Sparks extend winning streak to five games

Candace Parker scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and the Sparks beat the Atlanta Dream, 91-87, on Sunday for their fifth straight victory.

Parker and Noelle Quinn each scored six points as the Sparks (13-13) used an 18-6 run at the start of the fourth quarter to break open a tie score.

Izzy Castro Marques scored a game-high 26 points for Atlanta, which lost for only the second time in nine games. Angel McCoughtry added 23 points for the Dream (14-12).

Betty Lennox, who led the Dream in scoring last year, had 14 points for the Sparks in her return to Atlanta. DeLisha Milton-Jones added 13 points, while Quinn and Tina Thompson each scored 12 for the Sparks.

The Sparks jumped to a 12-4 lead and were up 30-19 at the end of the first quarter. They made 11 of their first 20 shots, including three from behind the three-point arc.

The Sparks have vaulted to third in the Western Conference standings. The top four teams make the playoffs.