The Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS —
Lindsey Harding scored a career-high 33 points, including Washington’s final 13 of the game, to lead the Mystics to a 77-73 victory over the Indiana Fever on Friday night, snapping their three-game losing streak.
Nakia Sanford had 11 points and Crystal Langhorne added nine points and 11 rebounds for the Mystics (14-10), who took the season series from Indiana 3-1.
Tamika Catchings and Katie Douglas both scored 16 for the Fever, and Tammy Sutton-Brown had 14 points to reach double figures for the first time since June 19. Indiana (16-8) had its season-high five-game winning streak snapped.
The Fever remain in first place in the Eastern Conference by percentage points over Atlanta (17-9). Washington is two games behind in third place.
Washington, which trailed by 11 points in the third quarter, got within 60-59 on Sanford’s three-point play to begin the final period. The Fever answered with a 9-2 run to regain control.
Minutes later, Harding scored nine straight points to put the Mystics ahead 73-71 with 2:31 left. Harding had two layups, a 3-pointer and another layup during the spurt.
Catchings’ jumper tied the score at 73 with 1:07 left, but Harding hit two free throws to make it 75-73 with 29 seconds left. After Ebony Hoffman’s missed jumper, Harding made two more free throws to seal the victory.
Catchings and Douglas both scored 10 points in the first half as Indiana led 43-35. The Fever took their biggest lead of the half, 30-19, on Jessica Moore’s jumper early in the second quarter.
The Mystics shot nearly 54 percent from the field in the third quarter, compared to Indiana’s 26 percent.
