Mabika helps Sparks get even with Storm

Mwadi Mabika turned a frustrating first half into a crucial victory for the Los Angeles Sparks.

Mabika scored nine of her 17 points in the third quarter and the Sparks rallied from a 15-point deficit for a 78-70 victory over the Seattle Storm on Sunday in Los Angeles, evening their best-of-three first-round Western Conference series.

Mabika also grabbed seven rebounds for the Sparks, who forced a decisive game Tuesday night in Los Angeles. Lisa Leslie also scored 17 points, and Tamara Moore and Christi Thomas added 10 points apiece.

Betty Lennox led the Storm with 19 points. Lauren Jackson added 13 and Iziane Castro Marques had 11.

The Storm committed 17 turnovers that enabled Los Angeles to score 22 points. Both teams shot 41 percent from the field, though the Sparks took 19 more shots. However, Seattle was 21 for 28 on free throws, and Los Angeles was 15 for 23.

Sun 68, Mystics 65: At Uncasville, Conn., Katie Douglas scored 16 points for Connecticut and Washington’s Alana Beard missed a 3-point attempt in the final seconds, allowing Connecticut to hold on for a victory and advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the fourth straight season.

WNBA awards

Mike Thibault was honored as WNBA coach of the year after leading the Connecticut Sun to the Eastern Conference championship and the league’s best record.

A former assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks, Thibault was hired by the Sun before the 2003 season. He has an 88-48 record, the best in the league the past four seasons.

Seimone Augustus of the Minnesota Lynx, who averaged 22 points and was the league’s second-leading scorer, won the rookie of the year award in announcements made before the Sun’s first-round game against Washington.