Rocking the #0 jersey, Oregon Ducks legend Satou Sabally returned to the Liberty lineup after missing games with a concussion. Her night would not last long, however. After a hard foul with 7:54 in the opening quarter, the German forward struggled, and was pulled from the game shortly afterwards.

Portland surged ahead with their perimeter attack, exemplified by a sequence midway through the first quarter where Emily Engstler and Luisa Geiselsöder knocked in back-to-back bombs. At the end of the opening stanza, the Fire led by 1 thanks to electric 43% three point shooting.

As the first half continued, those long range strikes waned, but the Rose City’s expansion team stayed ahead through sheer force of will: Portland outrebounded New York 20 to 16, scored more points in the paint (16 to 10), got more from their bench (14-8), and snagged 5 steals. At halftime, the Fire led 35-33, holding the Liberty to their lowest first half point total of the season.

Admirably, the 2024 WNBA champions thundered back to begin the third period, scoring six unanswered within ninety seconds. At the eight minute mark, Portland stopped the bleeding with a beautiful transition sequence: moments after hauling in a rebound, Emily Engstler found Bridget Carleton in transition, who swished from downtown.

From there, the two sides played tug-of-war. New York began to emulate the winning formula from their previous Portland matchup, feeding center Jonquel Jones. On one possession, the Liberty caught Jones 1-v-1 on 5’8” guard Teja Oblak. The 35 year old Slovenian fought valiantly tonight, but she was out of her league against the bigger, stronger Jones, who muscled her way to an and-1. New York led 46-40 with 4:57 remaining in the third, and held that margin 57-49 when the buzzer sounded.

Then, the Fire roared back. The run began with a Liberty miss, as a potential potential back-breaking three caromed off the front of the rim with 7:35 to go. While fighting for the rebound, Jones pushed off, and was called for the foul. Trailing 59-53. the maligned guard Oblak redeemed herself with a foul line jumper, slashing the deficit to four.

After Engstler found Megan Gustafson inside for a post-up, the margin was merely one point with four minutes left. On the next Portland set, rising star Sarah Ashlee Barker found her spot on the left wing, firing a lead-stealing three. From there, momentum totally swung in favor of the Fire. Oblak stole the next New York possession, then Barker cut under the basket, drilling one from close range. Following an isolation set for their French point guard Leite - who dished Geiselsöder for a corney trey - Portland led by seven.

Already on top 74-71 with 13.7 left, Leite struck the knockout blow: walking up to the left elbow of the arc, she drained a deep three, silencing the Brooklyn crowd.

When the clock struck zeroes, the Fire escaped with a hard-earned 81-74 victory. With the comeback complete, Portland’s reserve center Gustafson offered her perspective to NBC Sports Network:

“Our identity this part of this season is just never give up, and keep fighting no matter what. We’re the underdogs every single game, and we take a lot of pride in that. I’m really proud of my teammates. We never gave up, we just never stopped fighting.”

Portland has now won two consecutive games, with a 4-3 overall record this season, and they will play again Wednesday night against the Connecticut Sun. Tip-off is slated for 7 PM.

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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 Matt’s favorite local charities at the end of each article.

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This certainly was not the case, as the fire put together an inspiring performance on Saturday night in Toronto, routing the Tempo to collect their first ever victory away from the Moda Center.

Falling just a single point shy of triple digits, Portland set a franchise record with 99 points in getting their largest margin of victory so far in their very young franchise history. The fire certainly were just that from three-point land, shooting 48% on 28 attempts from beyond the arc.

Additionally, they got it done on the defensive side of the ball. They held Toronto to just 37 total points in the second half, and a lot of this was due to excellent perimeter defense. The Tempo made just six of their 25 three-point attempts.

It wasn’t the smoothest start for coach Sarama’s squad, with Portland playing catch up for a good portion of the first quarter. But a few quality defensive possessions, along with outside shots from Sarah Ashlee Barker and Freidha Buhner, got the visitors back into it. It was tied at 16 at the end of one.

Star point guard Carla Leite really got things going in the second period, putting up four points and a couple of assists in the first three minutes. But Tempo guard Kiki Rice proved very difficult to guard, going on a personal 7-2 early in the 2nd. The Fire were able to keep pace, however, and it went into the dressing room tied at 44.

Portland got things going right away to start the second half. Off a great dribble-drive kick-out from Leite, Emily Engstler received a pass and connected on a deep three-point shot. Just a couple minutes later, Bridget Carleton did what she does best in knocking down an outside jumper, giving the Fire their largest lead of the game at six. A nice turn-around jumpshot from Sarah Ashlee Barker pushed the lead out to 57-50 with five minutes remaining in the period.

Not surprisingly, the home side wasn’t going down easy. The Tempo were able to climb their way back into the contest, cutting the deficit down to just three points off of a 7-0 burst. But Portland swung back with a big counter-punch of their own, starting off the 4th quarter with a big run fueled by Leite and Engstler. Nyadiew Puoch got in on the action shortly after this, finding herself open off a pass from Carla and connecting on a triple that put her team up fourteen points.

Portland’s lead was never threatened very much from this point on, as the Fire just kept converting on the offensive end. An extremely deep three from Carleton with four minutes put the icing on the cake, and Portland took care of the ball in the final few minutes to seal out this win.

In what was an electric performance from the offense, the Fire had five players end up in double figures. Emily Engstler had a big night, leading the team in two categories with 16 points and seven boards. Leite put 15 on the scoreboard, and also dished out a whopping nine assists. Center Megan Gustafson was extremely efficient off the bench, shooting 6-8 from the floor and also grabbing four rebounds in 20 minutes of action.

The Fire will look to ride this momentum into their next game at the NY Liberty on Monday night, after these two teams split a pair of games back in Portland a week and a half ago. This game will tip off at 5 PM.

This site is not a moneymaker: it has no paywalls or advertisements. Despite going viral very early after launching, this site has a very small audience. Really, honestly, it’s just a way to do a thing I love - writing about sports teams I’m passionate about - for an audience who I love. As much as I enjoy my work at Oregon State Beavers on SI, I never went to Oregon State; I’m an Oregon Tech alum. As much as I root for Oregon State, I’m also one of those “Platypus” Oregon fans who like the Ducks and Beavers equally. This site - a platform to cover a sport I love, for a fanbase I feel deeply connected to, watching the return of professional women’s basketball to Portland - is very different from that site.

With all that said, I’m honored to know one of my colleagues feels similarly. Ben Pahl, a teammate of mine at Oregon State Beavers on SI, has offered to join our site as a guest contributor. Ben will write about tonight’s game at Toronto. He will also cover next Saturday’s battle against the Indiana Fever, and likely fill in with other pieces when he’s up for it.

Ben studied at Oregon State, graduating with a degree in Speech Communication, and has since pursued a multimedia journalism career as a writer and broadcaster. At Oregon State Beavers on SI, he’s been a bit of a swiss army knife helping out across all sports, and all types of stories. I believe that versatility will really shine here, as Ben writes about the incredible women making history this season in the Rose City.

