The guard hit two free throws with 14.7 seconds remaining that gave the Sparks a three-point lead. But the Mystics (0-4) scored quickly on the other end with a layup by Ariel Atkins. Sparks guard Kia Nurse made just one of two free throws with 7.6 seconds left, leaving the door ajar for the Mystics.

Cameron Brink slammed it shut. The No. 2 overall pick locked up Sharika Austin on Washington’s final possession, not even allowing the Washington forward to get a shot off at the buzzer.

The crowd, waving green rally towels for the team’s mental health awareness game, rattled the Pyramid. After two games in Long Beach, the Sparks will return to their downtown home at Crypto.com Arena on Friday to host the Indiana Fever in rookie Caitlin Clark’s L.A. debut.

Brink finished with four points and eight rebounds, while fellow rookie Rickea Jackson played a season-best 31 minutes with nine points and three rebounds.

Dearica Hamby scored 14 of her 17 points in the third quarter to help the Sparks rally from a 36-32 halftime deficit. Despite missing five of her six shots, the forward pulled down 12 rebounds in the first half, surpassing her league-leading average per game of 11.5 boards.

The two-time WNBA sixth player of the year averaged 24.5 points in the first two games of the year. Eyeing her third All-Star selection in four years, Hamby was living up to her preseason goal of being the team’s best player.

She proved her status again in the third quarter.

The nine-year WNBA veteran scored eight points in a 14-5 Sparks run that began midway through the third quarter and wiped away a nine-point Washington lead. Hamby started the streak with back-to-back layups. When she missed a free throw, she grabbed the offensive rebound to score on a layup. Then she dished an assist to Nurse on the game-tying three-pointer with 2:22 remaining in the third quarter.

Nurse hit three key three-pointers in the second half to finish with 12 points. Hamby finished with 18 rebounds, one shy of her career-best.