UNCASVILLE, Conn. (Interstat) — Aaliyah Edwards scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Connecticut Sun to a 90-87 victory over the Portland Fire on Tuesday afternoon at Mohegan Sun Arena before 8,917 fans. Brittney Griner added 20 points, six assists and two blocks for Connecticut, which improved to 6-18. Olivia Nelson-Ododa contributed 16 points and six rebounds. Portland, which fell to 10-14, was led by Carla Leite’s 18 points and six assists. Emily Engstler had 14 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Megan Gustafson scored 15 points and Bridget Carleton added 12. Connecticut built a 32-23 first-quarter lead behind Edwards’ early scoring, then pushed the advantage to 50-40 at halftime. The Sun led 72-63 entering the fourth quarter. Portland cut the deficit to 84-83 on Engstler’s basket with 2:27 remaining, but Edwards answered with a jumper and two free throws to seal it. Leila Lacan scored 14 points for the Sun, and Diamond Miller had eight points and five assists.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (Interstat) — Aaliyah Edwards scored 21 points off the bench, Brittney Griner added 20 and the Connecticut Sun held off a furious Portland Fire rally to win 90-87 on Tuesday afternoon at Mohegan Sun Arena. Edwards, a 6-3 forward from Kingston, Ontario, played 24 minutes and also grabbed eight rebounds and dished three assists. Griner, the veteran center, contributed four rebounds, six assists and two blocks in 24 minutes as Connecticut snapped a four-game losing streak and improved to 6-18. Portland, which entered as a slight favorite, fell to 10-14 with the loss. The Fire had won two of their previous three games, including a 102-92 victory at Atlanta on July 11. The game featured 15 turnovers for each side and 11 steals apiece, but Connecticut’s superior rebounding — particularly on the offensive glass — proved decisive. The Sun collected 11 offensive rebounds to Portland’s four, leading to a 113.2 offensive rating against the Fire’s 107.4 mark across 80 and 81 possessions, respectively. Connecticut seized control early behind a 32-point first quarter, shooting 12 of 18 from the floor while Portland managed 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting. The Sun stretched their lead to 18 points in the second quarter and took a 50-40 advantage into halftime. Portland struggled from beyond the arc in the first half, going 5 of 14, while Connecticut hit 2 of 8. The Fire clawed back in the third quarter, outscoring Connecticut 23-22, but still trailed 72-63 entering the final period. Portland’s offense found its rhythm behind guard Carla Leite, who scored 18 points and added six assists in 33 minutes. Leite, a 5-9 guard from Poissy, France, shot 5 of 11 from the field and 8 of 8 from the free-throw line. Portland opened the fourth quarter with a 9-2 run, cutting the deficit to 72-71 on a Megan Gustafson layup with 7:52 left. Gustafson, the 6-4 center from Port Wing, Wisconsin, finished with 15 points and five rebounds in 31 minutes. She hit two 3-pointers, including a step-back with 3:43 remaining that pulled Portland within 82-79. But Connecticut answered each time. Leila Lacan, a 5-11 guard, scored 14 points and added three assists and a block. Her coast-to-coast reverse layup with 1:13 left gave the Sun a 90-83 lead, their largest advantage of the quarter. Portland refused to fold. Sarah Ashlee Barker drove for a layup with 1:05 remaining to make it 90-85. After Lacan missed a layup on Connecticut’s next possession, Bridget Carleton scored on a turnaround jumper with 40.9 seconds left to trim the deficit to 90-87. Carleton, a 6-2 forward from Chatham, Ontario, finished with 12 points, three rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes. The Fire then forced a critical stop. With 20.8 seconds left, Carleton blocked Lacan’s driving layup, and Emily Engstler secured the rebound. Engstler, who had 14 points, five rebounds, seven assists and a block in 29 minutes, pushed the ball up the floor. Portland called timeout with 7.4 seconds remaining, trailing by three. Out of the timeout, Leite drove into the lane and found Carleton in the corner for a potential game-tying 3-pointer. The shot, however, did not hit the rim as time expired, sealing Connecticut’s victory. The Sun shot 35 of 66 overall, 53 percent, and made only 3 of 14 from 3-point range, but they compensated by converting 17 of 20 free throws. Portland shot 29 of 60, 48.3 percent, and hit 9 of 26 from deep while making 20 of 21 foul shots. Olivia Nelson-Ododa added 16 points and six rebounds for Connecticut, while Leila Lacan scored 14 and Diamond Miller had eight points, one rebound and five assists. Charlisse Leger-Walker contributed four assists off the bench. For Portland, Emily Engstler, a 6-1 forward from New York City, recorded 14 points, five rebounds, seven assists and a block. Megan Gustafson scored 15, Bridget Carleton added 12 and Sarah Ashlee Barker finished with nine points, five rebounds and two assists. The game was the third meeting between the teams this season. Portland won both previous matchups, 83-82 on May 18 and 71-61 on May 27, both at Portland. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Portland 99, Connecticut 95, and its ELO system gave Portland a 53.9 percent probability to win. Portland was installed as a 1.5-point favorite, and the total of 177 points went under the over-under line of 167.5.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (Interstat) — The Portland Fire visit the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday at Mohegan Sun Arena in a matchup of WNBA teams heading in opposite directions. Portland (10-13) arrives after a 102-92 victory at Atlanta on Saturday, snapping a two-game losing streak. Connecticut (5-18) has lost five of its last six, most recently falling 79-64 to Golden State on Friday. The Fire have won both previous meetings this season, prevailing 83-82 at home on May 18 and 71-61 on May 27. Forward Emily Engstler has been a consistent contributor for Portland. In Saturday’s win, she logged 25 minutes and posted 14 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and one block. Over her last seven games, Engstler has averaged 12.7 points and 6.1 rebounds while shooting efficiently. She recorded a double-double against Atlanta and has scored in double figures in four of her last five outings. Center Olivia Nelson-Ododa leads Connecticut. She had 12 points, eight rebounds, four assists and one block in 25 minutes against Golden State. Over her last eight games, Nelson-Ododa has averaged 11.0 points and 7.6 rebounds, including a 15-rebound performance against Chicago on June 22. She has four double-doubles this season. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 99-95 Portland victory. Portland has won three of its last five games. Connecticut has dropped four straight. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. EDT.