Mabika leads Sparks past Liberty, 73-63

NEW YORK -- Mwadi Mabika scored 19 points to lead the Sparks to a 73-63 victory over New York on Tuesday night, handing the Liberty its season-high seventh straight loss.

Taj McWilliams-Franklin had 13 points and 13 rebounds for her second straight double-double, and Temeka Johnson and Sidney Spencer had 10 points apiece for the Sparks (9-16).

Janel McCarville scored 16 points and Loree Moore had 10 for New York (10-15), which has its longest losing streak since a franchise-worst 11-game skid last season.

The Liberty pulled to 66-62 on McCarville’s layup with 4:38 left, but the Sparks closed the game with a 7-1 run over the final 2:52 for their second victory in 12 games.

After Cathrine Kraayeveld’s layup pulled New York to 51-42, the Sparks scored eight straight points to stretch the lead to 17 with 1:22 left in the third quarter. Mabika had a three-point basket and Marta Fernandez and Spencer had driving layups during the run.

New York then used a 13-2 spurt to pull to 61-55 with 8:23 left. McCarville started the run with a jumper with 15 seconds to go in the third quarter and Lisa Willis, acquired from the Sparks on June 20, made a three-pointer to open the fourth.

The Sparks opened the second quarter with a 12-0 run.

From the Associated Press