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Natasha Cloud hits winner at buzzer, Mystics top Sparks 69-67

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Natasha Cloud made a fade-away jumper just before the buzzer to give the Washington Mystics a 69-67 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday night for their eighth straight victory.

Washington (22-11) is in a second-place tie with Atlanta, which lost to the Phoenix Mercury 104-95. The Dream play at Las Vegas on Sunday, and the Mystics face Minnesota. The top-two seeds receive a double-bye.

Cloud took an inbounds pass with 3.8 seconds left, dribbled to the free-throw line, went behind her back and sank the winner. She was 1 of 10 from the floor before her first winner.

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Elena Delle Donne led Washington with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Kristi Toliver added 12 points, and Aerial Powers had 10 points and 10 rebounds. The Mystics had already clinched a top-four seed.

Powers made a wide-open 3-pointer to tie it at 67 with 3:21 to go and neither team would score again Cloud’s heroics.

Riquna Williams scored 14 points for Los Angeles (19-14), which will play a first-round game next week. Candace Parker had 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Los Angeles opened the game by scoring 13 of the first 15 points.

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