BRIEFLY : ESPN PURCHASES NFL WEB RIGHTS.

Byline: Daily News Wire Services

The NFL has sold the rights to its chunk of cyberspace to ESPN in the latest link between two of sports' major powers.

The deal was for three years. Figures weren't announced, although reports have said that ESPN will pay the NFL at least $10 million.

Under the agreement, ESPN will produce material for the NFL's Web site, NFL.com, although the exact content hasn't been determined. ESPN has been producing the site for the past two years, but it expects to add additional features under the new agreement.

The Washington Redskins should lose federal trademark protection for their nickname because it is a racial slur, attorneys for a group of American Indians argued before a trademark panel in Arlington, Va.

BASKETBALL: Suspended Fresno State basketball player Kenny Brunner, 19, pleaded innocent to attempted-murder and robbery charges, for allegedly helping hold up a Los Angeles City College basketball coach last week. He was held on $550,000 bail after appearing briefly this afternoon in Los Angeles Municipal Court.

Dennis Lunnie, a 20-year-old LACC basketball player, and Brunner were arrested Friday after coach Michael Miller reported that he had been robbed of $1,500 at LACC's Vermont Avenue campus.

Lisa Leslie scored 20 points as the United States dominated inside and routed European champion Lithuania 87-61 in Group B play at the Women's World Championships in Karlsruhe, Germany.

TENNIS: Stanford's Julie Scott beat No. 1 seed Mirela Vladulescu of Alabama-Birmingham 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in the quarterfinals of the NCAA women's tennis championship at South Bend, Ind. Two unseeded players will met in the singles semifinals matches today for the first time when Harvard-Westlake alumna Ania Blesyznski of Stanford takes on Zuzana Lesenarova of San Diego.

HORSE RACING: This week's five-day meet at Atlantic City Race Course, which ends Saturday, marks the demise of live racing at the track in McKee City, N.J. A real estate developer has signed an agreement to buy the 282-acre site. There are no plans to continue operating it as a race course.

Founded by Grace Kelly's father and backed by stockholders like Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope, the track opened July 22, 1946, and routinely drew 30,000 fans a day in its heyday.

BASEBALL: Chicago Cubs catcher Sandy Martinez was suspended for two games and Atlanta outfielder Curtis Pride was suspended for one game by the National League, two days after their collision led to a bench-clearing brawl.

Ken Griffey Jr. leads all major-league players in early fan voting for starting spots in the All-Star Game.

Five members of the Texas Rangers also lead in early AL balloting. Catcher Ivan Rodriguez, outfielders Juan Gonzalez and Rusty Greer, first baseman Will Clark and second baseman Mark McLemore are ahead so far.