Facing the Golden State Valkyries - last season’s expansion darlings who have now taken the W by storm - the Portland Fire saw a 17 point deficit in the opening minutes.

Thanks to a Carla Leite layup late in regulation, and a surge in overtime, the Fire overcame that early slump to win 90-82, ending the season on a high note.

Rookie head coach Alex Sarama beamed with positivity in his postgame comments.

“I mean, what an ending, I think that sums up Portland Fire basketball. The grit, the relentless, to comeback from 17 down in the first quarter, and then just battling to win in overtime. I’m so proud of our team.”

Portland’s top expansion draft pick last Spring, Bridget Carleton, scored 26 points in the win. After the game, Carleton explained what it meant to close out the season with a win in front of the Rose City’s passionate fans.

“[It was] special. I think that’s what our fans deserve. We wanted to come home finishing the season at home, [it] is special. So being able to do that, especially after the season we had, and how much support we felt all season, we wanted to do that. We wanted to fight. We wanted to play hard today, and to come up with a win against a really good Valkyrie team is, yeah, it’s incredible, and it felt really good.”

The win snapped a four game losing streak that preceded the FIBA World Cup break, going all the way back to late August.

At season’s end, the Fire finished with 17 wins and 27 losses, good for the ninth best record in the W, and 9.5 games back from a playoff berth. Portland finished 9th in points per game (86.2), 8th in field goal percentage (44.8), 8th in three point shooting (34.4), 5th in free throw percentage (80.7), but held the league’s worst mark in rebounds per game (30.2).

The WNBA is expected to run the 2027 WNBA Draft Lottery sometime in late November or early December, with non-playoff teams like Portland participating.

Los Angeles honored legendary center Lisa Leslie before the game, and their performance paid tribute to the hall-of-famer. Thanks to dominant post play, Los Angeles broke free with a 32-15 second quarter run, and never looked back.

Their interior attack freed up guard Nnemka Ogwumike for a big night, as she notched 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists. As a team, Los Angeles shot 53% from the field.

Portland guard Carla Leite led all scorers with 23 points, while Megan DiLeo picked up 11 points, and Emily Engstler earned 10 points. Together, the Fire will face one more opponent this season: tomorrow night, Portland will host the Golden State Valkyries.

Playing against her former team, Leite struggled early, with four straight misses to begin the game. She finished with 12 points and 6 assists, and the Fire were led by Frieda Bühner’s 14 points off the bench.

After a narrow 20-19 Portland edge through one quarter, Golden State’s impressive 3 point shooting changed the game. After surrendering a Juste Jocyte three pointer with 9:37 till halftime, the Fire trailed 22-20. A Kayla Thornton triple with 2:25 left extended the Valkyries’ advantage to double digits, and they went into halftime up 40-30.

Early in the third quarter, Holly Winterburn managed to cut the deficit to 5 with a jumper between the blocks of the paint. That was the closest Portland came to a comeback the rest of the night, with Golden State closing the period up 67-49 after Kaitlyn Chen nailed a 30 foot jumper.

The Valkyries led by as much as 26 in the fourth quarter, before Portland rallied back for a more respectable final score.

The Fire fall to 16-26, and will return to action tomorrow at 4 PM PST against the Los Angeles Sparks.

Portland led by 7 at halftime, despite the absences of injured sharpshooter Bridget Carleton, World cup runner-up Carla Leite, and World Cup third-place finisher Megan DiLeo. Emily Engstler’s strong showing - 21 points with an impressive 5/8 three point shooting rate - carried Portland all night.

However, it wasn’t enough. 6 different Phoenix players eclipsed double digit point tallies, led by a game high 22 from guard Shay Ciezki, who echoed Engstler’s shooting form: 5/8 from the field, and 3/5 beyond the arc. The Indiana rookie also added a pair of rebounds, three assists, and two steals, while only seeing 21 minutes of action.

Portland held the slimmest of leads through three quarters, 69-68, before Phoenix pulled away in the final period. Down 90-88 with 21 seconds left, Karlie Samuelson missed a three pointer, and a Phoenix rebound soon transformed into two Natasha Mock free throws.

The loss drops Portland to 16-25 in their expansion season, with another matchup tonight against the Golden State Valkyries at 7 PM PST.

In Leite’s absence, her current WNBA team in Portland struggled against her former WNBA employer Golden State. Sunday, the Valkyries defeated the Fire 86-69.

Without their starting point guard, the Fire promoted backup guard Teja Oblak. The 35 year old Slovenian made her first career WNBA start, and head coach Alex Sarama took time out of his postgame comments to praise her efforts.

“I’m really glad I had the chance to coach Teja this year, and I think it’s a lot of stuff that media, fans, don’t always see: the IQ, the savvy, the mentorship, how she’s helped Carla [Leite], Jordan [Harrison], this year. I don’t think you can put a price on that.”