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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 features no paywalls or advertisements. Instead, we conclude every article with a brief spotlight on our favorite local non-profits and charities.

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On Thursday night, Portland released three WNBA veterans: guard Sug Sutton, tweener guard/forward Haley Jones, and guard Kamiah Smalls.

Sutton, picked in the expansion draft, was one of the most experienced players on the roster. Her brief stint in the Rose City featured a strong showing in the fourth quarter of the team’s second ever victory, an 83-82 slugfest with the Connecticut Sun. Repeatedly, Sutton took over the game with precise bounce passes, quick pick & rolls, and more.

Jones, like Sutton, was selected in the expansion draft. Her brief stint in Portland represents a career crossroads. Hampered by injuries throughout her WNBA career, the former Stanford star stayed healthy in the Rose City, but struggled to fit in Alex Sarama’s perimeter-focused attack: while averaging slightly over 11 minutes across 5 games, Jones missed all of her three point attempts.

Like Jones, Smalls’ production paled in comparison to her teammates. Appearing in just two games, the free agent signing from Atlanta averaged 15 minutes per game, putting up 7.5 points and 3.0 assists, while mostly playing late in contests with backups on the floor.

In their stead, the Fire activated free agent signing Teja Oblak - whose contract had been temporarily suspended due to injury - and upgraded developmental players Frieda Bühner and Holly Winterburn to the regular roster. Those moves freed up Portland’s developmental player slots, and the franchise acted quickly to fill one: yesterday, the Fire re-signed preseason phenom Jordan Harrison to a developmental player contract. After an excellent preseason, the West Virginia rookie undrafted free agent made history as a member of the Fire’s first regular season roster.

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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% subscription-free & advertisement-free. Instead, we conclude every article with a brief spotlight on our favorite local non-profits and charities.

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Double teamed by Portland defenders Bridget Carleton and Emily Engstler, the former All American swatted away Carleton - who braced her fall by pulling hair - and elbowed Engstler, drawing blood.

Portland head coach Alex Sarama is known for his Constraints-Led Approach, an admirable philosophy, but this game was no holds barred. After forty minutes of violence, Indiana won 90-73.

Four minutes into the game, star point guard Carla Leite stepped onto the court for the first time since last Tuesday - when the French international persisted through a rolled ankle to aid Portland’s comeback victory - and the Fire clearly cherished her return.

With 4:27 on the first quarter clock, and Indiana leading 17-11, South Carolina first round rookie Raven Johnson missed a jumper from the elbow. That sparked Fire post Megan Gustafson, who hauled in the rebound. In the blink of an eye, Gustafson fed wing Haley Jones on the fast break, who promptly dished across the floor to her French floor general. The young star, whose penchant for dribble-drive penetration has defined Portland’s offense so far this season, sprinted towards the basket with reckless abandon. After making contact with Fever forward Makayla Timpson, Leite stepped onto the foul line for two hard-earned free throws.

Later in the period, Leite pried free of the youthful Johnson thanks to a Luisa Geiselsöder screen. That triggered a switch by Fever center Aliyah Boston, who shrewdly crashed inside to deny Leite’s lane to the hoop. Ultimately, it didn’t matter; the second year guard stepped back and swished from the edge of the paint.

Still, Indiana found holes in Portland’s defense. Through one quarter, the Fever scored ten points in the paint, and led 28-20.

The second quarter saw Portland gradually claw back, with a 6-0 run inching the Fire within 2. At the five minute mark, Leite tried to hook a pass to Serah Williams off the pick and roll, but her effort was intercepted by Fever guard Tyasha Harris, and Indiana’s lead held firm.

That advantage grew before the half, with Boston towering over a mismatched Portland defender for a lob, breaking free for a layup. Thanks to a last-second transition bucket by Kelsey Mitchell, capping off a 21-7 run, Indiana led 53-37 at halftime.

Through two quarters, Mitchell had 16 points, Boston had 13 points, and Portland’s top expansion draft pick Carleton led the Rose City with 12 points. The Canadian sharpshooter earned her tally through an outstanding 50% field goal clip, with a white hot 40% three point rate. Despite her best efforts, Indiana outscored Portland in more than just points: the Fever also held advantages in rebounds, and steals.

In a season defined by shrewd third quarter adjustments, tonight Portland looked lost. Seven minutes deep into the third quarter, the Fire managed just 7 points. Their third period performance was perhaps best exemplified by a Carla Leite drive with 3:36 left: surrounded by defenders and out of ideas, the French guard spun into a travel. Gradually, Indiana’s sizeable halftime margin ballooned out of control. Behind long range strikes from Boston and a flurry of free throws, the period ended with the Rose City trailing 73-51.

In a moment that mattered more than the deficit, Aussie rookie Nyadiew Puoch left the game with a right ankle injury. She was helped off the floor by teammates, and carried to the locker room by Fire assistant coach (and 2017 WNBA MVP + 4x DPOY) Sylvia Fowles.

Early in the fourth quarter, Portland lost another young player for the night, as their second-year German center Geiselsöder earned her sixth foul. Without the two long, athletic defenders, the game’s result was only a matter of time.

At the final buzzer, Portland lost 90-73. Bridget Carleton led the Fire with 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting, while Fever stars Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell notched 24 and 21 respectively.

The loss drops Portland to 2-3 on the season. They will next play Saturday afternoon against their expansion draft partners in Canada, the Toronto Tempo. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 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 and non-profits.

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From the opening tip - a quick Bridget Carleton bounce to Nyadiew Puoch for a basket - the Fire showed spark. In the opening minutes, each team tried a packline zone defense, with veteran wing Emily Engstler shredding Connecticut’s lineup for an open three. As the first quarter closed, man-to-man defenses began to appear, to little effect: playing in her first game, free agent signing Holly Winterburn drove inside to collapse the Connecticut defenders, then kicked out to an unguarded Sarah Ashlee Barker, who struck downtown. With 3 minutes left in the opening period, the score was tied 14-14. Thanks to an impressive cross-court heave from Winterburn to Puoch, and a physical and-1, Portland finished the quarter up 25-24.

A back-and-forth second quarter featured two ugly trends: Portland shot cold - Carleton missed repeated three point efforts, and eventually the Fire field goal percentage slumped to just 38% - while Connecticut consistently outfought the home team for rebounds. Thanks to former WNBA champion and Olympic gold medalist Brittany Griner’s grit near the glass, Connecticut led by four at halftime.

The Sun continued to hold momentum early in the third quarter. With 9:00 left, Griner posted up Luisa Geiselsöder one-on-one, spinning free of the German post for a short-range bucket. A few minutes later, Aaliyah Edwards hauled in a rebound, before quickly delivering a point-blank put-back. With three minutes left in the period, Connecticut led by 6. Soon, the Fire sprang to life. Threes from Carleton and Barker tickled twine, roaring the crowd to its feet. At the third quarter buzzer, the score was tied 64-all.

