PORTLAND, Ore. (Interstat) — Bridget Carleton scored 18 points and grabbed five rebounds to lead the Portland Fire to an 83-82 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Monday night at Moda Center before 12,010 fans. Carleton, a forward from Chatham, Ontario, added three assists and a block in 33 minutes. Sarah Ashlee Barker also scored 18 points, and Emily Engstler contributed 15 points and three rebounds. Sug Sutton had 12 points and five assists, while Nyadiew Puoch added 10 points. Connecticut fell to 0-5 despite strong efforts from Aneesah Morrow, who posted 12 points and 12 rebounds, and Brittney Griner, who had 16 points, five rebounds and two blocks. Aaliyah Edwards scored 12 points, and Hailey Van Lith added 12 points and three assists. Portland improved to 2-2. The Fire outscored Connecticut 26-22 in the third quarter and 19-18 in the fourth. Connecticut led 42-38 at halftime behind 24 first-quarter points. The Sun shot 50.8 percent from the field and made 7 of 20 three-pointers. Portland shot 45.2 percent and hit 7 of 22 from beyond the arc. The Fire made 20 of 26 free throws, while Connecticut made 11 of 20. Portland committed 15 turnovers to Connecticut’s 17.

PORTLAND, Ore. (Interstat) — The winless Connecticut Sun visit the Portland Fire on Monday night at Moda Center, seeking their first victory of the WNBA season against a Portland team that has split its last two games. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. PDT. Connecticut (0-4) is off to its worst start in franchise history, having dropped all four games this season. The Sun have struggled defensively, surrendering an average of 98.5 points per game. Their most recent loss came Friday, 101-94, at home to the Las Vegas Aces, a game in which they led late before collapsing. Portland (1-2) opened its season with two losses before capturing a thrilling 98-96 home win over New York on May 12. However, the Fire faltered in their most recent outing, falling 100-82 to the Liberty on Thursday. A computer simulation by Interstat projects a high-scoring affair, with Connecticut winning 113-103. Players to watch: Connecticut guard Saniya Rivers has been the Sun’s most consistent performer. In Friday’s loss, she logged 29 minutes and posted 14 points, four rebounds and seven assists. Over her last four games, the second-year guard is averaging 7.3 points and 5.0 assists. Portland forward Nyadiew Puoch is coming off a 13-point, two-rebound, two-assist effort against New York on Thursday. She played 31 minutes in that contest, her heaviest workload of the season. Recent trends: Connecticut has lost by double digits in three of its four defeats. In their lone loss to Seattle, the Sun fell by seven. The offense has been inconsistent, with Hailey Van Lith (17 points vs. Las Vegas) and Aneesah Morrow (10 points, nine rebounds) providing bright spots. Portland has been competitive in two of its three games. The victory over New York was decided in the final seconds. Center Megan Gustafson scored 14 points on 6-for-8 shooting in Thursday’s loss. The teams will meet again Monday, May 26 and Wednesday, May 27 in Portland.