Brittney Sykes, Natasha Cloud lift Mystics past Mercury

Brittney Sykes scored 23 points and Natasha Cloud finished an assist shy of a double-double as the short-handed Mystics recorded an 84-69 win over the visiting Phoenix Mercury on Sunday in Washington.

Cloud scored 23 points, 18 in the first half, and doled out nine assists as the Mystics (12-10) won for just the third time in eight games. Washington emerged victorious despite missing three starters -- Elena Delle Donne, Ariel Atkins and Shakira Austin -- to injuries.

Shatori Walker-Kimbrough added 13 points for the Mystics, who hit 46.2 percent of their field goal attempts and forced 19 turnovers that led to 22 points. They also limited Phoenix to 43.3 percent accuracy from the field.

Sophie Cunningham scored 17 points for the Mercury (6-16), who won consecutive games at home to start the post All-Star break portion of their schedule. But they again experienced difficulty on the road, where they are only 1-10.

Phoenix also received 12 points each from Brittney Griner and reserve Megan Gustafson, plus 11 from Moriah Jefferson. But the Mercury trailed by double figures for the game's last 21:55, never making a serious run to threaten Washington after halftime.

Phoenix played without second-leading scorer Diana Taurasi, out with a quadricep injury.

Washington took charge with a big run in the final five minutes of the first quarter. It erased a 10-9 deficit with eight straight points and kept adding on from there, taking a 25-14 lead to the second after Cloud made a technical foul shot to cap a personal 8-0 run.

Phoenix made a push to start the second quarter, using a 3-pointer by Cunningham to polish off a 12-3 run that got it within 30-28 at the 5:38 mark. But the Mystics controlled the half's remainder, going on a 16-3 spurt that Myisha Hines-Allen finished with a 3-pointer for a 46-31 halftime advantage.

Sykes' layup in the last two minutes of the third quarter gave Washington its largest lead of the day at 26 points and it settled for a 71-50 cushion going to the fourth.