Still, Oblak’s presence was not enough. Portland set up opportunities for three point shots, but struggled to strike paydirt.

“I think we were 3 of 22 at one point,” said Sarama. “That’s the basketball gods punishing us for the Atlanta game. We’re above expected. It’s how it works.”

As a team, Portland finished 24/62 from the field, and just 10/39 (25.6%) from deep. Cold shooting dug the home team into an early deficit, with Golden State ahead by a football score 28-14 after the first quarter. The Valkyries padded their lead 47-25 at halftime, and cruised through the second half.

The Fire also missed German rookie Frieda Bühner. Like Leite, Bühner’s contract was temporarily suspended so that she could practice with her national team ahead of the World Cup.

Now, the WNBA prepares for a World Cup break. The Fire will return to action on September 17th, facing the Phoenix Mercury. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 PM PST.

Back in April, the upstart professional basketball team picked eleven players in the WNBA expansion draft. While some of those selections have faded into the background, two choices proved decisive in the Fire’s latest win.

In an 101-83 upset of the Atlanta Dream, Portland led wire to wire, thanks to the heroics of Carla Leite and Emily Engstler The second year French guard Leite dropped 26 points, and the locker room leader Engstler delivered 25 points.

For Leite, the game was just another outstanding night in a season full of them. The win marked the 12th time she’d scored 20 or more points this season, and the 31st time her point total reached double digits. However, Engstler’s night set a new career high for points scored, and tied her previous bests for blocks and steals.

Portland head coach Alex Sarama aimed a spotlight on the veteran wing in his postgame comments:

“[It was] obviously a terrific performance for Emily Engstler, a career high. She did a bit of everything. It wasn’t just the [career high] 25 points, it was the 4 steals, the 4 blocks, and the efficiency at which she did it.”

Fire was an apt descriptor of Portland’s shooting. Engstler finished 11/14 from the field, while Leite went 9/13, and the Fire shot 58% as a team. That success sparked an early lead that grew as the game progressed, with Portland on top 28-18 through one quarter, and ahead 52-38 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Atlanta inched within 5 with 4:13 remaining, thanks to a point-blank basket from Angel Reese. On the next Portland possession, Holly Winterburn hit a three pointer. With momentum regained, the Fire lead returned to double digits by the end of the period, and they never looked back.

Portland returns to action tomorrow night against the Golden State Valkyries, with action tipping off at 4 PM PST live from Moda Center.

Following a 96-78 loss to the Dallas Wings, who clinched the last remaining WNBA playoff spot with the win, head coach Alex Sarama kept his head held high.

“It’s going to seem crazy after a 20 point or whatever it was blowout loss, but I feel better about this one than the last two [losses], Washington and Toronto. I felt players did a good job of following the game plan, in terms of we knew this would be against their three bigs, you can’t challenge them at the rim, [the gameplan] has to be beating them beyond the three-point line with pace. We got 36 threes up, and 32 of them were catch and shoot threes, and a lot of them were wide open, and we shot 25% from three. As a high volume kind of three point shooting team, shoot variance is real, and they shot 45% from three, we shot 25%. [It] would have been an entirely different game if we’re even close to just our season average. So that’s kind of what I saw.”

Dallas stormed ahead 27-18 in the opening quarter, thanks to a revelatory performance from second-year guard Paige Bueckers. Fulfilling every ounce of promise as a former first overall pick, the UConn star stole passes, jumpstarted Wings’ transition attacks, and ran the show in their halfcourt offense.

By halftime, she had 8 points, and Dallas led by 13. After three quarters, Bueckers had doubled her tally, and the Wings’ advantage expanded to 19.

On the other end, the shooting woes Sarama cited proved to be Portland’s downfall. The Fire shot just 27/72 from the field and 10/36 beyond the arc. While their numbers improved in the fourth quarter, leading the Rose City’s expansion team to outscore their opposition 26-25 in the final frame, the game was already decided.

The loss moves Portland to 15-23 on the season, solidly in 9th place, while Dallas celebrated a playoff berth with their win.

The Fire return to action Friday with a matchup against the Atlanta Dream. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:30 PM PST.

Tied at 18 with less than a minute remaining in the 1st quarter, Portland’s second year star Carla Leite drove inside the paint, lobbed across her body to Megan DiLeo beyond the arc, and the Spain international snatched the lead with a corner trey.

Over the next thirty-one minutes, a flurry of lead changes, momentum swings, and both teams reaching triple-digit scores proved once again that nothing is unexpected when these two teams tip off.

At the final buzzer, Washington won 105-100.

