WNBA Roundup: Mystics beat Lynx to move into fifth place in league standings

WASHINGTON (AP) — Brittney Sykes scored 21 points, Natasha Cloud had 12 points and nine assists, and the healthy Washington Mystics beat the Minnesota Lynx 83-72 on Tuesday night.

Washington (17-18) moved a half-game ahead of Minnesota (17-19) and Atlanta for fifth place in the WNBA standings. The Mystics begin a three-game road swing on Thursday at Las Vegas. The Lynx host Atlanta and Phoenix later this week.

Ariel Atkins added 13 points and Elena Delle Donne scored 10 for Washington.

Delle Donne, Atkins, Cloud, Shakira Austin and Sykes all started for Washington, which had everyone available for the first time since June 9. Kristi Toliver played for the first time since June 16 due to plantar fasciitis.

The Mystics led 42-37 at halftime behind a combined 20 points from Sykes and Atkins. Sykes made a long jumper just before the third-quarter buzzer to extend Washington's lead to 67-54. 

Diamond Miller led Minnesota with 25 points. Napheesa Collier had 17 points, 10 rebounds and four steals. Jessica Shepard (left ankle) Lindsay Allen (left thumb) did not play.

DREAM 94, MERCURY 76

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (AP) — Cheyenne Parker scored 25 points, Allisha Gray added 18 points and the Atlanta Dream beat the Phoenix Mercury.

Atlanta (17-19) is tied with Minnesota for sixth in the WNBA standings. Phoenix (9-26) was eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday, snapping a streak of 10 straight seasons reaching the postseason.

Atlanta opened the game on a 21-2 run as Phoenix started 1 of 8 from the field with five turnovers. Five different Dream players scored during the run, led by Rhyne Howard’s seven points. Atlanta shot 61% from the field in the first quarter, with Gray making all six of her shots for 13 points, to build a 31-12 lead.

Atlanta was ahead 54-26 at halftime after shooting 54%. Phoenix had 11 field goals and 11 turnovers.

Phoenix star Diana Taurasi was scoreless in the first half after missing five shots and did not play after halftime due to a toe injury.

Sug Sutton scored 20 points for Phoenix. Brittney Griner and Moriah Jefferson each added 16.

SKY 76, SPARKS 75

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kahleah Copper scored eight of her 22 points in the final 6:04, including two field goals in the closing 45 seconds, to help the Chicago Sky beat the Los Angeles Sparks.

Chicago (15-21) moved within a half-game of eighth-place Los Angeles (15-20) with a handful of games left in the regular season. The Sky hold the series tiebreaker after winning three of the four meetings.

Copper ended Los Angeles’ 9-0 run on a layup with 44.5 seconds left to give Chicago a 74-72 lead. But Karlie Samuelson answered with her second 3-pointer in less than two minutes to put the Sparks ahead 75-74 with 38.1 left.

Copper made a contested layup in the lane to put Chicago up one with 22.8 seconds left. Los Angeles had three chances at the other end, following two offensive rebounds, but couldn’t get a shot to drop.

Marina Mabrey added 14 points and Morgan Bertsch scored 12 for Chicago. Elizabeth Williams had eight points and nine rebounds.

Chicago trailed 52-48 midway through the third quarter before scoring the next 13 points for a 61-52 lead. Dana Evans added an off-balance 3-pointer just before the third-quarter buzzer to give Chicago a 64-56 lead entering the fourth.

Nneka Ogwumike had 18 points and 11 rebounds for Los Angeles, which continues a three-game homestand on Thursday against Seattle. Jordin Canada had 16 points and nine assists, and Samuelson added 11 points and nine rebounds. Los Angeles announced Lexie Brown (non-Covid illness) will miss the remainder of the season. Layshia Clarendon (health and safety protocol) also did not play.

Ogwumike passed Becky Hammon (5,841) for 15th on the WNBA’s career scoring list. Canada set a single-season franchise record for steals, passing Alana Beard’s 71 in the 2017 season.