Players and coaches have emphasized all season that success for the Minnesota Lynx begins by playing well in their own end.

“We say all the time that defense gets you through your most difficult times,” coach Cheryl Reeve said after the latest example Sunday afternoon.

With quality shots not falling for much of the first three quarters, the Lynx defense shut down Washington late in grinding out a 78-71 road win. Minnesota is 9-1 since the Olympic break and has won 10 of 11 overall.

“Winning ugly is a win regardless of how we get there,” Reeve said. “Maybe it’s a good sign that we don’t just win when it’s pretty, and we can gut one out on the road.”

In sole possession of second place in the league standings, the 26-9 Lynx trail New York by three games with five contests left in the regular season, including a matchup next Sunday in the Big Apple.

“We’re trying to get the best seeding we can, and that’s why it’s frustrating for us when we don’t come out the way we want to,” said Napheesa Collier, who finished 5 of 14 from the field but made all nine free-throw attempts in a 19-point, 12-rebound day.

Despite myriad good looks, the Lynx were shooting just 34.6% through three quarters, yet trailed by only one heading to the final 10 minutes.

“The first half we were completely outplayed by the Mystics the same as the last game against the Fever,” Reeve said, referencing Friday’s 99-88 win, a game in which Indiana had 50 points through two quarters. “For whatever reason we’re kind of waiting around to play to our identity, and that’s a bad habit. … Defending at a high level is necessary.”

“When we really lock in, we’re really hard to play against, and it’s our identity,” added Collier.

Minnesota generated 21 points off 10 Washington turnovers in the second half. The Lynx did not score off six first half Mystics turnovers.

“Once we got that and we got some easier stuff, we got some flow to the game, we kind of got our footing,” Reeve said.

Washington (11-24) averaged 90 points in winning its prior two starts but scored just 32 second-half points on 12-for-35 shooting.

Myisha Hines-Allen was traded from Washington to the Lynx on Aug. 20. She had nine points, five rebounds and three assists. Finishing a team-high plus-13, Hines-Allen was key for a fourth-quarter stretch against her former team.

“She had a crazy plus-minus, so when she’s on the court she’s definitely doing her thing impacting the game. I’m glad she’s on our team,” said Natisha Heideman.

Down by four, Hines-Allen scored on a 3-point play, and Hiedeman did the same 11 seconds after making a steal. Hines-Allen fed Collier for a layup and, after a Washington 3-pointer, Hines-Allen scored on a driving layup for a 61-57 Lynx lead.

“Having Myisha and T do that back to back was huge for us, and I do think it kind of killed their flow and their morale a little bit. I do think that was the turning point for us,” said Collier, who had a 3-point play to break a tie with 2:37 to play.

The Lynx shot 64.3% in the fourth quarter.

A short jumper by Bridget Carleton put the Lynx up five with 1:08 to go, but Brittney Sykes scored on a drive for the Mystics with 55.5 seconds to play.

Still holding that three-point lead, Carelton grabbed a rebound of a Sykes miss with 19.3 seconds left, Kayla McBride made two free throws, and Hines-Allen rebounded a Washington miss before making a pair of late free throws.

Carleton, Hiedeman and McBride each had 10 points, two fewer than Courtney Williams.

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