WASHINGTON — The sixth-seeded Los Angeles Sparks are ailing and traveling. The third-seeded Washington Mystics are rested and ready.

They’ll meet in a Round 2, win-or-go-home matchup on Thursday night at George Washington University’s Charles E. Smith Center, the Mystics’ current home with renovations underway at Capital One Arena.

The winner advances to the semifinals to meet either No. 1 Seattle or No. 2 Atlanta.

After two trips to the finals and one championship the past two seasons, Los Angeles struggled during the regular season, finishing 19-15. But despite Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike battling ailments and injuries, the Sparks overcame the defending champion Minnesota Lynx 75-68 in the first round of the playoffs on Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

“Every day is digging,” Ogwumike told the Los Angeles Times. “We all know each other. We all push each other. We did that tonight.”

Parker scored just two points, but Chelsea Gray poured in 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field. Riquna Williams added 17 points and Ogwumike — back in the lineup after battling mononucleosis — contributed 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting to help the Sparks earn a cross-country trip and a quick turnaround.

“We know it’s going to take a lot of work,” Alana Beard told the Times. “It’s going to be a fight, it’s not going to be easy, we completely understand that.”

Awaiting them is a red-hot Mystics team that finished 22-12. They won eight of their last nine games during an unsuccessful pursuit of Atlanta and the No 2 seed, with their only August loss coming on the final day of the regular season Sunday.

Elena Delle Donne shot 53.5 percent from the field in August and 44 percent from the 3-point line to capture Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors. Delle Donne led all Eastern Conference Players in scoring with 20.0 points per game while also averaging 6.3 rebounds.

“I feel like we’ve been waiting around a little bit,” Delle Donne told the team’s website. “But we’ve been able to get some rest and prepare. They have a tough travel schedule, so we need to be ready to push the pace right away from start to finish.”

Kristi Toliver averages 13.9 points and Ariel Atkins 11.3 for the Mystics.

Washington took the season series 2-1.

The first two games were won by the visitors. Parker scored 23 points to lead five players in double figures in the Sparks’ 97-86 win on June 15 in Washington.

On July 7 in Los Angeles, Mystics head coach Mike Thibault became the first WNBA coach to reach 300 regular-season wins in Washington’s 83-74 win. Toliver led the way with 18 points and LaToya Sanders added 14 points and eight rebounds.

The tightest game between the teams was last week in Washington. The Mystics prevailed 69-67 when Natasha Cloud nailed a fade-away jumper just before the buzzer.

Washington is 12-5 at Capitol One Arena, but this will be their first game at the Smith Center, while L.A. is 8-9 on the road.

“They have that championship experience,” Thibault told the team’s website regarding the Sparks. “For us it comes down to little things, making sure you win the hustle plays, making little adjustments. It’s probably going to come down to a couple of possessions.”