Aaliyah Edwards scored 21 points off the bench, and the Connecticut Sun stifled a furious fourth-quarter comeback attempt from the Portland Fire to win 90-87 on Tuesday.
Edwards scored 13 of Connecticut’s 32 first-quarter points to help the Sun to a 32-23 lead. The Sun led by as many as 14 at various points of the game.
Advertisement
Portland rallied with a 13-0 run late in the third quarter that carried into the final period, cutting it to 72-71, but the Fire could not fully take control.
Leila Lacan‘s coast-to-coast reverse layup gave Connecticut a 90-83 lead with 1:13 left, but she missed a layup and turned the ball over on the Sun’s next two possessions to give Portland a final window. Sarah Ashlee Barker and Bridget Carleton scored on back-to-back trips down the floor to cut it to 90-87, and after a Connecticut timeout with 7.4 seconds left, Carla Leite drove into the lane and found Carleton open in the corner for a potential game-tying 3-pointer. It missed everything as time expired.
Brittney Griner scored 20 points with six assists for Connecticut (6-18). Olivia Nelson-Ododa had 16, reaching 900 career points, and Lacan scored 14. Edwards’ 11 points in six minutes was the first double-figure scoring within six minutes since 2018. The Sun shot 53% from the field but went 3-of-14 from 3-point range.
Leite led Portland (10-14) with 18 points; Gustafson scored 15, Engstler 14, and Carleton 12. Fire’s Serah Williams, who was drafted by Connecticut and now with Portland, said returning to Uncasville was personal.
Advertisement
“It’s really cool. I think my first experience in this building was watching the Dallas-Connecticut game last summer,” Williams said. “So to be able to come back here again, but as a pro, I think it’s just a blessing.”
Williams, adapting to her first WNBA season following a swift NCAA Tournament turnaround at UConn, has relied on her veteran teammates.
“I have a good vet. I have great people around me who help me whenever the help is needed, and I feel comfortable asking questions, asking for help, getting extra reps, watching film,” Williams said. “I’ve given myself grace in the beginning to just be like, ‘Hey, I’m new here.’ That relieved some pressure.”
Connecticut won its fourth game across its last 10, which has been a significant improvement after only winning two prior.
Portland visits the Washington Mystics on Thursday. Connecticut travels to face the Phoenix Mercury on Friday.
