Aaliyah Edwards scored 21 points off the bench, Brittney Griner added 20, and the Connecticut Sun beat the Portland Fire 90-87 on Tuesday.
Leila Lacan went coast-to-coast for a reverse layup to give Connecticut a 90-83 lead with 1:13 left. But Lacan missed a layup on the Sun’s next possession and then turned it over with 20 seconds left to give Porland another chance.
FILE — Portland Fire guard Carla Leite (0) dribbles the ball as Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young (0) puts her arms up to block at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore., on July 9, 2026. The Portland Fire played the Las Vegas Aces, loosing 88-80.
Saj Sundaram / OPB
Portland called a timeout with 7.4 seconds left, trailing by three. Carla Leite drove into the lane and found Bridget Carleton in the corner for a 3-point attempt, but it did not hit the rim as time expired.
Olivia Nelson-Ododa had 16 points and Lacan added 14 for Connecticut (6-18). The Sun shot 53% from the field despite going 3 of 14 from 3-point range.
Leite led Portland (10-14) with 18 points. Gustafson added 15, Emily Engstler had 14 and Bridget Carleton 12.
Portland scored the opening eight points of the fourth quarter to cap a 13-0 run spanning the third-quarter break and get within 72-71. But Portland was unable to take the lead after that.
Up next
Fire: At Washington on Thursday.
Sun: At Phoenix on Friday.
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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