The fourth quarter was Sug Sutton’s Portland breakout. Without injured star Carla Leite for the second straight game - the French international suffered an ankle injury late in Portland’s comeback win over New York last Tuesday - the WNBA veteran Sutton ran the Fire offense. With 8:19 on the clock, Sutton drove inside for a seven-foot floater from the left low block. Then with 3:42 remaining, she bounced one to Barker inside, who banked in a game-tying shot. A minute later, Sutton and Barker connected again, with the second year Alabama guard receiving a sling across Sutton’s shoulder, then prying free of her defender for a driving layup.

Then the Fire defense delivered. First, Carleton stole the ball from Charlisse Leger-Walker, setting up Engstler in transition. Portland led 76-75 with ninety seconds left. Seconds later, Barker ripped the ball out of Griner’s grasps, then charged up court for a momentous and-1. Falling down and staring up at the nylons, television cameras panned to Barker’s face, which flashed a fiery grin. Behind Barker and the tens of thousands of cheering fans suddenly lifted up by her play, Portland entered the final minute up 78-75.

Still, the Sun rallied. With 31.4 left, former LSU and TCU star Hailey Van Lith sank a game-tying jumper on the arc. That moment of brilliance was soon bested by Sutton, who found her spot six feet from the basket, firing up a lead-snatching floater with 22.6 remaining. After Griner and Saniya Rivers missed opportunities, recovered by Carleton with 9.7 left, the Fire’s first overall expansion draft pick sank a pair of free throws to ice the game. Despite a late Connecticut trey, Portland held on for it’s second regular-season victory.

The 83-82 final score moves Portland to 2-2 on the season, and wraps up the team’s first homestand. On Wednesday, the Fire will begin a three-game road trip, starting with Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever. Game action will tip-off at 4 PM PST.

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Matt Bagley is a professional sportswriter 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 Matt’s favorite local charities.

Triple Threat Mentoring is a program that offers one-on-one and group mentoring primarily to youth of color living in the Portland metro area. They are dedicated to the academic success and lifelong health of Portland’s underserved youth of color, supporting them in becoming well-rounded learners, exceptional athletes, and global citizens. To learn more about donating, browse this link.

Early on, the experiment returned results. New York’s first possession ended in the arms of Nyadiew Puoch, who raced down the floor and laid up the game’s first basket. Minutes later, the Fire’s perimeter spacing opened up space inside, and Emily Engstler posted up Pauline Astier for an easy bucket.

Tied at 12 with 4:13 left, the Fire’s unorthodox lineup proved it’s worth yet again. Moments after WNBA veteran Breanna Stewart crossed the midcourt logo, Sarah Ashlee Barker led a swarm of black-clad defenders, smothering the ball-handler and forcing a turnover. The Fire proceeded to find reserve center Megan Gustafson, who attacked Stewart inside one-on-one. Thanks to efficient, team basketball on both ends of the floor, Portland held their first lead 14-12 with three minutes left in the quarter.

When the first quarter ended, that narrow lead had grown to six. Portland’s backup big Gustafson led all scorers with 8 points, thanks to a flawless 3/3 shooting stroke, and a pair of free throws.

Early in the second, the Fire continued to outclass their opposition. After receiving a pass from Barker, Luisa Geiselsöder cut to the hoop for a layup. Forty seconds later, Barker got open behind the arc and made New York’s defense pay. Following a timeout with 7:49 remaining, Portland led 25-18.

From there, three Liberty three point shots put New York on top. Slow transitions - exposed by turnovers from the Liberty’s zone defense - offered open looks for Belgian guard Julie Vanloo, the French forward Astier, and the three-time WNBA champion Stewart. Halfway through the period, Portland trailed 29-27.

Late in the quarter, Portland responded to New York’s zone with a zone of their own, slowing the Liberty fastbreak. After veteran wing Betnijah Laney-Hamilton raced inside for a last-second layup, New York took a two point advantage into halftime.

At the break, Portland’s first quarter breakout Gustafson continued to lead all scorers with 10 points on perfect 4/4 shooting. The rookie Puoch and battle-hardened vet Engstler each offered 8 points and several rebounds, while New York’s top scorer Astier had 8 points thanks to a 50% three point shooting rate. Perhaps the most impressive stat of the half was an ugly mark: Portland’s aggressive offense, with a bevvy of perimeter snipers and the green light to fire at will, only managed to hit 4 of 18 three pointers (22%).

Shortly after surrendering an open trey to Astier, the Fire found their three point shooting form; Engstler scooped a Smalls dish and fired from twenty-four feet out. When Portland called timeout with 6:30 remaining, New York led 48-44.

The deficit worsened throughout the period, as Leite’s injury exposed a glaring problem. Without their star point guard, Portland possessions broke down. First, Sug Sutton lost the ball in the backcourt. Then, Frieda Bühner missed a jumper. Near the end of the quarter, the normally reliable Carleton whiffed a fadeaway, and Geiselsöder drew a kicked-ball violation. Consistently, Portland’s mistakes inspired New York’s makes.

With less than a minute left, New York held their largest lead of the night, 67-53. When the third quarter concluded, Moda Center’s scoreboard flashed 70-53 Liberty.

The fourth quarter saw New York’s depth and experience rise above the Rose City’s expansion team. Shots continued to fall, the margin slipped further away, and eventually Portland relented. A Liberty slide that surrendered a double-digit lead Tuesday found itself in full control. With four minutes left, New York cruised 90-69. In the final moments, preseason darling Serah Williams excited the crowd with a block, two steals, and a rebound. When the clock struck zeroes, Portland lost 100-82.

Tonight’s defeat drops Portland to 1-2 this season, while New York moves back to .500 with a 2-2 record. Megan Gustafson led the Fire with 14 points, narrowly ahead of Nyadiew Puoch’s 13 point night.

The Portland Fire will return to action Monday night against the Connecticut Sun, with tip-off slated for 7 PM at Moda Center.

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Matt Bagley is a professional sportswriter 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 Matt’s favorite local charities.

Triple Threat Mentoring is a program that offers one-on-one and group mentoring primarily to youth of color living in the Portland metro area. They are dedicated to the academic success and lifelong health of Portland’s underserved youth of color, supporting them in becoming well-rounded learners, exceptional athletes, and global citizens. To learn more about donating, browse this link.

Portland’s newest free agent signing was born in England’s historic East Midlands town of Northampton, Winterburn first moved stateside for the chance to play alongside Sabrina Ionescu, Satou Sabally, and Ruthy Hebard at Oregon. While slowly building a reputation for reliable three point shooting, her NCAA dreams came to a screeching halt at the start of the Coronavirus pandemic. In the late Spring of 2020, Winterburn returned to her native country.

Great tragedy fostered an even greater opportunity: while finishing her collegiate studies, the 5’11” shooting guard played on the British Basketball League’s London Lions, a club coached by Alex Sarama and overseen by general manager Vanja Černivec. Her time with the Lions - alongside new teammates Karlie Samuelson and Megan Gustafson - led to a stint with Turkish powers Beşiktaş, and that one season in Turkey coincided with Fire expansion draft pick Nika Mühl, foreshadowing today’s signing once again.

