Holdsclaw leads L.A.

Chamique Holdsclaw hit a 16-foot shot with 14.5 seconds remaining – she also blocked a shot and picked up a loose ball in the final 40 seconds – as the Los Angeles Sparks defeated the host San Antonio Silver Stars 70-67 on Friday night.

The victory put Los Angeles one game ahead of Phoenix for fourth place in the West. The Sparks will advance to the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season if they win at Houston on Saturday or if Phoenix loses at defending champion Seattle on Sunday.

Los Angeles has won five of six games and is 4-1 under Joe Bryant, who replaced Henry Bibby as coach Aug. 16.

Holdsclaw scored 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the floor. Lisa Leslie, who played the final 5:58 with five personal fouls, scored 17 and grabbed 12 rebounds.

San Antonio completed its season at a franchise-worst 7-27. The Silver Stars also matched a franchise record with their ninth straight loss. It’s their second straight season with less than 10 wins and third straight with less than 15.

Reserve La Toya Thomas led the Silver Stars with 14 points, 12 in the first half.

Sun 81, Mystics 47: At Uncasville, Conn., Nykesha Sales scored 20 points and Taj McWilliams-Franklin added 18 points and 10 rebounds as Connecticut blew out Washington to earn home-court advantage throughout the WNBA playoffs. Lindsay Whalen had 17 points and four assists for Connecticut, which rebounded from consecutive losses to New York and Indiana. DeLisha Milton-Jones led the Mystics, who were eliminated from playoff contention, with 11 points.