PORTLAND (Interstat) — The Portland Fire defeated the Connecticut Sun 71-61 on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at Moda Center in front of 11,945 fans, holding the Sun to their lowest scoring output of the season and avenging a one-point loss in the same building nine days earlier.

Portland improved to 5-3 while Connecticut dropped to 1-8, continuing a season-long struggle to find consistent offense. The Sun shot just 1 of 21 from three-point range and committed 17 turnovers, factors that proved insurmountable against a Fire team that executed down the stretch.

The game began with both teams feeling each other out. Connecticut’s Aneesah Morrow scored the first basket on a 3-foot layup assisted by Saniya Rivers. Portland answered quickly when Carla Leite hit a 25-foot three-pointer off a Bridget Carleton assist to tie the score. The first quarter featured frequent lineup changes and defensive intensity. Portland took a 17-16 lead after one period, with Carleton contributing two midrange jumpers and Leite scoring five early points.

Connecticut struggled badly in the second quarter, managing only 11 points. Portland’s defense forced multiple turnovers and the Fire extended their lead with a balanced attack. Megan Gustafson knocked down a three-pointer from the top of the key, Carleton added a triple of her own, and Leite scored four points from the free throw line. The Sun had trouble generating any perimeter threat, missing all seven of their three-point attempts in the half. Portland led 37-27 at the break.

The Sun came out with renewed energy in the third quarter. Morrow hit a three-pointer early, her only triple of the game, and Diamond Miller scored eight points in the period on aggressive drives. Charlisse Leger-Walker added a midrange jumper and two free throws. Connecticut outscored Portland 23-13 in the quarter, tying the game at 50-50 going into the fourth. The key stretch came when Miller stole a pass and scored a fast-break layup, forcing a Portland timeout with 6:15 left in the third. The Sun continued to pressure the Fire into turnovers, and Olivia Nelson-Ododa contributed a tip-in and a steal that led to a Morrow layup.

The fourth quarter, however, belonged to Portland. Connecticut opened the period with a Gianna Kneepkens jumper to take a 52-50 lead, its first advantage since the opening minutes. But the Fire responded with a 6-0 run keyed by Teja Oblak’s driving layup and a Frieda Buhner fast-break layup off a steal. The Sun tied the game again at 54-54 on a Hailey Van Lith driving floater with 8:04 remaining, but Portland answered with another burst.

Buhner scored inside, Oblak hit a short jumper, and Buhner converted a layup in transition to push the Fire ahead 62-56. Connecticut called a timeout with 4:23 left but could not regain its rhythm. Carleton scored on a 7-foot jumper to make it 64-56. Saniya Rivers answered with a pullup jumper for the Sun, but Portland’s defense stiffened. Leite, who had been quiet since the first half, drilled a 23-foot three-pointer with 1:54 remaining to give the Fire a 67-58 lead.

The Sun attempted to foul and extend the game. Leite made two free throws with 1:08 left, and after a Connecticut timeout, Diamond Miller split a pair from the line. Leite was fouled again with 59.9 seconds remaining, and Leger-Walker made all three free throws for Connecticut to trim the lead to 69-61. But Leite calmly sank two more free throws with 54 seconds left, and the Sun missed three three-point attempts in the final minute. Gustafson made one of two free throws with 33.8 seconds left to close the scoring.

Leite finished with a game-high 20 points, including a perfect 10 of 10 from the free throw line, and added three assists. Carleton contributed 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Gustafson had 10 points and four rebounds off the bench. Sarah Ashlee Barker pulled down 11 rebounds to go with four points and a blocked shot, while Buhner scored nine points in just 13 minutes, including the critical three-pointer and two layups in the fourth quarter.

For Connecticut, Morrow recorded a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds to go with two blocks and one assist, but she shot only 6 of 17 from the field and missed all five of her three-point attempts. Leger-Walker scored 11 points with three assists and two rebounds. Van Lith chipped in seven points off the bench. Nelson-Ododa had four points, four rebounds and four assists. The Sun’s only three-point make came from Morrow in the third quarter; the rest of the team shot 0 for 16 from beyond the arc.

The game’s most important segment occurred in the fourth quarter after Connecticut had erased a 10-point halftime deficit. With the score tied at 52-52, Portland’s defense forced three turnovers in a span of four minutes, and the Fire converted each into points. Buhner’s two layups, one coming after a steal by Barker, gave Portland a 56-52 lead it never relinquished. Connecticut never led again after that point, and Portland’s ability to execute in the half-court and make free throws down the stretch sealed the victory.

Turnovers played a decisive role. Connecticut committed 17 turnovers to Portland’s 19, but the Fire’s steals — 11 total, led by four from Barker — led to easy transition opportunities. The Sun’s offensive rating was 80.8 points per 100 possessions, well below their season average, while Portland posted a 92.9 rating. Connecticut shot 24 of 62 from the field overall and 12 of 22 from the free throw line. Portland shot 24 of 52 from the floor and 16 of 24 from the stripe.

The Fire also dominated on the glass, particularly on the offensive end, pulling down 14 offensive rebounds to Connecticut’s six. That disparity led to second-chance points that kept Portland afloat during a sluggish third quarter. The Sun, meanwhile, struggled to contain Portland’s pick-and-roll game, especially when Gustafson and Leite shared the floor.

The game marked the second meeting between the teams in 10 days. On May 18, Connecticut fell 83-82 in Portland on a last-second basket. The Sun have now lost eight of their first nine games, with their only win coming May 20 at Seattle. Portland improved to 3-2 at home. The Fire next host Atlanta on May 29, while Connecticut travels to Los Angeles on May 30.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Connecticut 104, Portland 102, but the actual total of 132 points fell well short of that forecast. Portland was installed as a 4.5-point favorite, and the combined score of 61 points went over the over-under line of 169.5. Interstat’s ELO system had given Portland an 83.50 percent probability to win.