Carla Leite Powers Sun Vs Portland Fire With 18-Point Start

sun vs portland fire opens Monday night with Connecticut still chasing its first win and Portland trying to keep its early surge going. Carla Leite has scored at least 18 points in both of her first two appearances for the Fire, giving Portland the guard play that has already helped shape its debut season.

Carla Leite Sets Portland's Tempo

Leite is expected back in the lineup after recovering from an ankle injury, and her return matters because Portland already leans on her shot creation. She leads the Fire with 19.5 points per game, while Bridget Carleton is right behind at 16.7.

That scoring gives Portland a real edge in a matchup that has been friendly to offense. The Fire have a 106.5 offensive rating and have already pulled off an upset win over the New York Liberty in their debut season.

Connecticut's Fast Pace, Weak Stops

Connecticut enters at the fastest pace in the WNBA, but the Sun have not turned that speed into enough stops. They are allowing a league-high 98.5 points per game and rank 13th in defensive rating.

Portland is not much better on that end. The Fire are giving up 98.0 points per game and sit 14th in defensive rating, which is why the Over has gone 6-1 in games played by Connecticut and Portland this season.

Monday Night's Betting Read

That defensive profile puts the spotlight on the first-basket market as well as the total. T. Oblak is out for Portland, and L. Lacan is out for Connecticut, leaving both teams short in spots that matter when the pace is already high.

For the Sun, the task is immediate: end the season-opening skid while handling a Portland group that has already shown it can score enough to beat a more established opponent. For Portland, Leite's return after the ankle injury gives the Fire another route to keep the game moving toward points rather than half-court stops.