Two years later, all of those connections paid off. Earlier today, Winterburn was named the Fire’s second developmental player.

In February 2025, Winterburn signed a training camp contract with the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream, but would go on to miss the season due to injury. Last week, Atlanta re-signed her, only to waive the guard two days later. Any minutes this season would mark her WNBA career debut.

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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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This piece spotlights several quotes from Portland’s head coach.

Sarama on earning the win

“Really tough to put into words just how proud I am of the group. I just said that in the locker room. I mean, that was just special seeing what they did tonight. Just so many things to talk about, in terms of literally everything we’ve asked them to do, they did. Like the game plan - I haven’t been part of a game that I’ve coached my whole career where the game plan was executed better than that - just incredible. I can’t wait to see where we’re going to go as a group.”

Sarama on facing the Liberty again Thursday

“Obviously we got them again in two days, and they’re going to make adjustments. We’re going to make adjustments, too. There’s a lot we can get better at, but it would be incredible to see - I think we’re going to see a packed building in two nights time - but the energy, the support from the crowd, immense. Again, I keep thanking the fans, but that’s what happens when they give us the energy. We’re able to get back in the game, go on those runs. So, so grateful for this fan base.”

Sarama on what his first win means

“I’m about to enjoy a very nice bottle of prosecco (note: a possibly champagne-soaked Sarama laughs), but no, it means the world truly to do it here. This is a special place, and I’ve realized that already. I’m just so excited to see what we’re going to build here with the pieces we have, the staff we have, and it’s not just the coaches - it’s the incredible performance team, the front office - like I really, truly believe that we’re going to build something special in the long term here, and I just can’t wait to see it through.”

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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 Matt’s favorite local charities at the end of each article.

Basic Rights Oregon envisions an Oregon where LGBTQ2SIA+ Oregonians live free from discrimination. To learn about how you can volunteer time and/or donate money to Basic Rights Oregon, browse this link.

Tonight, that lineup helped Portland comeback down double digits, downing the New York Liberty 98-96 in the WNBA expansion franchise’s first ever victory.

Free agent guard Kamiah Smalls, whose activation swayed the waiver of undrafted rookie Jordan Harrison, made her first appearance at the 6:34 mark. A minute later, Smalls nailed a game-tying trey from the top of the arc. When the game’s first timeout arrived with 4:49 left in the opening stanza, Portland trailed 15-12.

Gradually, the Liberty pulled away, with a staggering 50% three point shooting clip to close the first quarter. Shooting guard Marine Johannes, leading the offense in Sabrina Ionescu’s absence, repeatedly converted open looks into long range strikes. At the quarter’s end, Johannes had 8 points, shooting 3/5 from the field and 1/2 beyond the arc. Thanks to her efforts, New York led 27-21.

With 7:38 in the second quarter, Leite walked the ball across the midcourt logo, settled onto the top of the key, then flicked a pass across her hips to Portland’s top expansion draft pick Carleton, who bulls-eyed a lead-snatching three pointer, 30-29 Portland. A minute later, Smalls broke free on a screen from backup big Megan Gustafson, converting an ounce of space into a long distance triple. Suddenly, the Fire led by 33-29.

From there, momentum swung back to the 2024 WNBA champions. New York quelled Portland’s 13-2 run with an intimidating 22-9 run, and suddenly the Fire fell behind by double digits. Still, the Rose City’s expansion team showed perseverance. With less than a minute until halftime, Leite drove inside the paint, swished a layup, and took a hard foul. Moments later, she converted the traditional three-point-play with a twine-tickling free throw. Then at the buzzer, Engstler buried a contested three from the right corner of the arc, locking in a manageable 54-47 halftime deficit.

At halftime, Leite led Portland with 11 points, followed closely by Luisa Geiselsöder’s 10 points. The two second-year players combined to shoot 7/15 from the field (46.6%) and 2/6 from deep (33%). Four Liberty scorers finished the first half in double digits - guards Pauline Astier & Marine Johannes, forward Breanna Stewart, and center Jonquel Jones - with Astier’s 16 leading the way. Each team carried optimism into their locker rooms: New York boasted 54.1% field goal shooting alongside an electric 50% three point percentage, while Portland forced 6 steals, and won the battle of the benches 15-to-0.

Kamiah Smalls’ performance was a key factor in Portland’s bench outclassing their counterparts. Coming out of the break, Fire assistant coach Brittni Donaldson spoke with KPTV Rose City SportsNet, praising the performance of their newest player:

“Yeah, [she’s] been awesome. She’s worked her way back, she’s fought like crazy to get back where she is now, and we’re just really happy with the minutes she gave us that first half.”

For the second game in a row, Portland stormed out of the halftime break. Capping off a 10-2 run in less than 3 minutes, Bridget Carleton stroked nylons from long range, lifting the crowd off their feet, and forcing a Liberty timeout. When the action resumed, the Rose City led 57-56. On their next set, Leite curled through the left elbow, then bounced one to Geiselsöder, and the German international knocked another triple, 60-58 Portland.

From there, the lead yo-yoed. Leite buried a jumper. Johannes drove coast-to-coast for free throws. Then scoring stalled, and New York’s physicality began to overwhelm. Consistently, the Liberty got inside, posting up smaller Fire defenders for high percentage chances. Those interior attacks set up perimeter looks, and Liberty wing Rebekah Gardner buried a three ball.

Through three quarters, Portland trailed 77-70. Not only would they need to come back to win, but they would need to accomplish that feat without their French star Leite, who rolled her right ankle with :29 left in the third period.

Responding to the challenge, the Fire’s three point sniper Carleton found another gear. She began the fourth with a trey, then drew three free throws on a long-range shot attempt with 8 minutes remaining.

No matter what happens for Portland this season, remember this moment: with just over 6 minutes left in action, the injured Leite raced out of the locker room, lined up at the scorers table, and prepared to sub in. The crowd instantly recognized her resilience, rising to a fever pitch. After a Smalls three pointer, the gym shook.

Seconds after action resumed, Leite trimmed the margin with a jumper. A minute later, expansion draft pick Sarah Ashlee Barker found the Spanish post Gustafson inside, who landed a baby hook over her 6’6” foe Jones, tying the game at 89. Responding to a pullup jumper by the veteran Stewart, Leite tied the game with a hard-earned pair of free throws; the injured point guard pried open off a screen, flew down the right flank, and drew a hard foul.

Coming out of the timeout, the Fire took over: crisp passing pushed the ball into Carleton’s grasps, with a wide-open look off the left wing of the arc, and her long range strike stirred the crowd to a frenzy.

With less than two minutes remaining, Johannes hushed the fifteen-thousand in attendance. Out of options, and out of time, the Liberty guard heaved up a prayer, miraculously finding the net for a game-tying three. Then, back-to-back turnovers gifted the lead to New York. With 42.9 left, Alex Sarama called timeout.

