Sports briefs

TENNIS

Serena AP's Female Athlete of Year

Serena Williams likes to make one thing clear: She is never satisfied, no matter how many matches and tournaments she wins. Driven as ever, Williams won plenty this year. She went 78-4 with 11 titles, including at the French Open and U.S. Open, raising her Grand Slam championship total to 17. She compiled a 34-match winning streak. She earned more than $12 million in prize money, a record for women's tennis. In February, she became the oldest No. 1 in WTA rankings history and never left that perch. Thanks to all of that, Williams was honored yesterday as The Associated Press' 2013 Female Athlete of the Year. It's the third AP award for Williams, following the 2002 and 2009 seasons.

Williams told the AP in an interview shortly before the start of the U.S. Open: "Whenever I lose, I get more determined, and it gives me something more to work toward. I don't get complacent, and I realize I need to work harder and I need to do better and I want to do better -- or I wouldn't keep playing this game." Williams received 55 of 96 votes, while Brittney Griner, was second with 14.

HOCKEY

Rangers, Isles prospects at worlds

Brady Skjei, a University of Minnesota defenseman and the Rangers No. 1 pick in the 2012 draft, will play for the U.S. National Team in the 2014 World Junior Championships starting today in Malmo, Sweden. The Americans, the defending champions, face the Czech Republic today. Islanders' prospect defensemen Griffin Reinhart and Adam Pelech will play for the Canadian National team, though Reinhart, the Isles' No. 1 pick in 2012, is suspended for three games because of an incident in the 2013 tournament. -- AP