Late rally fails in Washington

The Dream scrambled back from an 18-point deficit to take the lead in the final minute, but the host Washington Mystics scored the game’s final seven points from the foul line to secure a 78-72 win Sunday afternoon in the Verizon Center.

Tiffany Hayes scored a game-high 24 points for the Dream while Bria Holmes added 13. Elena Delle Donne had 23 points and a careerhigh 15 rebounds for the Mystics.

Following a Washington turnover at midcourt after a timeout in the late going, Atlanta took its only lead at 72-71 on Layshia Clarendon’s feed to Sancho Lyttle with 43.7 seconds left. Delle Donne answered with a ball fake on Lyttle that led to a foul and three free throws with 34.5 seconds to go.

Delle Donne then grabbed a defensive rebound and added two more free throws to make it 76-71 with 11.9 to play. Shatori Walker-Kimbrough closed it out from the line with 4.1 left.

“I didn’t like our effort at the beginning. We came out and gave up some quick 3’s and gave up the lead,” Dream coach Michael Cooper said. “But for us to fight back — because last year this would have been a different story — but I loved the fact that we were able to fight back and stay in the game.”

The Dream (4-2) had won two straight. The team next plays at New York on Thursday.

Washington (5-2) won its fourth straight to take the Eastern Conference lead.

The Mystics shot 57 percent, to take a 41-32 lead at the half.

The Dream made just 1 of 15 3-point attempts (6.7 percent) while Washington went 6-for-20.