The Connecticut Sun barely escaped Mohegan Sun Arena with a victory on Tuesday afternoon. In a gritty, down-to-the-wire matchup against the WNBA’s newest expansion franchise, the Sun held off the Portland Fire for a 90-87 win, fueled by a punishing inside presence and clutch defensive stops.
It wasn’t pretty. But for a Connecticut team battling through a bruising 6-18 season, a win is a win.
They did it with sheer size and bench production, overcoming an explosive second-half surge from the Fire (10-14), led by their young French floor general, Carla Leite.
Aaliyah Edwards and Brittney Griner Power the Sun
When your perimeter game isn’t clicking, you feed the post. The Sun went just 3-of-14 from beyond the arc on Tuesday. To compensate, they leaned entirely on the interior dominance of Brittney Griner and the explosive bench energy of Aaliyah Edwards.
Edwards, the Canadian standout, poured in a team-high 21 points off the pine. Her efficiency matched Griner’s sheer physical presence. Griner added 20 points of her own, continuously punishing Portland’s frontcourt in the paint.
Together, the duo anchored a Connecticut offense that shot an exceptional 53% from the field overall, masking their dismal deep-ball execution.
Inside the Box Score: Connecticut’s Paint Dominance
The offensive load didn’t rest entirely on Edwards and Griner. Forward Olivia Nelson-Ododa chipped in 16 crucial points, while Leila Lacan added 14.
Lacan’s impact, however, was a double-edged sword late in the game. With 1:13 left on the clock, she went coast-to-coast for an acrobatic reverse layup, pushing the Sun’s lead to a seemingly safe 90-83. But the momentum shifted instantly. Moments later, Lacan missed a contested layup and committed a critical turnover with just 20 seconds remaining, breathing life back into a resilient Portland squad.
Carla Leite and the Portland Fire’s Late Rally
Down by seven in the final minute, Portland refused to fold. This resilience reflects exactly what Fire General Manager Vanja Cernivec envisioned when building the expansion roster, specifically seeking players who “embody effort, selflessness, and a commitment to team success”.
Nobody embodied that effort more than the 21-year-old Leite.
Selected No. 3 overall in the 2026 Expansion Draft, the French guard carved up Connecticut’s defense to lead the Fire with 18 points. She wasn’t alone. Megan Gustafson added 15 points, Emily Engstler fought for 14, and veteran Bridget Carleton contributed 12.
The Fire had already proven they could claw their way back into the game. Spanning the third-quarter break, Portland mounted a devastating 13-0 run. They scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter, slicing Connecticut’s lead to a razor-thin 72-71 before the Sun’s veterans stabilized the floor.
The Final Seconds: A Thrilling Finish in Uncasville
Trailing by three points with exactly 7.4 seconds left, Portland called a timeout to draw up a final play.
The ball, naturally, went into Leite’s hands. Operating at the top of the key, she drove hard into the lane, collapsing the Connecticut defense. With elite court vision, Leite kicked the ball out to a wide-open Bridget Carleton waiting in the corner. Carleton elevated for the game-tying three-pointer as the final buzzer sounded.
The shot completely missed the rim.
Connecticut survived. Portland heads to Washington on Thursday searching for redemption, while the Sun travel to Phoenix on Friday, hoping to build a rare winning streak out of this Tuesday afternoon dogfight.
Sources Quoted:
Data, game sequence statistics, and play-by-play analysis sourced from the Associated Press (The Washington Post) and Canadian Press (Sportsnet). Roster building context and executive quotes provided by Just Women’s Sports regarding Fire GM Vanja Cernivec.
Leo Falsafi is a digital marketing veteran and senior journalist at Virlan.co, where he covers the intersection of digital marketing, gaming, and breaking US trending news. With nearly two decades of hands-on experience in SEO and digital strategy, Leo has consulted for and scaled hundreds of companies. His deep industry roots allow him to deliver sharp, fact-checked insights and analysis on the trends shaping today’s digital landscape.