Washington rallied in the second period, with Shakira Austin leading the way. In a two-minute span over the middle of the quarter, the 6’5” center snagged two offensive rebounds, a put-back bucket, a point-blank layup, and a driving layup off a Sonia Citron dish inside. Later in the quarter, the veteran big found netting once again with an 8-foot turnaround jumper, and was fouled in the act of shooting, later converting an and-1. At halftime, the Rose City’s expansion team held a narrow lead, 49-47.

Portland took that halftime lead partly due to three point shooting - they managed to hit 7/12 from downtown - while also repeatedly attacking inside. Through two quarters, every Fire attempt either came from the paint, or the perimeter.

The third quarter featured a small Portland push, nudging the lead back beyond one possession. With exactly 8:00 remaining, Canadian three point sniper Bridget Carleton struck paydirt from 25 feet out, extending the Fire’s edge to 54-48. On their next set, the aforementioned centers DiLeo and Austin fought down low, with Austin earning a foul, and DiLeo subsequently swishing two free throws. Thanks to a Leite layup with 6:59 to go, the home team led by double-digits.

Late in the period, Washington roared back. Trailing by 8 with less than a minute left, rookie guard Cotie McMahon hit a pair of free throws. Right before the buzzer, she knocked down another shot from the stripe. Through three quarters, the Mystics trailed by 5.

In the fourth quarter, Washington cracked the proverbial code to Portland’s defense, burying the home team with a 40 point barrage. First, Citron found Austin for another driving layup. Then the Mystics went back to the well, leaning on their star post player to convert from close range. After hitting her third layup of the quarter, with 8:30 left, Washington trailed by 2. The Fire responded by focusing attention inside, and the Mystics made them pay from long-range. With 7:28 left, Michaela Onyenwere stroked nylons from 22 feet out. Half a minute later, Kiki Iriafen put the road team ahead with a post-up jumper.

While Portland got close - tying the game at 78, then holding a 2 point deficit twice - Washington continued to score inside at will. With less than two minutes left, Austin swished a 7-footer to go up 6. The Mystics looked for her on their next set, and she drew a foul from her Fire counterpart DiLeo. After Emily Engstler fouled her former teammate Michaela Onyenwere, additional free throws padded the deficit to 99-90. Despite a late Portland run - highlighted by a Leite triple in the final seconds that made it a one possession game - Washington finished victorious.

Center Shakira Austin led Washington with 31 points on 11/18 shooting, with a standout performance from the free throw line: 9 makes on 13 tries. She also added 3 offensive rebounds, 7 defensive rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks.

For Portland, Carla Leite led the way. The second year star put up 27 points across 30 minutes, plus 11 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals.

The loss drops Portland to 15-22, now 6.5 games behind 8 seed Dallas with 7 games left to pass them for the final playoff spot. Coincidentally, the Fire and Wings meet Tuesday night in Dallas, with the contest scheduled for 5 PM PST.

With just 8 games left, the Rose City (15-21) trails 8th seed Dallas (21-16) by 5.5 wins.

Portland started the game with an early lead, 24-16 through the first quarter, behind a strong start from veteran wing Emily Engstler.

“I think she set the tone early on just with the two offensive rebounds, four points, just with crashing in that first quarter”, offered head coach Alex Sarama. “With Em, I don’t think there’s a player in this league who plays harder, and is more gritty than Em, so credit for that. She’s such a tough competitor and we need that that, it’s a really important part of a team identity when you have that, a player like Em bringing it every night.”

Across 30 minutes of action, Engstler finished with 13 points on 5/13 shooting plus 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks.

Over the second quarter, Toronto outscored Portland 28-20, tying the game before halftime. The Tempo controlled their namesake with clutch shooting: with 3:59 left in the half, Canadian guard Kia Nurse swished a trey that cut the margin to 2, and did it again with 1:21 to go. As Toronto’s shots kept falling, Portland upped its pressure on the perimeter, opening up lanes inside. Tempo center Isabelle Harrison leveled the score from point-blank range with 21.4 remaining.

Despite playing with a thin bench - at one point the Tempo were down to 7 players - Toronto found a new gear in the third quarter. Already ahead 56-43 with 4:04 to go, Harrison posted up undersized second round rookie Frieda Bühner, spun free, and padded the home team’s advantage. Minutes later, dribble penetration set up an open three in the corner for French international Ornella Bankole. When the period ended, Toronto led by 7.

Despite a late surge in the fourth quarter, it was not enough. After the game, Portland’s first year head coach highlighted several areas for improvement.

“I don’t feel like we were finding great solutions that we typically emphasize, and that’s why they stayed in it [Toronto’s defense], and it was disruptive. Then just on the ball, I thought we kind of went away from a lot of the stove we’ve done all season with our go screens, and we’re really getting way too slowed down in those end of clock possessions. But I think the main story was obviously the fouling. It was so evident in that end of the second quarter.”

