metal to the fringe on the par-5 seventh for a two-putt birdie that put him at 9 under for the round. With the Seaside a par 70, he had a reasonable shot at 59.It did cross my mind, he said. Thats actually the first time Ive ever been that low where I had a chance to shoot that.The only blemish was a three-putt from 45 feet on the ninth hole for his only bogey. It was still a career-best on the PGA Tour by one shot.Hughes actually thought about a 58 when he reached 9 under with four holes to play. Byrd had five birdies in a six-hole stretch late in his round. No one shot better than a 7-under 65 on the Plantation Course, which is where Cink plays on Friday.Tournament host Davis Love III shot even-par 72 on the Plantation. ' ' '