PORTLAND, Ore. (Interstat) — The Las Vegas Aces visit the Portland Fire on Thursday night at Moda Center, with the WNBA’s defending champions looking to bounce back from a loss while the upstart Fire aim to build on a road win. Las Vegas (15-6) enters coming off a 84-68 defeat to Indiana on Sunday, its second loss in three games. Portland (9-12) arrives after a 77-72 victory at Seattle on Saturday, snapping a two-game skid. Guard Jackie Young remains a focal point for the Aces. Over her last 10 games, Young has averaged 17.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.9 assists while playing heavy minutes. She recorded a triple-double threat in a June 11 win over Portland, finishing with 18 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists. Young scored 28 points against Chicago on June 28 and has reached at least 15 points in nine of her last 10 outings. Portland counters with guard Carla Leite, who has emerged as a consistent scoring threat. Leite posted 20 points and four assists in the win over Seattle, and she scored 20 points with 10 assists in a victory against Seattle on June 17. She combined for 28 points in two losses to Chicago last week. In the earlier meeting with Las Vegas on June 11, Leite had 18 points and eight assists. The Aces have struggled defensively of late, allowing 84 points to Indiana and 90 to Chicago in a July 3 overtime win. Las Vegas also suffered a 96-66 loss at Dallas on June 15. The Fire have been inconsistent, with losses by 30 points to Chicago and 33 to Minnesota in June, but showed resilience in a 84-83 win over Dallas and the recent Seattle victory. Las Vegas won the first meeting this season, 105-89 on June 11, with Chelsea Gray adding 10 points and six assists in that matchup. The Aces have won the last three meetings overall. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 102-97 Las Vegas victory. Following Thursday’s game, the Aces host Phoenix on Saturday and Indiana on Sunday. The Fire travel to Atlanta on Saturday before a three-game road trip to Connecticut, Washington and Minnesota. The teams will meet three more times in a home-and-home series starting July 26 in Las Vegas.