Lawson scores 20 points, Washington beats Minnesota 79-61

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Kara Lawson scored 20 points and the Washington Mystics beat the Minnesota Lynx 79-61 on Wednesday night. The Mystics (15-9) have won

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Kara Lawson scored 20 points and the Washington Mystics beat the Minnesota Lynx 79-61 on Wednesday night.

The Mystics (15-9) have won consecutive game against the Lynx (18-8), and are tied with Indiana for second place in the Eastern Conference - two games behind New York. Minnesota holds a 2 1/2 game-lead over Phoenix atop the Western Conference.

Ivory Latta added 16 points, and Tayler Hill had 10 for Washington.

Minnesota's Maya Moore was held to two points in the first half. She finished with 10 points and is 14 points shy of the 3,000-point mark for her career. Sylvia Fowles scored 13 points, and Rebekkah Brunson had 12 points and 11 rebounds to lead Minnesota.

The Lynx used a 13-6 run to pull to 36-34 at halftime. Latta scored nine points in the third quarter, and her 3-pointer stretched the Mystics' lead to 70-52 with 7:24 remaining.