The league’s youngest coach drew up another pick & roll for his star point guard Leite, who flew into the lane for a game-tying bucket. With 27.1 to go, Leite had a team-high 21 points.

The final seconds felt like a Hollywood script for the expansion team. First, New York squandered possession on a three in the key penalty, then Sarama crossed his arms with an “X” gesture, signaling for his team to line up with one inbounds passer seeking four shooters behind the arc. Play resumed with Barker bouncing one to Carleton at the logo, who fired a long range heave. Her effort missed - almost certainly sending us to overtime - but Barker snuck inside, won the board, and banked a shot at the buzzer. In that incredible moment, the Fire earned their first win in franchise history. After a brief review, the final score was settled: Portland defeated New York 98-96.

Carleton led all scorers with 26, thanks to an amazing 5/11 three point shooting rate. She also sparked Portland’s transition attack with 4 steals. Battling through a severe injury, Leite chipped in 21 points on 8/14 shooting, and 6 assists. On the other side, Astier earned 24 points.

Barker’s buzzer-beater lifts the Fire’s record to 1-1. Next, Portland will rematch New York, with tip-off slated for Thursday night at 7 PM.

—

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 has no paywall, and is 100% advertisement-free. Instead, we conclude every article with a brief spotlight on Matt’s favorite local charities.

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Now, the Portland can focus on the long grind of their first season.

Here are three things I’m thinking about in the build-up to Tuesday night’s tussle with the New York Liberty.

Sabrina Ionescu’s Oregon homecoming will have to wait.

Oregon’s big three of Sabrina Ionescu, Ruthy Hebard, and Satou Sabally is indescribable unless you lived through it. Before their arrival in Eugene, crowds numbered in the double digits. After their arrival, they were like rockstars, selling out Matthew Knight Arena regularly and inspiring generations of fans.

Ionescu, 28, is the biggest star of the group. In the W, the former All-American has racked up four All-WNBA Second Team honors, four all-star nods, two WNBA Three-Point Shootout crowns, and two legacy-altering titles: the 2023 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup, and the 2024 WNBA championship.

Ionescu last played at Moda Center in the 2019 Elite Eight, playing on the Ducks’ first ever Final Four team. Unfortunately, her long awaited return has been delayed by an ankle injury sustained at the start of May.

Fellow Duck Satou Sabally - who signed with the Liberty in free agency - is also expected miss time with a lingering injury.

This is a tale of two teams.

The unbeaten Liberty (2-0), arrive in Portland to face the winless Fire (0-1) in a fascinating matchup between at opposite ends of the sport. New York boasts an experienced roster, and a traditional play-style. Portland is exceptionally young - 7 of the Fire’s players have less than 1 year of previous WNBA playing experience - and plays Alex Sarama’s radical Constraints Led-Approach, a system which emphasizes perimeter spacing and three point shooting.

Anything can happen, especially with Ionescu’s injury, but the Fire might need to wait for their first win.

What changes will the Fire make in game 2?

As previously stated, Portland’s roster is young. Their coaching staff - led by the league’s youngest head coach, the 30 year old Sarama - is young. This is an expansion team playing in it’s second ever regular season game, and it’s fourth game overall. Expect adjustments: new rotations, new sets, and other fresh changes to a team figuring out how to win in it’s first season.

—

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

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“The spirit of the locker room just now was really positive, and I think my synopsis to the group was just that run: how we started that second half, came back [from] 13 down, brought it to a tied game, and I think we saw glimpses tonight of what we have the potential to be. I think it’s just a case of how we can get to that more consistently as a group.”

While much has been debated about Sarama’s unique, philosophical coaching methods, the WNBA’s youngest head coach left Saturday’s home opener with a clear understand of what his team did right, what they did wrong, and how they can improve:

“We forced two eight-second violations in the space of a few minutes, so that was really encouraging. I do think - a similar theme to the preseason - in terms of the battle of the boards, it was like 14 to 3 offensive rebounds, so that’s something we’ve got to take a look at because I think we got more shots than them. The possession game was pretty even, but the rebounding piece is key. We really got to tidy that up, but no, lots of positives to take from tonight.”

After his offense eclipsed 80 points in the shootout loss, Sarama spotlighted something the Fire worked on during training camp:

“We call it dominoes, that’s the analogy for how we want to play on offense when we create the advantage. It’s like the ball - we saw some sequences - there was one right at the end, when we got the switch on the mismatch, and Luisa [Luisa Geiselsöder] was posting, and then we had a really nice domino sequence. I thought there were multiple examples of that tonight, where we’re really emphasizing things like making that extra pass and having good spacing which allow us to convert those advantages.”

For their parts, Sarama’s team echoed his positive takeaway from last night’s loss. Sarah Ashlee Barker beamed when asked about the offense finding it’s rhythm:

“Yeah, I think that it shows who we’re trying to be, and what we’re trying to be about. Share the ball, move the ball, and just play together - like Bridget [Bridget Carleton] said - I think that eight turnovers, that’s what we’re trying to do, we’re not trying to get more than 10 or anything like that, I think that’s a good number.”

Barker, Carleton, and Sarama’s Portland Fire square off Tuesday night against the New York Liberty, with first-tip scheduled for 7 PM PST at 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.

Despite the final result - a fifteen point loss to the Chicago Sky - the experience provides several takeaways. One of those takeaways is Portland’s ferocious homecourt advantage, which swung momentum on several occasions.

During the second half, Moda Center’s public address announced that 19,335 fans attended last night’s game, setting a new record for the most fans at a WNBA team’s first home opener.

After the loss, Fire forward Bridget Carleton raved about the intensity in the stands:

“It was incredible. To have a sellout, nineteen thousand, they were in it the whole game. We were down 13 at half and came out in the third quarter with so much energy, and the crowd was so into it. It was so much fun. We know they were excited about this game, about this season, and we felt that - we’ve been feeling it since we got to training camp - and today was just a great experience for everybody. So, we’re really thankful for them.”

Immediately after she spoke, Carleton’s teammate Sarah Ashlee Barker offered her two cents on the crowd:

“Yeah, the Fire Pit was really lit (Carleton laughs). It really was. (Both laugh) No, I mean like what BC [Bridget Carleton] said, just the fan support, and how loud it got in that arena tonight, when we came back in the third quarter, and even when we had a defensive stop with like one minute to go in the third quarter, that was probably one of the loudest things I’ve ever heard being on the court. So, just the energy they brought, they never gave up, they always continued to cheer. I think just leaning into that and having their support means a lot to us.”

For Carleton, last night’s energy has carried over into her everyday life:

“I always heard things here and there about Portland, and the women’s sports fandom there is here, but never knew too much about it, especially never really being on the west coast. I think this past week - feeling it on social media, feeling it in the city - like, going on a walk and people recognize me already, and I hadn’t even played a game yet, it was just incredible. The amount of support, how excited people were to see us, and meet us, and be a part of this experience, it’s been surreal.”

The Fire welcome their record-setting crowd back to Portland on Tuesday night, as the WNBA expansion team host the New York Liberty. Tip-off is slated for 7 PM PST.

