Mystics use 29-8 4th quarter to beat Storm 88-59
WASHINGTON — Aerial Powers led six Washington players in double figures with 16 points and the Mystics beat the Seattle Storm 88-59 on Wednesday night.
The Mystics opened the third quarter on a 17-5 run for a 15-point lead as Seattle went without a field goal for four-plus minutes. The Storm pulled within 59-51 entering the fourth, but Washington scored 18 of the next 20 points.
Elena Delle Donne and Tianna Hawkins each scored 14 points for Washington (18-7), which won its fourth straight to sweep the season series. Kristi Toliver, averaging 13 points and six assists, missed her second straight game with a knee injury.
Natasha Howard led Seattle (14-12) with 24 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals. Mercedes Russell added 10 points.
Howard scored Seattle’s opening eight points and ended the first quarter with 13 as the Storm led 23-16. Seattle was held to 12 points in the second quarter and trailed 38-35 at the break. Howard had 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals at the half.
Wings 84, Sparks 78
ARLINGTON, Texas —Rookie Arike Ogunbowale scored a career-high 35 points, Glory Johnson added a season-high 20 and the short-handed Wings ended the Sparks’ five-game winning streak.
With Kayla Thornton and newcomer Kristine Anigwe suspended because of an altercation in Saturday’s game at Phoenix, it was the rookie who stepped up for the Wings. She scored the last five Dallas points from the free throw line but also scored the Wings’ only three field goals in the last five minutes. She also had six rebounds, one of her best, as the Wings outrebounded Los Angeles 37-27.
Chelsea Gray scored 22 points and Nneka Ogwumike had 21 with nine rebounds for the Sparks. When Ogwumike was knocked to the court setting a screen in the last minute, L.A. coach Derek Fisher stormed on the court to demand a foul and was ejected with 31.3 seconds to play.
The victory gave Dallas (8-17) a 2-1 series win over the Sparks (15-9). In the two previous games, Ogumbowale had a total of 20 points. This was her ninth 20th point game and first 30 point game for a Dallas rookie since 2014. The Wings have won back-to-back games for the first time since mid-June.
Sun 78, Mercury 71
PHOENIX — Jasmine Thomas scored 18 points and the Sun held off the short-handed Mercury after giving up almost all of a 20-point lead.
After the Mercury, playing without the league’s leading scorer Brittney Griner, pulled within 69-66 midway through the fourth quarter, Thomas sandwiched a pair of layups around a basket by Jonquel Jones to stop the rally.
Shekinna Stricklin followed up a pair of Courtney Williams baskets with a 3-pointer that pushed the Connecticut lead to 58-38 at the
6:50 mark of the third quarter. Without Griner, who was serving the first game of a three-game suspension because of a fight in a game last Saturday, battled back. The Sun missed 17 of 20 shots beginning late in the third quarter and the Mercury turned a 10-0 run into a 15-1 surge to make it a game.
Jones finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds. Courtney Williams had 12 points and Bria Holmes and Alyssa Thomas had 11 each for Connecticut.
The Sun (17-8) remain in second place after ending a two-game losing streak while Phoenix
(11-13) has lost three straight and five of six while holding down the eighth and final playoff spot.
DeWanna Bonner led the Mercury with 17 points and Yvonne Turner had 15.