Elena Delle Donne scored a season-high 26 points for a second consecutive game as the visiting Washington Mystics defeated the Los Angeles Sparks 94-81 on Tuesday night.
Natasha Cloud added 21 points, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough scored 12 and Ariel Atkins had 10 for the Mystics (15-10), who earned their fourth win in five games. Washington finished with a 35-23 advantage in rebounds.
Brittney Sykes and Katie Lou Samuelson scored 16 points each, Kristi Toliver added 12 and Chiney Ogwumike had 10 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Sparks (10-13). Los Angeles dropped its second game in a row after a three-game winning streak.
Jordin Canada scored the first three points of the third quarter to pull the Sparks within 53-47.
Shakira Austin answered by making two free throws, but Los Angeles got within six points twice more.
Delle Donne’s basket gave Washington a 61-51 lead midway through the quarter.
The lead grew to 13 on a 3-pointer by Cloud as the Sparks went 4 1/2 minutes without making a field goal.
Olivia Nelson-Ododa’s basket ended the drought and Ogwumike added a basket that cut the Mystics lead to 69-60 at the end of the period.
Sykes had a basket and an assist on Toliver’s 3-pointer as Los Angeles got within six points early in the fourth quarter.
Delle Donne made three 3-pointers and Cloud added a 3-pointer as Washington took command with an 84-71 lead with four minutes remaining.
Cloud scored six points and Walker-Kimbrough added a basket that gave the Mystics a 24-14 lead.
Ogwumike and Sykes scored four points each as the Sparks trimmed the deficit to 31-24 at the end of the first quarter.
Delle Donne scored the first four points of the second quarter, but Canada’s basket finished a 10-3 run as Los Angeles got within 38-34.
Washington scored the next four points and Delle Donne concluded the visitors’ second-quarter scoring with a three-point play as the Mystics took a 53-44 lead into halftime.
–Field Level Media