Dream’s huge comeback comes up short in OT

The strategy was simple. It has to be when you are down 18 in the final quarter.

“Defend,” Dream head coach Marynell Meadors said. “Defend, defend, defend — and run.”

The Dream erased the 18-point fourth-quarter deficit and forced overtime, but then fell a point short in a 99-98 loss to the Chicago Sky in a WNBA game Monday afternoon. Jia Perkins scored six points in the overtime for the Sky and Dominique Canty added four points, including two free throws with 11.8 seconds remaining, to give the Sky a three-point lead in the extra period.

The Dream’s Angel McCoughtry and Jennifer Lacy missed 3-point attempts in the final seconds. Sancho Lyttle put back Lacy’s miss for two points with .4 seconds left for the final margin.

“I think I rushed it a little bit,” said McCoughtry, who finished with a game-high 26 points. “I should have taken my time.”

It was the Dream bench that heeded Meadors’ words and led the furious comeback. The Sky had a 16-point lead entering the fourth quarter and then added the first two points to open the largest lead of the game. Atlanta then went on a 20-4 run, with reserves Lacy (eight points), Tamara Young (seven points) and McCoughtry (seven points) leading the charge. McCoughtry hit two free throws with 15.6 seconds left to tie the game at 87-87 and force the extra period.

“Our defense was horrible,” McCoughtry said of the Dream’s first three quarters.

“We knew we had to play defense,” said reserve guard Shalee Lehning. “We need to defend and to run… . Defense creates offense.”

The Dream’s bench combined for 52 points and was granted the opportunity late in the game due to the ineffective starting five. No Dream starter played more than 25 minutes. Chamique Holdsclaw played just 18:37, sitting out most of the third quarter and playing just the final 15 seconds of the fourth quarter.

“Coaches decision,” Meadors said of her starters. “Their egos might be a little bruised but they’re not hurt.”

McCoughtry, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, had her best game as a professional. She added eight assists, three rebounds and two steals to her point total.

“All that doesn’t matter,” McCoughtry said. “As long as we win, that’s all I care about.”

Lyttle, who entered the game as the Dream leader in points, rebounds and steals, added 18 points. Erika DeSouza (12), Lacy (11) and Holdsclaw (10) rounded out the five Dream players who finished in double digits.

Young suffered a sprain ankle in the final seconds of regulation and had to be helped from the court. She will have X-rays to determine the extent of the damage.

Perkins led the Sky (4-3) with 22 points and Candice Dupree added 20.

The Dream (3-4) missed a chance to match last season’s win total after a 4-30 inaugural campaign.

There was an announced Philips Arena attendance of 10,351 for the Kids Day game with a noon start.