As a team, Toronto shot 26/33 from the free throw line. Portland’s opportunities paled in comparison, going 14/17 from the stripe.

Canadian star Bridget Carleton led the Fire with 18 points on 5/13 shooting, matching the clip of her fellow wing Engstler, and rookie center Serah Williams stood out with 10 points on 5/7 from the field, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. Despite their successes, the rest of the team struggled: Portland’s field goal percentage was a mere 38.6%, and they were out-rebounded by Toronto 34 to 27.

Tomorrow, Portland returns to action against the Washington Mystics, with coverage tipping off at 4 PM PST.

Tonight, as Portland moved one step further towards the completion of their first season in the W, Leite once again showed why she is this team’s engine. In a tour-de-force 23 point display across 28 minutes, Leite led the Fire to an 88-85 win over the Phoenix Mercury.

Entering the fourth quarter, Portland trailed 64-61. From there, the French international took over. With 8:56 remaining, Leite drove to the basket for a layup that kept the margin at one possession. Less than two minutes later, she did it again, attacking inside the paint for another layup. With 6:54 to go, Leite followed up those efforts with a turnaround ten-footer from the high block. On Portland’s next set, she drove inside, then kicked out to rookie forward Nyadiew Puoch for a three.

In the final minutes, the former Golden State guard swished a trey of her own, slashing Portland’s deficit to a single point. One possession later, she swung the lead in their favor with a floater between the blocks.

Thanks to her heroics, Portland finished the night with a 45% team field goal shooting mark, while hitting 67% of their free throws. Only one other Fire player finished with double-digit points: starting center Megan DiLeo, who earned 15 points on 6/11 shooting.

The Fire will next play the Toronto Tempo, Friday night, with action tipping off at 7 PM PST.

In the years that followed, the British international’s WNBA career has been relatively quiet.

All that changed tonight, as the sharpshooting wing set a new WNBA personal-best 20 points on 8 made field goals. She also added 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Behind her brilliance, the Portland Fire bested their arch-rivals in Seattle, 84-82.

“[I] want to celebrate Holly Winterburn tonight,” stressed Fire head coach Alex Sarama. “I thought that was a career kind of breakout performance. 20 points, really efficient, then the seven rebounds and the five assists too. That was great to see Holly have such a productive game all around.”

Winterburn’s efforts were aided by Portland’s 43% team field goal shooting, a respectable rebounding battle (43 boards to Seattle’s 45), and a feisty team defense which earned 8 steals.

After one quarter, the Fire led 26-16. By halftime, their advantage reached double-digits, and the margin ballooned to 16 before Seattle roared back in the final period, with Awa Fam’s heroics (7/12 from the field, and a Storm-high 20 points) bringing the final result within doubt.

Under a minute remaining, Ezi Magbegor swished a three-pointer, cutting Seattle’s deficit to 3. With 6.6 seconds left, a Natisha Heideman trey trimmed their margin to 1. In the game’s final moments, a Carla Leite free throw doubled Portland’s lead, and a missed Hiedeman twenty-footer left the home team unhappy.

The win marks Portland’s 14th of the year, with a 14-20 overall record. The victory also clinches a series sweep of their rivals from Seattle. The two I-5 foes have faced off four times since June 17th, with the Fire taking all four games.

Portland returns to action Sunday evening against the Phoenix Mercury, with tip-off scheduled for 4 PM PST.

—

Matt Bagley is a professional sportswriter and broadcaster with a passion for women’s sports. Outside of work, he cherishes quality time with his birth family, his chosen family, and one very pesky house panther.

PortlandSupporter.com is 100% advertisement-free sports journalism without a paywall. Instead, we conclude every article with a brief spotlight on our favorite local charities.

The Autism Society of Oregon sponsors local support groups across Oregon which assist people of all ages on the autism spectrum, and their caregivers. To learn more about volunteering and/or donating to ASO, browse this link.

Down star point guard Carla Leite, Portland was short-handed. In her absence, the Rose City attack relied on former Lynx shooter Bridget Carleton, who scored 16 points despite an uncharacteristic 1/7 three point shooting percentage. Carleton’s struggles on the perimeter were shared by her teammates, as Portland swished just 25.8% of their treys.

Minnesota, for their part, barely fared any better. Three point shooting was ice cold tonight, with the victors achieving just a 30% clip from downtown. Leite’s absence - sparked by a left knee sprain in last weekend’s win over the Seattle storm - proved the difference, as Minnesota outshot Portland at the charity stripe. The Lynx hit 19 of 26 free throw attempts, while Portland managed only 9 of 16 free throws.

The loss drops Portland to 13-20 on the season. On Friday, the Fire will rematch the Seattle Storm at 7 PM PST in the Emerald City.

—

Matt Bagley is a professional sportswriter and broadcaster with a passion for women’s sports. Outside of work, he cherishes quality time with his birth family, his chosen family, and one very pesky house panther.

