The Fire Alarm Works: Portland Snuffs Out the Sun in an Absolute Heart-Attack Finisher
The Fire Alarm Works: Portland Snuffs Out the Sun in an Absolute Heart-Attack Finisher
If you like your professional basketball orderly, predictable, and devoid of sudden spikes in blood pressure, I hope you turned the TV off before the fourth quarter in Portland on Monday night. Because the Portland Fire just escaped with an 83-82 win over the Connecticut Sun in a game that featured more late-game drama than a reality TV season finale.
With the victory, the Fire split their season-opening homestand at 2-2, while sending the Sun into a dark 0-5 existential crisis.
The Sug Rush
Let’s skip straight to the chaotic final 22 seconds, because that’s where the sanity of everyone in the arena went to die.
With Portland trailing, Sug Sutton decided she was done passing. She drove directly into the teeth of the defense and floated in a bucket with 22.6 seconds left to give Portland an 81-79 lead. Connecticut had not one, but two chances to tie or win on the ensuing possession, but apparently forgot how to put the ball in the hoop.
Bridget Carleton—who was spectacular all night with 18 points and three steals—secured the rebound, got fouled, and calmly sank two free throws with 9.7 seconds left. Cool, calm, collected. Four-point lead. Game over, right?
Wrong.
Connecticut rookie Charlisse Leger-Walker hit a desperation three with 1.9 seconds left to cut the lead to one. Then, because the basketball gods demand comedy, Portland immediately committed an offensive foul on the inbound, giving the Sun another chance. Thankfully for the hometown crowd's cardiac health, Aneesah Morrow’s halfcourt heave at the buzzer was short. Cue the confetti and the collective exhales.
The Box Score Breakdown
The Twin Pillars: Sarah Ashlee Barker and Bridget Carleton carried the heavy offensive lifting, dropping 18 points apiece.
The Support: Emily Engstler provided 15 points of pure hustle, while Sutton finished with 12 (including the shot that actually mattered).
The History Lesson: This was the first-ever meeting between these two franchises. Back when the Fire existed from 2000-2002, the Sun were still the Orlando Miracle. The Miracle moved to Connecticut the same year the Fire folded. Look at them now, throwing hands in 2026.
Sun-Burned
For Connecticut, this one is going to sting on the flight to Seattle. Brittney Griner did everything she could, netting 16 points—leaving her agonizingly one point short of 6,000 for her career.
The Sun actually shot a blistering 58% from the field and choked Portland out in the second quarter, holding the Fire to a measly 13 points to take a 42-38 halftime lead. But you can't win in this league when you go 11-of-20 from the free-throw line. Leaving nine points at the charity stripe in a one-point loss is a recipe for an angry film session.
Next Up on the Burn Ward
Both teams are packing their bags for Wednesday road trips:
Portland hits the highway to face Indiana, hoping to pack their fourth-quarter magic with them.
Connecticut heads northwest to Seattle, desperately searching for their first win of the season and that elusive 6,000th point for Griner.
