WASHINGTON (AP) Natasha Cloud made a fade-away jumper just before the buzzer to
give the Washington Mystics a 69-67 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on
Friday night.
Cloud took an inbounds pass with 3.8 seconds left, dribbled to the free-throw
line, went behind her back and sank the winner. She was 1 of 10 from the floor
before her first winner.
Elena Delle Donne led third-place Washington (22-11) with 16 points and 10
rebounds. Kristi Toliver added 12 points, and Aerial Powers had 10 points and 10
rebounds. The Mystics had already clinched a top-four seed.
Powers made a wide-open 3-pointer to tie it at 67 with 3:21 to go and neither
team would score again Cloud’s heroics.
Riquna Williams scored 14 points for Los Angeles (19-14), which will play a
first-round game next week. Candace Parker had 13 points, eight rebounds and
seven assists. Los Angeles opened the game by scoring 13 of the first 15 points.