PortlandSupporter.com is 100% advertisement-free sports journalism without a paywall. Instead, we choose to spotlight local charities at the end of each article.

Basic Rights Oregon envisions an Oregon where LGBTQ2SIA+ Oregonians live free from discrimination. To learn more about Basic Rights Oregon, click here.

The twenty-three year old rookie from Australia eclipsed double-digits scoring in just three of those contests.

Tonight was different. Tonight, the first year forward set a new career-high, scoring 19 points on 6/9 field goal shooting and 4/7 from beyond the arc. For added measure, Puoch earned a positive plus/minus (+2) for just the 11th time this season.

With their Aussie rookie leading the way, the Portland Fire defeated their arch-rivals from Seattle, 100-93.

The Fire matched the Storm point-for-point in the paint, 32-even, and surpassed their opposition on the fast break 12-to-4. After trailing by 3 after the first quarter, the Rose City’s expansion team raced ahead with a 29-17 run through the second stanza.

In the second half, precise shooting kept the Fire ahead. As a team, Portland shot 51.5% from the field and a white hot 41.7% behind the arc.

Early in the fourth quarter, Seattle trailed by just one possession, 77-75, before Portland wing Bridget Carleton drove into the paint and executed a finger roll. A minute later, reserve guard Jordan Harrison nailed a three pointer, and the Rose City never looked back.

The Fire’s home stand continues Wednesday August 12th against the Minnesota Lynx, with tip-off slated for 7 PM PST.

—

Matt Bagley is a professional sportswriter and broadcaster with a passion for women’s sports. Outside of work, he cherishes quality time with his birth family, his chosen family, and one very pesky house panther.

PortlandSupporter.com is 100% advertisement-free sports journalism without a paywall. Instead, we choose to spotlight local charities at the end of each article.

Basic Rights Oregon envisions an Oregon where LGBTQ2SIA+ Oregonians live free from discrimination. To learn more about Basic Rights Oregon, click here.

Last night, in front of tens of thousands of fans at Moda Center, the sparingly-used developmental player contributed extensively in a 97-83 victory: across 11 minutes, Harrison scored 8 points on 66% shooting, plus 4 assists, and 2 steals.

Her efforts did not go unnoticed.

“It was nice to give Jordan Harrison the credit she deserved just now”, opined Fire head coach Alex Sarama: “I felt like she hasn’t played for a while, and she really was so ready to go. Her attitude was incredible, in turns of even just the turnovers, she had two turnovers, I thought she was making all the right plays, but then the effort to win it back right after [was] just incredible.”

Harrison backed up star point guard Carla Leite, who managed 27 points despite only shooting 5/12 from the field, thanks to repeated aggression on the dribble. Possession after possession, Leite would attack the heart of Toronto’s defense, drawing trips to the free throw line. When the buzzer sounded, the former Golden State Valkyrie had knocked down 15/17 from the stripe.

Buttressed by their contributions, Portland led 25-23 after one quarter, and never looked back. By halftime, the home team ballooned their margin to 14, and the end of the third saw Toronto’s deficit expand to 22.

The loss snaps a five game losing streak for the Rose City’s expansion team, and sets up a fascinating rivalry rematch tomorrow night with the Seattle Storm. Back in mid-June, the Fire came back in the fourth quarter to defeat their figurative older sisters, in a 94-89 thriller.

The game tips off at 5:30 PM PST tomorrow night from Moda Center.

—

Matt Bagley is a professional sports journalist with a passion for women’s sports. Outside of work, he cherishes quality time with his birth family, his chosen family, and one very pesky house panther.

PortlandSupporter.com features no paywalls or advertisements. Instead, we conclude every article with a brief spotlight on our favorite local charities.

The Autism Society of Oregon sponsors local support groups across Oregon which assist people of all ages on the autism spectrum, and their caregivers. To learn more about volunteering and/or donating to ASO, browse this link.

Universally across sports, expansion teams often lack team chemistry, as inexperienced players and coaches are forced to work together for the first time. Talent is at a premium, with only a single offseason to assemble a roster.

In a league full of superstars and superteams, the inexperienced, less talented Portland Fire have suffered many blowouts. Today, the Rose City’s expansion franchise can hold their heads high. In front of over thirteen-thousand fans at Moda Center, the Fire fought hard, tying their opponents through three quarters, before the Los Angeles Sparks pulled away 106-101.

Trailing 10-3 early in the first quarter, Portland crawled back behind a tour-de-force by French guard Carla Leite. Over a span of just forty seconds, the second year pro tied the score at 10-all with a made three, a layup, and two free throws. Deeper in the opening period, young Australian rookie Nyadiew Puoch and first year 35 year old backup guard Teja Oblak pushed Portland ahead. After German second round pick Frieda Bühner nailed a trey, the Fire led 19-10 with 4:22 left. When the first buzzer sounded, the home team held a 29-22 advantage.

