Sparks blow 24-point lead against Mystics, lose in overtime

It was Joe Bryant’s first loss since returning as head coach one week ago. And it was the Sparks’ first loss at Staples Center this season.

But the most painful part for the Sparks was that it happened during the greatest second-half comeback in WNBA history.

The Washington Mystics rallied from a 24-point deficit and beat the Sparks in overtime, 89-85, Sunday night. In the locker room after the game, the players hung their heads and sat in silence. When prodded, Tina Thompson said she was disappointed “beyond words.”

Bryant avoided the media for a half-hour. When he finally emerged, he said, “The last thing I want to do is talk to you guys.”

The Sparks led, 47-25, at halftime — then they unraveled.

“We relaxed a little bit and took them a little bit for granted,” Thompson said of the Mystics, who began the game with two wins and are last in the Eastern Conference.

In the third quarter, the Mystics outscored the Sparks, 20-12. In the fourth, they went on a 10-0 run and tied the score, 70-70, with 2 minutes 23 seconds remaining. The teams traded baskets in the final minutes and went to overtime tied, 77-77.

The Mystics opened overtime with a 5-0 run and never allowed the Sparks to take the lead.

“For us to pull it back and win it shows how much heart we have as a team,” said Mystics forward Crystal Langhorne, who had 24 points, 14 rebounds and five assists.

Standing in a dimly lit hallway outside the Sparks’ locker room, Bryant said in a hardly audible voice, “It was a tale of two halves.”

In other words, the Sparks shot 64.7% from the field in the first quarter and 23.5% in the third as they dropped to 6-7 (4-1 at home).

“In the second half, we started playing slow and they were being really aggressive,” said Kristi Toliver, who led the Sparks with 21 points.

The loss came in the Sparks’ first home game since June 21. They had just returned from a seven-game trip on which they were 2-5.

The Sparks play San Antonio on Monday at Staples Center before embarking on four-game trip.

“It definitely hurt, but we have to regroup,” Toliver said.

melissa.rohlin@latimes.com