Portland Fire Fend Off Connecticut Sun for Second Ever Win
No Carla Leite, no problem, as the Portland Fire won 83-82.
Without star Carla Leite for the second straight game, the Portland Fire fought admirably, holding off the Connecticut Sun 83-82.
From the opening tip - a quick Bridget Carleton bounce to Nyadiew Puoch for a basket - the Fire showed spark. In the opening minutes, each team tried a packline zone defense, with veteran wing Emily Engstler shredding Connecticut’s lineup for an open three. As the first quarter closed, man-to-man defenses began to appear, to little effect: playing in her first game, free agent signing Holly Winterburn drove inside to collapse the Connecticut defenders, then kicked out to an unguarded Sarah Ashlee Barker, who struck downtown. With 3 minutes left in the opening period, the score was tied 14-14. Thanks to an impressive cross-court heave from Winterburn to Puoch, and a physical and-1, Portland finished the quarter up 25-24.
A back-and-forth second quarter featured two ugly trends: Portland shot cold - Carleton missed repeated three point efforts, and eventually the Fire field goal percentage slumped to just 38% - while Connecticut consistently outfought the home team for rebounds. Thanks to former WNBA champion and Olympic gold medalist Brittany Griner’s grit near the glass, Connecticut led by four at halftime.
The Sun continued to hold momentum early in the third quarter. With 9:00 left, Griner posted up Luisa Geiselsöder one-on-one, spinning free of the German post for a short-range bucket. A few minutes later, Aaliyah Edwards hauled in a rebound, before quickly delivering a point-blank put-back. With three minutes left in the period, Connecticut led by 6. Soon, the Fire sprang to life. Threes from Carleton and Barker tickled twine, roaring the crowd to its feet. At the third quarter buzzer, the score was tied 64-all.
The fourth quarter was Sug Sutton’s Portland breakout. Without injured star Carla Leite for the second straight game - the French international suffered an ankle injury late in Portland’s comeback win over New York last Tuesday - the WNBA veteran Sutton ran the Fire offense. With 8:19 on the clock, Sutton drove inside for a seven-foot floater from the left low block. Then with 3:42 remaining, she bounced one to Barker inside, who banked in a game-tying shot. A minute later, Sutton and Barker connected again, with the second year Alabama guard receiving a sling across Sutton’s shoulder, then prying free of her defender for a driving layup.
Then the Fire defense delivered. First, Carleton stole the ball from Charlisse Leger-Walker, setting up Engstler in transition. Portland led 76-75 with ninety seconds left. Seconds later, Barker ripped the ball out of Griner’s grasps, then charged up court for a momentous and-1. Falling down and staring up at the nylons, television cameras panned to Barker’s face, which flashed a fiery grin. Behind Barker and the tens of thousands of cheering fans suddenly lifted up by her play, Portland entered the final minute up 78-75.
Still, the Sun rallied. With 31.4 left, former LSU and TCU star Hailey Van Lith sank a game-tying jumper on the arc. That moment of brilliance was soon bested by Sutton, who found her spot six feet from the basket, firing up a lead-snatching floater with 22.6 remaining. After Griner and Saniya Rivers missed opportunities, recovered by Carleton with 9.7 left, the Fire’s first overall expansion draft pick sank a pair of free throws to ice the game. Despite a late Connecticut trey, Portland held on for it’s second regular-season victory.
The 83-82 final score moves Portland to 2-2 on the season, and wraps up the team’s first homestand. On Wednesday, the Fire will begin a three-game road trip, starting with Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever. Game action will tip-off at 4 PM PST.
—
Matt Bagley is a professional sportswriter with a passion for women’s sports. Outside of work, he cherishes quality time with his birth family, his chosen family, and one very pesky house panther.
PortlandSupporter.com features no paywalls or advertisements. Instead, we conclude every article with a brief spotlight on Matt’s favorite local charities.
Triple Threat Mentoring is a program that offers one-on-one and group mentoring primarily to youth of color living in the Portland metro area. They are dedicated to the academic success and lifelong health of Portland’s underserved youth of color, supporting them in becoming well-rounded learners, exceptional athletes, and global citizens. To learn more about donating, browse this link.