Brittney Sykes scores season-high 28 to help Mystics beat Sparks 80-74, snap 5-game skid

WASHINGTON — Brittney Sykes scored a season-high 28 points and Shakira Austin added 14 points and 11 rebounds — her first double-double of the season — to help the Washington Mystics beat the Los Angeles Sparks 80-74 on Friday night and snap a five-game losing streak.

Ariel Atkins scored 15 points and Stefanie Dolson finished with a season-high eight assists for Washington (7-22).

The Mystics trailed 41-38 at halftime and 55-54 after the third before pulling away with a strong fourth-quarter effort.

Washington opened the fourth on a 10-0 run with Sykes setting up back-to-back layups by Austin before a basket from Emily Engstler made it 64-55 with 7:24 to play. Dearica Hamby answered with a basket and then hit 1 of 2 free throws for Los Angeles to trim its deficit to six points, but that six-point margin was as close as the Sparks would get.

Rickea Jackson led Los Angeles with 17 points. Hamby finished with nine points and 10 rebounds while Azurá Stevens posted nine points and nine rebounds.

Los Angeles (6-23) has lost six games in a row.

The Sparks made 28 of 75 (37.3%) from the field hit 6 of 27 (22.2%) from 3-point range while committing 18 turnovers.