BASKETBALL

STOUDEMIRE HAS MORE SURGERY, DONE FOR SEASON Suns forward Amare Stoudemire had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee yesterday and won’t play again this season.The operation followed a comeback that lasted just three games. He had missed the first 66 games of the season after surgery on his left knee.

In the latest operation, debris caused by wear and tear of the kneecap was removed, the team said. Stoudemire’s October 11 surgery came a week after he signed a five-year contract extension worth more than $70 million. He returned to the lineup March 23, scoring 20 points in 19 minutes against Portland. But his production dropped dramatically in his next two games.

FOOTBALL

TAGLIABUE APPOINTS COMMITTEE TO SELECT NEW COMMISSIONER Owners Dan Rooney of Pittsburgh and Jerry Richardson of Carolina were appointed yesterday to head the eight-member committee that will search for the successor to commissioner Paul Tagliabue. The group was put together by Tagliabue to ensure that it includes diverse views among the owners. Rooney and Richardson are two of the owners Tagliabue trusts most. Others on the committee include Dallas’s Jerry Jones and Oakland’s Al Davis, both of whom have often clashed with the commissioner.New England’s Robert Kraft, Kansas City’s Lamar Hunt, Chicago’s Mike McCaskey, and the Jets’ Woody Johnson round out the group.

Tagliabue, who two weeks ago announced his intention to retire,r eiterated last week that he thinks a successor can be in place by July. But he has said he would stay on as long as he has to. In any event, he will remain through 2008 as a consultant.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

LSU’S AUGUSTUS GOES FIRST IN WNBA DRAFT LSU’s Seimone Augustus is going to Minnesota.The Lynx took the 6-foot-1 guard with the first pick in the WNBA draft yesterday.The two-time AP Player of the Year led the nation in scoring with 23 points a game. She also led the Lady Tigers to three straight Final Fours.

Rutgers guard Cappie Pondexter was selected second by the Phoenix Mercury. Duke’s Monique Currie was the third pick taken by the Charlotte Sting. Duke fell short in the NCAA title game Tuesday night, losing to Maryland in overtime. Baylor’s Sophia Young was chosen by the San Antonio Silver Stars, and the Los Angeles Sparks took UCLA’s Lisa Willis to round out the top five.

Celebrating its 10th year, the WNBA held the draft the day after the women’s NCAA Final Four in the same city as the championship for the first time. Previous drafts were held at the NBA studios in Secaucus, N.J.

SOCCER

BARCELONA, ARSENAL ROUND OUT CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMIS Barcelona is back in the semifinals of the Champions League.Arsenal is there for the first time.

Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto’o scored to lead Barcelona over visiting Benfica 2-0 last night following a 0-0 tie in the first leg. Coming off a 2-0 win at home, Arsenal played a 0-0 tie at Juventus to win the total-goals series.

Barcelona will play AC Milan in the semifinals starting April 18, and Arsenal meets Villarreal the following day. Barcelona, which won its only European Champions Cup title in 1992, last made the semifinals in 2002 but lost to Real Madrid. Arsenal, which has won both the UEFA Cup and the defunct Cup Winners Cup, had never before reached the semifinals of Europe’s top club competition.

– Associated Press