Overview
- The Portland Fire defeated the Connecticut Sun 71-61 on Wednesday to notch a third straight win and move to 5-3 on the season.
- Carla Leite led Portland with 20 points and the Fire closed the game with an 18-2 run that decided the outcome in the fourth quarter.
- Connecticut finished a five-game road trip 1-4 and dropped to 1-8 overall as Brittney Griner missed her fourth straight game with a right rib injury.
- The Sun shot just 1-of-21 from three-point range (4.8%) in the loss and were outrebounded heavily, with Aneesah Morrow contributing a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double.
- Portland’s early success rests on forced turnovers, bench scoring from players like Frieda Buhner and Bridget Carleton, and repeated late-game defensive bursts, a profile that could reshape expectations for expansion teams this season.