The expansion Portland Fire look to continue their surprisingly good start when they host the struggling Connecticut Sun on Wednesday night.
The Fire (4-3) have won their last two games, including an impressive 81-74 road win over the New York Liberty on Monday night. Portland used a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter to turn the contest in their favor and outscored the Liberty 32-17 in the final quarter.
Portland coach Alex Sarama said low expectations for the team from outsiders have motivated his players.
“We have a chip on our shoulders about proving everyone wrong,” Sarama said after Monday’s victory. “We feel in that locker room that we have something special going on in Portland.”
The Fire forced 19 turnovers with Emily Engstler leading the defensive charge with four steals and four blocked shots.
Carle Leite scored a team-high 18 points Megan Gustafson added 11 off the bench for Portland.
“I want to keep relentlessly getting better every day,” Sarama said.
The Fire and Sun (1-7) are playing for the second time this season. Portland edged Connecticut 83-82 on May 18 when Sarah Ashlee Barker and Bridget Carleton each scored 18 points.
That contest was the first of a five-game road trip for the Sun. They are 1-3 heading into the finale of the excursion.
Connecticut split two games against the Seattle Storm before being whipped 97-70 by the Golden State Valkyries on Monday night.
Aneesah Morrow had 11 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for the Sun, who never led and trailed by as many as 34 points.
The starting lineup has been a revolving door so far this season as coach Rachid Meziane looks to find some flow to his club.
“I need more time to establish my starting five, and I need to see more from my players, to see who I can rely on more,” Meziane told reporters.
The 27-point loss to Golden State was the third-worst of the young season. Connecticut also has lost by 31 points to the Liberty and 29 to the Las Vegas Aces.
Veteran Sun center Brittney Griner (rib), who is one point shy of 6,000 career points, will miss her fourth straight game.
–Field Level Media
