The Connecticut Sun have been having a rough year. There’s no nice way to say it. They’re dead last in the standings, and with the franchise packing up for Houston next season, things were looking bleak. But Tuesday night at Mohegan Sun Arena, they squeezed out a 90-87 win over the Portland Fire. It wasn’t pretty, but it counts.
Sometimes one win can shake off the dust. The Sun improved to 6-18, which isn’t exactly something to brag about, but after a season like this? You take what you can get.
Aaliyah Edwards came off the bench and went to work
Edwards put up 21 points, grabbed eight boards, and dished three assists. That kind of production from a reserve is exactly what a struggling team needs. Brittney Griner added 20 points, four rebounds, six assists, and two blocks. Not a bad night for a 35-year-old center who’s been through more than most players could handle.
Griner also moved up to 16th on the WNBA’s all-time rebounding list, passing Sancho Lyttle. She reached 2,602 boards for her career. The league posted a clip of the milestone moment on social media, and Griner’s reaction was low-key. Just a quick look up at the scoreboard, then back to business.
She’s been stacking milestones all season
A few weeks ago, Griner became the league’s all-time leader in blocks, passing Margo Dydek. That happened against the Chicago Sky. So yeah, she’s been on a roll. It’s easy to forget sometimes that this is a player who spent months detained in Russia in 2022. She came back, signed with Atlanta for a year, and the numbers dipped because her role got smaller. Now in Connecticut, she’s bouncing back. Averaging 13.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game. Two-time Defensive Player of the Year stuff.
The Sun shot 52 percent from the field against the Fire. They also turned it over 16 times and gave up 26 points off those turnovers. Not ideal. But they held on anyway.
Next up is a trip to Phoenix to face the Mercury on Friday. That should be a test. The Mercury are a tough team at home. But for now, Connecticut can breathe a little. One win doesn’t fix everything, but it’s better than the alternative.
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