Los Angeles inched closer in the second quarter, behind a strong showing from local starlet Cameron Brink. The 6’4” center from Portland’s westside suburbs entered the period with 6:44 to go until halftime, and contributed almost immediately with a four-foot floater. Minutes later, she hit a three pointer. Brink followed that effort with two blocked shots and a rebound - inspiring flashbacks to her dominant days in Beaverton’s prep Metro League - as the Sparks kept pace with their hosts. At halftime, Portland led 49-43.

The third quarter featured a Los Angeles rally - trailing by nine at the six minute mark, the travelers eventually stole the lead on an Erica Wheeler triple - and a Portland comeback. With less than a minute on the clock, Canadian sharpshooter Bridget Carleton received a kickout from Megan DiLeo and knocked down a deep three, leveling the score at 72-72. That tally held through the end of the period.

With six minutes remaining in regulation, the two teams remained tied, this time at 87-87. From there, the game shifted into overdrive. First, guard Ariel Atkins sank a triple. After another bomb from Wheeler, the Sparks led by 6. Portland pulled within 2 thanks to an Oblak trey, then got within 2 once again on an Emily Engstler nineteen-footer. The home team reclaimed the lead with 1:32 remaining, thanks to a deep three by their starting center DiLeo.

Moments later, Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike sank a three of her own, followed by a back-breaking triple by her teammate Dearica Hamby. With just :30 on the clock, Portland trailed by two possessions. As the game degenerated into inbounds plays and free throws, Los Angeles held firm, holding on for the five point win.

Three Fire starters - Bridget Carleton, Carla Leite, and Megan DiLeo - eclipsed double digits in points, led by Carleton’s team-high 24 on an outstanding 53.3% from the field and 53.8% beyond the arc. Off the bench, Teja Oblak contributed 15 points on 5 of 7 shooting, with 3 assists. Sparks center Dearica Hamby led Los Angeles to victory with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

The loss drops Portland to 11-19 on the season. The Fire will play again Thursday night, as they host their expansion-sisters the Toronto Tempo at 7 PM PST.

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Matt Bagley is a professional sportswriter and broadcaster with a passion for women’s sports. Outside of work, he cherishes quality time with his birth family, his chosen family, and one very pesky house panther.

PortlandSupporter.com is 100% advertisement-free sports journalism without a paywall. Instead, we choose to spotlight local charities at the end of each article.

Basic Rights Oregon envisions an Oregon where LGBTQ2SIA+ Oregonians live free from discrimination. To learn more about Basic Rights Oregon, click here.

Last night, the Portland Fire played such a game.

The home team fell to the Indiana Fever 112-98, behind a triple-double from second year pro Caitlin Clark, living up to her billing as a superstar driving the growth of the game.

Still, last night’s contest at Moda Center taught the world about Portland. In the past week, Fever role player Sophie Cunningham became the biggest story in professional sports. First, an ESPN feature piece quoted Cunningham framing transgender women as “biological men”. In the days that followed, the eighth year guard doubled down, earning reverence from the far-right.

After a firestorm of Cunningham supporters wreaked havoc at the Fever’s last game in Seattle - inciting the suspension of a Seattle Storm minority owner - a similar movement made plans for Portland. Enter Fire head coach Alex Sarama.

“When I think about Portland, and what it means to live here, its inclusivity, its respect, and that’s why I’m so proud to be here. So, I just think that’s what’s most important tonight, and for our fans, I want them to come and be comfortable, and be safe, like normal.”

Taking his pregame comments one step further, the first year coach affirmed Portland’s transgender community.

“They have our full support, and they’re a very important part of the values of the Portland Fire, at the end of the day. That’s why I said I want to make sure that all the fans who are coming are coming here tonight, I know our organization is going to be intentional, just making sure like always [that] our fan base feel comfortable and supported when they come here to the Fire Pit.”

Portland fans delivered on Sarama’s promise. Many fans snuck in 11x17 transgender & pride flags, in direct violation of Moda Center’s flag policy. Many more wore pride & trans shirts, hats, pins, or held signs staking their place in the greatest civil rights struggle of our time. What’s more, last night’s game set an attendance record for the expansion franchise: 19,959 fans packed the arena, and the overwhelming majority of those in attendance boomed a chorus of boos upon Cunningham.

Given all of that context surrounding it, the actual game in the court paled in comparison.

Portland experimented - as the first year franchise with a first year head coach have often done this season - starting rookie forward Nyadiew Puoch in a bigger lineup alongside center Megan DiLeo, veteran wings Emily Engstler & Bridget Carleton, and point guard Carla Leite.

