NEW ORLEANS — Baylor star Brittney Griner earned The Associated Press player of the year award for the second straight season on Saturday, while Notre Dame's Muffet McGraw was selected coach of the year after leading the Fighting Irish to their third straight Final Four.

Griner is the third player to earn the award in consecutive years, joining Seimone Augustus of LSU and Chamique Holdsclaw of Tennessee. Connecticut's Maya Moore won it twice in a three-year span.

She averaged 23.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 4.1 blocks this season.

McGraw, who also won the award in 2001, became the second coach to win it multiple times. She joined UConn's Geno Auriemma — a seven-time recipient.

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Serena Williams rallied past Jelena Jankovic 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 on Sunday to win her 15th straight match and second consecutive title at the Family Circle Cup.It was the second straight tournament where the top-ranked Williams dropped the opening set in the final before digging in for victory. A week ago, she lost 6-4 to Maria Sharapova and then took 12 of the next 15 games to win the Sony Open.

SAN ANTONIO — Martin Laird tied the course record with a 9-under par 63 on Sunday to hold off Rory McIlroy and earn his first win in more than two years.Laird began the day four shots behind leader Billy Horschel but posted a bogey-free round to finish at 14 under for the third win of his career, his first since the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2011. The Scottish golfer entered the week having missed four of eight cuts this year.McIlroy, the world's No. 2, began the day at 6 under before posting a 66 to finish two shots back and finish second — his best finish of the year.

NEW YORK — Marty Blake, the NBA’s longtime director of scouting, died Sunday. He was 86.Blake worked in the NBA for more than 50 years and is considered the “Godfather of scouting.”Blake was GM of the Hawks franchise before spending more than 35 years as the league’s director of scouting.