—
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 Matt’s favorite local charities.

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This piece spotlights three takeaways from the WNBA expansion Portland Fire’s first regular season game.

Carla Leite and Luisa Geiselsöder Show Elite Potential

Heading into last night’s opener, many expected second year point guard Carla Leite to lead the Fire’s attack.

For one night, Leite lived up to those expectations. Her 18 points led all Portland scorers, and she also flexed a penchant for penetration: the French international repeatedly drove into the lane and drew fouls, setting up a transcendent 11/12 free throw shooting clip. As this season progresses, opposing defenses will face a difficult dilemma: if they cover the arc, Leite will generate high-percentage looks, but if defenders retreat inside then Portland’s point guard will find wide-open three point shooters.

One of those shooters is fellow second year player Luisa Geiselsöder. Limited by an injury suffered late in the first quarter, the German center still managed to provide 8 points, 7 boards, 3 assists, and 2 blocks across 25 minutes. While she shot just 1/6 beyond the arc - a stark decline from her preseason shooting form - Geiselsöder paired well with Leite on several pick & rolls, passed cleanly to open teammates across the perimeter, and provided a physical presence on the glass. In a system that demands everything of a center except traditional post play, Geiselsöder proved she was up for the challenge.

Portland’s Rotations Could Change Drastically

Alex Sarama, the league’s youngest coach, represents a break from conventional norms in the WNBA. That fact appeared crystal clear after the Fire revealed their starting lineup: just one ball handler, Carla Leite, flanked by four skilled shooters. When Portland platooned it’s reserves into the game, Sarama kept the same approach, as point guard Jordan Harrison set up catch-and-shoot looks for Sarah Ashlee Barker, Serah Williams, and Megan Gustafson.

Offensively, Portland was overly reliant on Leite and Harrison to distribute the basketball. Defensively, the Fire leveraged their length in an effort to disrupt Chicago’s passing lanes. On both ends of the floor, results were mixed. In the third quarter, Sarama’s side shaved a thirteen point halftime deficit down to one. To close out that period, the Fire scored nine unanswered. At the start of the fourth quarter, the shots stopped falling, and the Fire’s younger, leaner defenders couldn’t protect the rim.

On Saturday, Sarama’s rotations were boom or bust. Expect more tinkering going forward as Portland figures out it’s best lineups.

The Rose City Provides Homecourt Advantage

When I began attending Thorns matches in the spring of 2023, I learned something special about the Rose City: this town loves women’s sports. The numbers bear it out. Across the twelve year history of the National Women’s Soccer League (2013-present), Portland has topped the league’s season average attendance nine times.

Portland’s passion for women’s sports is inarguable. Now, that passion blends with decades of Blazers-inspired basketball fandom, creating one of the toughest homecourt advantages in the W. During the second half of last night’s game, the public address announced a whopping attendance figure: 19,335. That number set the WNBA record for the most fans ever at an expansion team’s home opener.

Expect Portland crowds to break more records as this season progresses, giving Moda Center one of the toughest crowds in the league.

—

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.

Shortly after six o’clock at night on Saturday May 9th 2026, that grief was replaced by joy, as the new WNBA expansion Portland Fire - reigniting the old team’s branding - tipped off the opening game of their inaugural season. At the final buzzer, the Chicago Sky defeated Portland 98-83.

Portland’s season-opening starting lineup was a mad science experiment, with point guard Carla Leite flanked by four long, skilled sharpshooters: Bridget Carleton, Emily Engstler, Nyadiew Puoch, and Luisa Geiselsöder.

Geiselsöder lept up and made contact with the jump ball, which was recovered by Chicago’s first round pick Gabriela Jaquez. A minute later, Portland’s emerging star Leite broke free thanks to a Geiselsöder screen at the top of the key, darted inside the paint, and banked a bucket off the glass. With 8:59 remaining in the opening quarter, the French point guard Leite made history with Portland’s first basket in their first ever regular season game.

Much was said this offseason about head coach Alex Sarama’s Constraints-Led Approach, a coaching philosophy that influenced every aspect of the Fire’s preparations for opening night, including player personnel decisions and practice regimens. In the opening minutes, fans saw Sarama’s methods bear fruit when Leite rifled a pass to top expansion pick Carleton, who slung the ball across her body to a wide open Geiselsöder in the corner for a game-tying trey.

While Chicago led after one quarter, 19-18, Portland’s showed remarkable improvement from their winless preseason: aggressive and confident three point shooting complimented an equally aggressive trapping defense. Second year guard Sarah Ashlee Barker led the Rose City with 7 points on a flawless shooting mark: 3/3 from the field, and 1/1 behind the arc.

Early in the second period, developmental player Frieda Bühner drove into the shoulder of Sky guard Sydney Taylor, then faked the fellow rookie outside, drove inside, and stroked nylons for the first time in her WNBA career. After an early timeout, Chicago led 26-20 with 8:12 remaining in the first half.

Midway through the second quarter, Portland still trailed. Needing a spark, Sarama tried out a new lineup: mainstays Puoch & Barker played alongside point guard Jordan Harrison, and posts Serah Williams & Megan Gustafson. While this lineup forced several turnovers, it struggled to convert those opportunities into points. With two minutes remaining in the first half, Chicago led 43-32.

In an effort to stop the bleeding, Leite was called back onto the floor. Moments later, her pass across the perimeter was intercepted by Sky guard Jacy Shelton, who raced to the basket. In the blink of an eye, Chicago’s advantage had ballooned to 15.

At halftime, the Fire trailed 50-37. Sarah Ashlee Barker led all Portland scorers with 11 points, followed by Luisa Geiselsöder’s 8 points, and Carla Leite’s 6 points. Reminiscent of the team’s two preseason losses, Portland’s aggressive approach was boom or bust: the Fire earned 4 steals and 3 blocks, but Chicago boasted a 52.9% field goal shooting rate, forced 11 fouls, and won battles off the glass 26 to 14.

Returning from the locker room, Fire assistant coach Brittni Donaldson spoke with Rose City SportsNet’s broadcast team, breaking down what Portland could take away positively from the first half:

“Chicago went on a little run. That’s okay, we can go on ours in the third quarter. I really think we had a lot of success trying to get downhill on offense, and then obviously defensively just continuing to be aggressive, trying to take them out of their actions and make it tough on them.”

Early in the third, Portland heeded her advice. Last season’s beloved Golden State Valkyries rookie Leite - affectionately dubbed The Leite Show by fans - drove inside, and forced a foul. On Portland’s next possession, pinpoint passing set up Puoch for an open three. Chicago’s next chance quickly died in the arms of the veteran wing Engstler, who intercepted the ball and raced across the floor. Each play inched momentum further in their favor, which was soon amplified by back-to-back Carleton three pointers. With 7:40 remaining in the third quarter, the sizable halftime deficit shrank to 3, inspiring a Sky timeout.

That pause briefly stalled the Rose City’s comeback effort, but the Fire closed the quarter on a 9-0 run. The highlight of their rally was a pair of Sky eight second violations forced by full court pressure. Entering the fourth quarter, Chicago led by the narrowest of margins, 68-67.

