Brittney Sykes scored 21 points and the Washington Mystics were in control most of the way in an 83-72 victory against the visiting Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night.
Ariel Atkins added 13 points and Natasha Cloud had 12 points and nine assists for the Mystics, who had 12 of their 29 field goals come from beyond the 3-point arc.
The Mystics (17-18) have won two games in a row and four of their last six games. They went 13-for-15 at the free-throw line.
Washington star Elena Delle Donne was limited to 23 minutes as she’s coming off injuries, scoring 10 points on 5-for-6 shooting.
Diamond Miller’s 25 points and Napheesa Collier’s 17 points kept the Lynx (17-19) within striking range.
Kayla McBride added nine points and Dorka Juhasz had eight points for the Lynx, who have lost two games in a row as their bid to reach the postseason has stalled. Minnesota had won its previous two road games.
The Mystics went up 78-65 with about 5 1/2 minutes remaining after Cloud’s 3-pointer.
Washington held a 67-54 lead through three quarters, with Sykes up to 19 points at that time.
Sykes finished 6-for-11 from the field and made three 3-pointers. She was 6-for-6 from the foul line.
Minnesota trailed 42-40 early in the third quarter before the Mystics’ strung together a 10-0 run ignited by Shakira Austin’s three-point play. Cloud hit a 3-pointer during the outburst and Delle Donne’s jumper completed the scoring run that occurred in less than two minutes.
The Mystics led 26-16 after one quarter, shooting 11 of 22 from the field with four 3-point baskets. Washington was boosted by a 7-0 spurt capped by a Tianna Hawkins 3-point basket. Neither team attempted a free throw in the first quarter.
Washington cooled off in the second quarter, shooting 5-for-13 but still led 42-37 at the break. Sykes had 11 points by halftime. Both teams had eight first-half turnovers.
–Field Level Media
