Bridget Carleton Leads Fire Past Sun 83-82

bridget carleton scored 18 points and the Portland Fire edged the Connecticut Sun 83-82 on Monday evening. Portland got its second win of the season and did it by forcing mistakes, turning Connecticut’s turnovers into 27 points.

Carleton and Barker Match 18

Carleton and Sarah Ashlee Barker each finished with 18 points. Brittney Griner led Connecticut with 16, but Portland’s balance kept the game tight enough to swing late.

The Fire led 25-24 after the first quarter, then scored only 13 points in the second and went into halftime down four. They answered with a 9-0 run late in the third quarter to enter the fourth tied, and Barker then delivered a quick burst: an and-one layup, a steal, and another and-one layup in just over a minute.

Portland Pressure Forced 18 Turnovers

Portland had five players score 10 or more points, and that depth showed in the numbers that followed. Emily Engstler scored 15 points on seven shots, Sug Sutton added 12 points and five assists, and Puoch reached 10.

The Fire also finished with 23 assists on 28 made shots, which matched the way they kept the ball moving against a Connecticut team that committed 18 turnovers. Those giveaways fed Portland’s transition game and offset a rough night at the line and in the half-court, where the Fire committed 23 fouls of their own.

Indiana Fever Loom Next

Sutton capped the late push with a floater that extended Portland’s lead near the end. The Fire were without Carla Leite for a second straight game, but they still found enough scoring and pressure to protect a one-point home win that left them with two victories on the season.

That gives Portland a clearer identity entering Wednesday, May 20 at 4:00 p.m. PST against the Indiana Fever: the points can come from several places, but the win came from forcing Connecticut to play with the ball in traffic and then punishing every mistake.