Following a game-tying Carleton triple, the lead swung back in Chicago’s favor. Consistently, the Sky pushed the basketball inside, racking up fouls. With 5:15 remaining, Portland trailed 82-74. The Fire’s next possession ended with a missed Leite three, no whistle after Barker hit the floo - inciting a chorus of boos - and a transition three. Now with 4:46 left, Chicago led by eleven.

Again and again, Chicago slammed the gas pedal, drawing fouls on Portland’s interior defenders. With three minutes remaining and a double-digit advantage on the scoreboard, Chicago had forced 8 Portland fouls in the quarter. Holding on to their advantage as the clock struck two minutes, the game’s victor was obvious, with Chicago on top 92-76. From there, it was merely a matter of dripping the clock to zeros. Portland’s comeback effort came up short, and Chicago won 98-83.

Starting point guard Carla Leite led all Portland scorers with 18 points, thanks to an impressive 11-of-12 free throw tally, while Kamilla Cardoso led Chicago with 22 points. Chicago’s center was buoyed by Skylar Diggins’ 21 points and Rickea Jackson’s 19.

The loss drops the Fire to 0-1, with consecutive games against the New York Liberty slated later this week. First, the two sides will square off Tuesday May 12th at Moda Center, with tip-off scheduled for 7 PM PST. Then, they’ll battle again Thursday night in Portland at the same start time.

—

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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Diehards have followed this team for years - dating back to the announcement of the WNBA coming to Portland, and independent journalist tour de force Sean Highkin’s reporting on the reignition of the Fire branding - but I expect many Portland sports fans are asking a simple question ahead of tonight’s game.

Who are the Portland Fire?

With that in mind, this piece will spotlight the thirteen women are on the precipice of making history tonight, as the first members of Portland’s WNBA expansion team to play in a regular season game.

#0 Carla Leite - Guard

Leite was selected in the expansion draft. Despite a delayed arrival due to her commitments with EuroLeague contenders Casademont Zaragoza, the French playmaker quickly proved her worth in Alex Sarama’s system. In each of the Fire’s two preseason games, Leite started at point guard, showing the ability to penetrate into the paint, kick out to open shooters on the perimeter, and shoot three pointers when necessary.

If any player on this team has superstar potential, it’s Leite, who was so beloved by Golden State Valkyries fans last season that they christened a nickname for her: the Leite Show.

#1 Sug Sutton - Guard

Sutton, like Leite, was picked in the expansion draft. Once a wide-eyed rookie with long odds to make a team after being 36th overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft, Sutton is now a wily veteran guard, boasting over four years of WNBA playing experience, and six years hooping across the globe.

During the 2023 season, she made history scoring the Phoenix Mercury’s first-ever triple-double. 2025 saw another career milestone achieved, as Sutton started every game for the first time in her career. Playing with the Washington Mystics last season, the 5’8” point guard shot a career-best 42.2% from the field, and flashed reliable defense with 0.8 steals per game.

#2 Jordan Harrison - Guard

Jordan Harrison was a longshot to make the roster, and now she made it. At West Virginia, Harrison was a member of the Big 12 Conference’s All-Defense Team and it’s Defensive Player of the Year, while also averaging 13.9 points and 5.2 assists per game. Despite those accolades, she was not selected in last month’s WNBA draft.

Undeterred, she signed a training camp contract with Portland, embracing the Rose City (including a trip to the Nike Store) and Alex Sarama’s Constraints Led-Approach. In two preseason games, Harrison displayed two traits Sarama’s system covets: skilled passing, and quick recovery in transition defense.

#3 Sarah Ashlee Barker - Guard

As a rookie last season with the Los Angeles Sparks, Sarah Ashlee Barker showed the potential to be a successful Three-and-D guard long term. Naturally, Portland picked her in the expansion draft.

During the early days of camp, Barker enlightened local media on the nuances of Alex Sarama’s coaching methods:

“Yeah, you know the CLA method of learning is the Constraints Led-Approach. So he [Alex Sarama] is just really into putting us in situations on the court that are game-like every single day. We don’t do a singular drill that’s not important, or that doesn’t mimic a game, or a rep that doesn’t mimic a game. For us, it’s even in the shooting and all that kind of stuff. If you look around, like our positioning and how we shoot in this, it’s like everything is so catered to game-like reps. I think that’s very important, too. It’s not just, come in just kind of shoot freely and stuff like that, it’s ‘Hey, this is the importance of it.’, this is what we’re trying to do, and everyone’s bought in. So, it’s been really cool.”

#6 Bridget Carleton - Forward

Bridget Carleton has already made history in many ways: she was this team’s first expansion draft pick, and it’s first million dollar contract signing. When she steps on the floor tonight, she will also be the Fire’s first captain.

In a one-on-one interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews moments after the expansion draft selections were announced, Fire general manager Vanja Černivec explained why the veteran Minnesota Lynx rotation player was her choice to lead a new generation in Portland.

“With Bridget, the strategy was ‘Who was an unrestricted free agent that just immediately stood out?‘ and then the strategy went ‘How do we make sure that she ends up on our roster?’, and the obvious logic was she’s gonna be our number one pick. Bridget is someone that - number one - everybody wants to play with. Her character speaks for herself. What she brings on the court on both ends of the floor, it’s something that’s hard to find in a player. We’re very excited to see her excel defensively, but also kind of stretch the floor and play modern, team-oriented basketball on the offense.”

Carleton grew up in the Canadian province of Ontario, and has carved a niche as one of the best three point shooters in the WNBA. In 2024, she shot a white hot 44% from the field, and 44% behind the arc.

#13 Nyadiew Puoch - Forward

Portland took a risk selecting Nyadiew Puoch in last month’s expansion draft - the 2024 Atlanta Dream first rounder had already passed twice on the chance to play stateside - but she eagerly signed a training camp contract, and earned her spot on this roster.

Born in Tasmania and growing up in Melbourne, the 21 year old dominated Australia’s Women’s National Basketball League, winning a league title in 2024. That same year, she starred at the inaugural Nike Hoop Summit, scoring 16 points and a game-high four blocked shots.

In Portland’s preseason opener against Seattle, Puoch scored 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist in 21 minutes. She looked markedly improved the following Sunday against Los Angeles, shooting a near-perfect 4/5 from the field and 2/3 from three point range, with 12 points, 1 rebound, and 2 assists across 23 minutes. Defense will be a work in progress for Puoch this season, as the young forward tallied a worrisome -12 plus/minus during Sunday’s game.

#15 Luisa Geiselsöder - Center

26 year old center Luisa Geiselsöder hails from the rural Bavarian town of Ansbach, ninety miles north of Munich. A well-known prospect in European basketball circles, the German big starred on Germany’s U16 team at the 2016 FIBA European Championship, their 2018 U18 team at the same competition, and last summer’s German senior team at the FIBA EuroBasket tournament.

