Sparks lose 6th straight in ‘Paige Bueckers Bowl’ against Mystics

WASHINGTON — In a showdown between teams desperate for any kind of momentum, the Sparks again came up short when it mattered most but might have done themselves a favor in the process.

Brittney Sykes scored a season-high 28 points and Shakira Austin added 14 points and 11 rebounds to help the Washington Mystics beat the Sparks, 80-74, on Friday night. The win snapped the Mystics’ five-game losing streak and extended the Sparks’ skid to six games, but the outcome potentially helped the visitors take another step toward a brighter future.

Rookie Rickea Jackson had 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting (3 for 5 from 3-point range) to lead the Sparks (6-23), who have lost 16 of their past 18 games. Dearica Hamby finished with nine points and 10 rebounds, while Azurá Stevens finished with nine points and nine rebounds and Odyssey Sims had nine points and five assists. Rae Burrell added eight points and four rebounds.

The positive development for the Sparks is that they helped their chances of landing the top pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, widely expected to be UConn star Paige Bueckers.

The Sparks are a half-game worse than the Dallas Wings (6-22) for the worst record in the 12-team league, but they moved three games clear of Washington (7-22) in the lottery standings with positioning based on records over the last two years. With 11 games left, the Sparks do not appear likely to surrender that advantage.

The Sparks led 41-38 at halftime and 55-54 after the third quarter before the Mystics pulled 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. Hamby answered with a basket and then hit one of two free throws for the Sparks to trim their deficit to six points, but that six-point margin was as close as the Sparks could get.

The Sparks, who surrendered a decisive 14-0 run late in their loss to the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday, shot 28 for 75 (37.3%) from the field on Friday, including a 6-for-27 showing (22.2%) from behind the arc, while committing 18 turnovers.

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

The Sparks, who again were without Layshia Clarendon (mental health), Lexie Brown (Crohn’s Disease), Aari McDonald (foot) and Cameron Brink (knee), close their four-game road trip against Dallas on Sunday at 1 p.m. PT.