Sparks ‘win’ Paige Bueckers Bowl with loss to Mystics

The Sparks losing streak increased to six as they fell to the Mystics in a battle of bottom-feeding teams on Friday.

In a matchup with huge tanking and Paige Bueckers implications, the Sparks lost the game but might have won the war in the process. The Mystics, who were tied with the Sparks for the worst record in the league, earned an 80-74 win for their first victory since the Olympic break.

Rickea Jackson had a sterling night overall with 17 points, though all but one of those came in the first half. No other Sparks player reached double figures on the night.

Dearica Hamby had nine points and 10 rebounds, Azurá Stevens, who signed an extension with the team on Thursday, had nine points and nine rebounds and Odyssey Sims had nine points off the bench.

Jackson flew out of the gates for the Sparks, scoring 10 first-quarter points to pace the visitors. However, she was about the only positive for the team in the opening frame as, despite her hot start, the Sparks trailed 22-21 after the first period.

While the Sparks surged ahead early to open the second quarter, Washington responded behind Brittney Sykes, who had 14 first-half points herself, to retake control of the game.

Fortunately for LA, Jackson returned and scored six quick points in the second frame to give her side a 41-38 halftime advantage. The margin advanced to 48-43 early in the third quarter out of the break after a freebie from Jackson.

As they had done throughout the game, Washington surged back. Sykes knocked down a 3-pointer, then turned a Sparks turnover into a layup before an Ariel Atkins 3-pointer forced a timeout.

Rae Burrell finally snapped the 9-0 Washington run with a driving layup, but the Mystics still led by four. The Sparks moved back ahead with a Kia Nurse 3-pointer and a pair of free throws from Burrell, giving them a 55-54 lead heading to the final frame.

The game of runs saw Washington score the first six points of the fourth to move back ahead 60-55. A timeout did nothing to help as the lead grew to nine points for the hosts before a Dearica Hamby layup snapped a 10-0 run.

The real gut-punch sequence saw a four-point swing with a Hamby fastbreak layup blocked by Sykes before the Mystics scored on the other end, making it a 66-58 game instead of a four-point contest. A turnover from LA led to another layup and another timeout from Curt Miller.

From there, any Sparks run was answered by the Mystics, and specifically from Sykes, who finished with a career-high 28 points. The margin never got with more than two possessions as Washington saw out the final minutes.

With the loss, the Sparks now sit tied with the Wings for the worst record in the league. More importantly, though, they moved three games clear of Washington in the lottery standings with positioning based on records over the last two years.

With 13 games remaining, it’s hard to imagine this Sparks team, who have now lost six straight and 14 of their last 16, winning enough to close that gap.

The next game for LA will be on Sunday when they wrap up their four-game road trip in Dallas. Tip is set for 1 p.m. on NBA TV.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.