Sparks ease past shorthanded Mystics 81-64

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Riquna Williams scored 13 points, Nneka Ogwumike added 12 points and the Los Angeles Sparks beat the short-handed Washington Mystics 81-64 on Thursday night.

Los Angeles went on a 14-0 run in the first quarter for a 19-9 advantage and led the rest of the way. The Mystics turned it over 21 times.

Chelsea Gray scored 11 points, and Te'a Cooper and Brittney Sykes each had 10 for Los Angeles (6-3), which won its third straight game.

Ariel Atkins scored 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting for Washington (3-6), which dropped its sixth straight game. Emma Meesseman had 12 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, and Myisha Hines-Allen scored 10 points. Washington dropped seven consecutive games in 2016.

Elena Delle Donne (back), Natasha Cloud (personal) and Tina Charles (medical exemption) did not play for Washington.