The Australian rookie, who wields all the physical tools to someday dominate the W, is still learning how to defend this league’s bigger, faster competition. Last night, she drew five personal fouls. Her woes were a reflection of the game’s great difference.

While Portland’s big lineup kept the Fire close on the glass, only out-rebounded 30 to 25, Indiana pulled away behind a flurry of fouls. As a team, the Fever shot 30/34 from the charity stripe, while their hosts only shot 14/18.

Caitlin Clark, looking every bit of the gamechanger evangelizing the sport since her days at Iowa, scored a triple-double: 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell also provided 26 points. The firebrand Cunningham contributed 13 points, 6th most on her team.

Canadian star Bridget Carleton led the way for Portland, with 26 points on 9/14 shooting, and an impressive 7/11 (approximately 63%) on threes. French guard Carla Leite offered 20 points on an outstanding 6/9 field goal clip, plus 12 assists.

The loss drops Portland to 11-18 on the season, and marks their fourth consecutive defeat. Portland will play again tomorrow at 12:30 PM PST, hosting Beaverton native Cameron Brink and her Los Angeles Sparks at Moda Center.

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Matt Bagley is a professional sportswriter and broadcaster with a passion for women’s sports. Outside of work, he cherishes quality time with his birth family, his chosen family, and one very pesky house panther.

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After securing the opening tip, the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces struck paydirt early, with point guard Chelsea Gray finding superstar big A’ja Wilson open for a twenty-five footer. A minute later, Gray splashed her own trey.

The shots kept falling, and Las Vegas led 36-21 after one quarter. When the final buzzer sounded, the Aces beat the Fire 98-83.

In 30:10 of game time, Wilson constantly attacked Portland. The 4x MVP scored 28 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. For added measure, she shot 70% from the floor and 13/14 at the free throw line.

In postgame comments, Portland head coach Alex Sarama highlighted the first quarter deficit as the game’s turning point:

“It was really that first quarter. We were right there for three quarters. I mean, for three quarters it was completely even score. We actually won the second half by one. 46-45. Just how we defended the three point line at the beginning, they were seven of eight from three.”

Portland got within six points of tying the game at the 5:58 mark of the 3rd quarter, before Las Vegas pulled away for good. Newlywed center Megan DiLeo led the Fire with 20 points on 11/17 shooting, while rookie German guard Frieda Bühner delivered 16 points on 3/5 shooting and 8 flawless free throws. Last night’s action marked the team’s first game without reliable sixth player Sarah Ashlee Barker, who suffered a season-ending ACL tear in the first quarter of last week’s loss to the Dallas Wings.

The Fire next play Friday against Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever, with tip-off slated for 7 PM PST from Moda Center.

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Matt Bagley is a professional sportswriter and broadcaster with a passion for women’s sports. Outside of work, he cherishes quality time with his birth family, his chosen family, and one very pesky house panther.

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Despite DiLeo’s brilliance, the Fire fell short at home, 101-97 to the Dallas Wings.

Portland raced out to an 11-3 run to begin the night, with rookie Frieda Bühner and veteran leader Bridget Carleton combining on back-to-back baskets. First, the German second rounder swished from twenty-four feet back. Then, Portland’s Canadian star Carleton drilled a a turnaround fadeaway jumper from fourteen feet out.

Late in the opening period, Dallas tied the game 15-all on a Maddy Siegrist three point strike. One possession later, the Wings snatched control with a Paige Bueckers bomb from behind the arc. The second quarter saw both sides tussle back & forth, before a last-second Carla Leite layup lifted the home ahead 42-40 halfway through the action.

Through one half, Portland shot 50% from the floor, and their newlywed center DiLeo led the scoring with 11 points.

In the third quarter, Dallas rallied. Former NCAA national champion Arike Ogunbowale - no stranger to clutch moments - sank a pair of threes near the 9:00 mark. A minute later, Jessica Shepard nailed a perfect hook shot, and a sixteen-foot jumper, pushing Dallas in front. With less than a minute left in the frame, the Wings’ young superstar Bueckers found Ogunbawale inside, who stepped back and hit another clutch jumper. When the quarter ended, Dallas led 76-69.

With 7:40 to go, a Shepard jumper stretched the deficit to 12. That moment seemingly woke the Fire, who roared back to life with hard, physical play. First, Serah Williams fought for a board and putback bucket with 5:39 left. Then, French phenom Carla Leite and the Spanish international DiLeo combined for a beautiful pick & roll, which sprang Portland’s center free for a layup. At just under 3:00 remaining, Portland trailed by 6. Moments later, a Karlie Samuelson trey cut that margin in half.

