Sports Beat

NBA guard Quentin Richardson scored twice last week when he signed a six-year, $42.6 million contract with the Suns and also closed the deal with erstwhile Cinderella Brandy by proposing with an 11�-carat diamond ring. Richardson, 24, reportedly popped the question at the Century Club in L.A. among family and friends. No wedding date has been set, but the couple won't have to wait for her to get divorced. Two weeks ago Brandy's first "husband," music producer Robert Smith, said that they were never married but had kept up appearances to maintain the singer's image because she was pregnant with their child, Sy'rai, now two. Brandy, 25, conceded that they shared only a "spiritual union." That's something the Suns want Richardson to find as well—with Steve Nash.

?Former pirates pitcher Kris Benson blew his debut with the Mets last Saturday (he gave up seven runs in five innings), but his wife, Anna (left), still plans to make a big splash in New York City. The former Penthouse pinup and aspiring actress talked to the city's newspapers about her plans to invest in a raunchy Off Broadway play and her hopes of starting a cosmetics line and opening a boutique in New York. Another of Anna's stated goals is to have sex with Kris in every city that he plays in. "We have a ways to go, but that's what we want to do," said Anna, 28, who already has three kids with her hubby. For photo galleries of Anna, as well as a list of her favorite nail care products, go to annabenson.net.

? Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios put the bad in producer Jerry Bruckheimer's annual Bad Boys of Hockey weekend in Vegas when he was kicked out of a restaurant at the Bellagio hotel. Chelios, 42, was dining with Bruckheimer, Jennifer Capriati, Cuba Gooding Jr. and NHL colleagues Sergei Fedorov and Marty McSorley when, for no apparent reason, he started throwing plates a la My Big Fat Greek Wedding. His agency, FIX, said that Chelios "explained to management that it was O.K. because he was Greek, but it didn't fly."

?In the wake of The Bachelors successful season with New York Giants quarterback Jesse Palmer passing out the roses, producers pitched the idea of starring on the show to another jock: Marlins ace Carl Pavano. The 28-year-old righthander, who recently split with Charmed star Alyssa Milano, nixed the idea, saying, "It was flattering, but [I was] not interested." Pavano's teammates are glad he said no. "He would have been calling us every night," said pitcher A.J. Burnett. " 'I need help! Help me! Which one should I pick?' "

?After learning that an ad in Playboy would cost $25,000, L.A. Sparks director of tactical marketing Heather La Bella decided that instead of paying the fee, she would pose in the magazine to promote the team. The editors took her up on the offer, and the August issue features a topless photo of La Bella, 32, under the heading Employee of the Month. "I always wanted to be in Playboy" said La Bella. "I show that women in high profile jobs can be beautiful, sexy as well as intelligent."...Hall of Fame golfer Nancy Lopez and her husband, former Mets third baseman Ray Knight, are launching Back in Full Swing, an educational campaign designed to combat heart disease. Lopez's father, Domingo, died of heart disease two years ago, and Knight, 51, suffered a heart attack during a hunting trip last year. His recovery kept him away from his duties as a broadcaster.