Sug Sutton’s go-ahead floater with 22.6 seconds left lifted the Portland Fire to an 83-82 win over the Connecticut Sun on Monday night, handing Connecticut a tough end after late 3s and final-buzzer misses.
PORTLAND, Ore. — The ball found Sug Sutton in traffic, and with 22.6 seconds left she drove into the lane and spun in a floater that flipped the scoreboard for good.
The Portland Fire had just taken an 81-79 lead after Sutton’s shot. and Connecticut couldn’t turn that moment into the win it needed.. On the next possession, the Sun had two chances, but Bridget Carleton came up with the rebound and was fouled.. Carleton calmly knocked down two free throws with 9.7 seconds left to put Portland up four.
Connecticut rookie Charlisse Leger-Walker then answered with a 3-pointer at 1.9 seconds, and Portland was called for an offensive foul right after—giving the Sun one last look. Aneesah Morrow’s halfcourt heave at the buzzer fell short, and the Fire held on for an 83-82 victory.
Sutton finished with 12 points for Portland, while Sarah Ashlee Barker and Carleton each scored 18.. Emily Engstler added 15, and Nyadiew Puoch scored 10.. For Connecticut, Brittney Griner led with 16 points, one shy of reaching 6,000 for her career.. Morrow, Hailey Van Lith and Aaliyah Edwards each had 12, and Leger-Walker finished with 10.
The game swung early enough to feel like it was made for late tension. Connecticut led 42-38 at halftime after limiting Portland to just 13 points in the second quarter. The Sun shot 58 per cent from the field, while Portland went 3 of 13 from 3-point range.
Portland’s fight carried them back into it in the third. Saniya Rivers went coast-to-coast at the end of the period for a jumper from the free-throw line to tie the game at 64. Connecticut finished 7 of 20 from 3-point distance and 11 of 20 from the free-throw line.
With the win, Portland improved to 2-2. Connecticut dropped to 0-5.
Connecticut continues a five-game trip at Seattle on Wednesday. Portland heads to Indiana on Wednesday as well.
Portland Fire Connecticut Sun Sug Sutton Sarah Ashlee Barker Bridget Carleton Brittney Griner WNBA 83-82 Leger-Walker Morrow
That floater was wild, like why couldn’t they just run the clock out? 😑
Portland won off a “floater” with 22 seconds left… so basically she just got lucky in traffic? I mean I get basketball but wow.
I thought Griner was the one who had like 6,000 points already? The article says one shy… so did she just not play much lately or what. Also offensive foul call at 1 second sounds kinda sketch, but idk.
Connecticut was up at halftime and still blew it… classic. Those final-buzzer misses always feel like the team got bored or something. And Portland shooting 3 of 13 from 3 then somehow still wins, that’s just sports being sports I guess. Also 0-5 is brutal, but maybe they’ll figure it out vs Seattle or Indiana.