The game’s final moments were chaotic. With :32 remaining, Dallas led 99-97, but couldn’t deliver the knockout blow. First, Bueckers missed a jumper. Then, Dallas missed the rebound. In the final moments, Portland could have potentially won the game on a three point shot. Instead, the Fire tried a high-block post-up jumper by their top expansion draft pick Carleton. Her effort shaved the right edge of the rim before mercilessly dropping out, and a late Nyadiew Puoch foul sent Dallas to the charity stripe for two points. After a failed heave at the buzzer, the Wings escaped with a 101-97 victory.

The loss drops Portland to 11-16 overall, 9th in the WNBA standings. The Fire will return to action Tuesday night against the Las Vegas Aces, with tip-off slated for 7 PM PST.

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Matt Bagley is a professional sports journalist with a passion for women’s sports. Outside of work, he cherishes quality time with his birth family, his chosen family, and one very pesky house panther.

PortlandSupporter.com features no paywalls or advertisements. Instead, we conclude every article with a brief spotlight on our favorite local charities.

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Right now, in mid-July 2026, they could do much worse than emulating the four-time champion Minnesota Lynx.

Thanks to strong runs in the first and third quarters, Minnesota outpaced a Portland comeback bid in the fourth, and defeated the Fire 101-93.

Minnesota guard Kayla McBride scored 24 points - behind 4 three point shots - while moving into the WNBA’s top-20 all-time career scoring list. Aiding her effort, standout rookie Olivia Miles managed 14 points and an impressive 10 assists.

Portland played without perimeter snipers Karlie Samuelson and Holly Winterburn. The Fire also lacked their starting center Megan Gustafson, who missed her second straight game for personal reasons. After the action, head coach Alex Sarama stressed their impact on the final score.

“We never like making excuses, but obviously down two rotational players tonight, important rotational players in Meg [Megan Gustafson] and Karlie [Karlie Samuelson]. We saw that at the end of the third, when they went on a run and extended it to 15 points, I think we had to do it though. This is the last trip of a really taxing road schedule for us, and you could see our starters literally emptied the tank. They gave it their all tonight, and we needed those minutes from our second unit.”

Former Minnesota wing Bridget Carleton, the Fire’s first overall expansion draft pick and unquestioned star player, shot 50% from the field (8 of 16), and also outpaced her teammates on the glass with 8 rebounds. As a team, the Fire shot 48% from the field and 43% from deep, but Minnesota consistently found answers for Portland’s pressure defense, hitting 55% from across the floor.

The loss drops Portland to 11-15 overall. The Fire will play again Wednesday July 22nd at 7 PM PST against the Dallas Wings.

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Matt Bagley is a professional sports journalist with a passion for women’s sports. Outside of work, he cherishes quality time with his birth family, his chosen family, and one very pesky house panther.

PortlandSupporter.com features no paywalls or advertisements. Instead, we conclude every article with a brief spotlight on our favorite local charities.

The Autism Society of Oregon sponsors local support groups across Oregon which assist people of all ages on the autism spectrum, and their caregivers. To learn more about volunteering and/or donating to ASO, browse this link.

Once an afterthought with little shot to make a roster, the rookie center is now a revelation.

Tonight, in her first career start - filling the stat sheet on both ends of the floor - Williams shined. For added measure, her Portland Fire won by 19, dispatching the Washington Mystics 75-56.

The former Minnesota and UConn big made an impact from the opening tip. After one quarter of action, Portland led 28-13. Thanks to her tenacity on the glass, and focused interior defense - plus the combined efforts of Carla Leite’s 4 assists and Sarah Ashlee Barker’s 4/5 shooting clip - the Fire soared ahead by 16 points at the half.

A back-and-forth third quarter kept Washington at arms length, before Portland landed two crushing blows in the final frame. First, Karlie Samuelson struck paydirt from 28 feet out, keeping the lead at 66-50 with 7:53 remaining. Moments later, a Williams defensive rebound sprang Bridget Carleton in transition, who found Leite for a driving floater. With 4:17 left, Barker dished down low to veteran wing Emily Engstler, lifting the lead to 18.

From there, stifling defense finished the job, keeping Washington off the scoreboard for almost three minutes.

Carla Leite finished with a team-high 14 points on 5/12 shooting, with another flawless performance from the charity stripe on 4 free throw attempts. The rookie Williams finished right behind her in the box score, notching 12 points alongside a robust 5 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 steal. Only one Washington player crossed the double-digit mark: Mystics guard Shakira Austin had 19 points on a difficult 6/15 shooting rate.

With the win, Portland moves to 11-14 on the season, 9th in the WNBA standings. The Fire next face the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday July 18th at 5 PM PST.

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Matt Bagley is a professional sportswriter and broadcaster with a passion for women’s sports. Outside of work, he cherishes quality time with his birth family, his chosen family, and one very pesky house panther.

PortlandSupporter.com is 100% advertisement-free sports journalism without a paywall. Instead, we choose to spotlight local charities at the end of each article.

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