Delle Donne, Hines-Allen combine for 37 in Mystics' win

Updated: Aug 25, 2021, 02:24 am

WASHINGTON -- — Myisha Hines-Allen scored 19 points and Elena Delle Donne added 18 to help the Washington Mystics beat the Los Angeles Sparks 78-68 on Tuesday night.

The Mystics jumped out to a 56-23 advantage by halftime behind 18 points from Delle Donne and 14 by Hines-Allen. Delle Donne only played eight minutes in the second half — and attempted two shots — in her second game back after missing nearly the last two seasons because of back issues.

Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and Ariel Atkins each added 10 points for Washington (9-14). Emma Meesseman, the MVP of the 2019 WNBA Finals, announced prior to the game that she will not return to the court this season.

“The whole summer I thought and believed I would join the Mystics again after the European Championship and the Olympics, but it turns out the only right decision is to take some extra time for myself," Meesseman said.

Nia Coffey was the only player in double figures for Los Angeles (10-14) with 15 points. Nneka Ogwumike was 3 for 11 from the field and finished with six points and six rebounds. The Sparks were held to 35.7% shooting and saw their four-game winning streak end.

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