Last season marked her rookie campaign in the W, and she excelled: across 28 games, Geiselsöder earned 24 starts, finishing in the top nine among all WNBA rookies league-wide in steals, blocks, field goal percentage, and rebounds. So far this season, she’s shown that same level of production, and will likely start at center this season.

Portland picked the promising center in last month’s expansion draft.

#17 Megan Gustafson - Center

When the Fire signed Megan Gustafson in free agency, they got more than an experienced center: they also got Instagram celebrity Pancake, Gustafson’s adorable Corgi.

Gustafson is much more than a dog mom, however, as one post-practice interview made obvious last month. When asked about her connection to head coach Alex Sarama and general manager Vanja Černivec - all three previously worked together with the London Lions of the British Basketball League - Gustafson offered valuable perspective:

“Yeah, I think their differential learning approach has been really refreshing. Being in the league for eight years - this is my eighth year now - some of the same things you kind of see over and over again, and obviously repetition is good and that’s how you get better, but at the same time, like, [it] makes basketball fun again when you can do new things and bring a refreshing perspective to the game. So I think that’s exactly what we’re doing. I’ve had a lot of fun these past few days. This is the fourth day in a row where we’ve gone, so I’m a little tired, but you know it’s been a lot of fun, a lot of growth.”

#20 Feirda Bühner - Forward

Like Luisa Geiselsöder, Frieda Bühner stars on the German national team. Unlike her Bavarian counterpart, Bühner has no prior WNBA playing experience. That won’t deter the 21 year old wing - who made the roster as a developmental player per new WNBA CBA rules - and is trying to make the most of this opportunity. After the team’s first preseason game, Bühner raved about her dream of playing stateside:

“It’s always been a dream of mine to be in the W, and now to get this chance is just amazing. Then with an expansion team - I think it’s such a nice chance that I have - and yeah, I’m just super excited. The practice today was great. It was so much fun. Not like something I’m used to, but honestly, [it was] so much positive energy. I think it’s a lot for me still, right now, but [I’m] just trying to take it step by step and [I’m] just taking everything with me that I can, and trying to learn, and get better everyday.”

Portland selected her in the second round of last month’s amateur draft, 17th overall.

#21 Emily Engstler - Forward

With tattoos, cornrows, and attitude on & off the court, Emily Engstler looks ready to represent the Rose City. Portland took the journeyman wing in the expansion draft, and she quickly emerged as a team leader in training camp. Less than a week into practices, she coined a nickname for rookie Nyadiew Puoch, “Nars”, and took time to encourage her young teammate:

“I haven’t gotten a chance to see her length in like a full five-on-five court action, and like she was everywhere, man. She was rebounding the ball. She was pushing the ball. She was shooting threes. She was getting to the basket. I think that’s a big takeaway. Someone so young like Nars - like you got a 21 year old who’s never played in the WNBA - who’s getting up and down for the first time with us, and she’s hooping. So that was really dope to see our youngin’s get the system super quickly…”

Engstler played 17 minutes in the Seattle preseason opener, scoring 5 points, 7 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks. She suffered an injury in the 4th quarter, and missed last Sunday’s matchup with Los Angeles.

#25 Serah Williams - Center

Alongside Jordan Harrison, third round rookie Serah Williams was another surprise addition to Portland’s final roster. Like Harrison, Williams earned this honor through gritty, determined showings in both preseason games. The Fire traded for Williams on draft night because of her defensive prowess - and she exceled on that end in the preseason - but the UConn big also showed shooting touch, a knack for rebounding, and other valuable traits. After the 2024 and 2025 WNBA drafts, only 2 third rounders leaguewide made their team’s opening day rosters. In 2026, Williams is a deserved exception.

#30 Haley Jones - Guard/Forward

Stanford grad Haley Jones is the kind of player who benefits from WNBA expansion. Talent has never been an issue for the Santa Cruz native - who was once a McDonalds All-American and ESPN’s number one recruit in the 2019 class - but WNBA teams are flush with talent, and sometimes promising young talents slip through the cracks.

That arguably happened with Jones - taken sixth overall in 2023 by the Atlanta Dream - who saw limited minutes in her rookie season, broke through with a career-high 24 starts in 2024, but got waived on the eve of last year’s season opener. After bouncing between Phoenix and Dallas on short-term deals last season, Portland called her name in the expansion draft.

With two additional teams in the league, and the twenty-four roster spots that represents, Jones has an incredible opportunity for career redemption in Portland.

#44 Karlie Samuelson - Guard

Karlie Samuelson shares traits with several other players on this team. Like Sug Sutton and Bridget Carleton, she has playing experience: Samuelson has played for 6 different WNBA franchises across 7 seasons. Like the aforementioned Carleton, Samuelson is a three-point sniper: she shot 48.5% behind the arc during her senior year of college, and 42.6% from distance in 2023.

After suffering a knee injury early last season, the Minnesota Lynx traded Samuelson to Dallas, who waived her. Portland signed her in free agency last month.

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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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Facing a deadline, Portland temporarily suspended free agent signings Teja Oblak and Kamiah Smalls - two free agent signings who recently played together on Turkish juggernaut Galatasaray.

In the WNBA, a contract can be suspended if a player cannot join their team on time - like if they suffer an injury playing overseas, or get called up to their national team - and ten contracts were suspended leaguewide ahead of Thursday afternoon’s roster deadline.

Ahead of tomorrow night’s season opener, here is Portland’s full roster:

Guards (5)
Carla Leite
Sarah Ashlee Barker
Sug Sutton
Jordan Harrison
Karlie Samuelson

Forwards (5)
Bridget Carleton
Emily Engstler
Nyadiew Puoch
Haley Jones
Frieda Buhner (developmental player)

Centers (3)
Luisa Geiselsöder
Megan Gustafson
Serah Williams

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

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The Rose City’s WNBA expansion team entered training camp with ten of their eleven expansion draft picks, 2026 WNBA Draft second rounder Frieda Bühner, draft night trade Serah Williams, and five free agent signings.

Now, the Fire must slim down to the WNBA collective bargaining agreement’s new regular season roster limit: 12 veterans, plus 2 additional developmental players. One of those developmental slots is accounted for: the aforementioned German forward Bühner. Everything else is up for grabs.

Following up on a piece I wrote after training camp began, this article features my updated Portland Fire roster projections.

Developmental Players (2) - Frieda Bühner, Serah Williams

Serah Williams might be the Fire’s best story right now. The UConn rookie center faces an uphill climb to make the final roster - over the past two seasons, only 2/25 total third round rookies reached opening day - but so far she has proved herself worthy. In last Wednesday’s preseason opener, the defensive stopper flexed her prowess near the rim, but also showed something fans hadn’t seen: shooting touch. During one set in the second quarter, Fire reserve guard Jordan Harrison looped the basketball over her shoulder to an open Williams at the top of the key, who calmly swished a long two.

Williams scored 9 points in 10 minutes last Wednesday, then 12 points in 19 minutes Sunday. Over both games, she racked up 11 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks, and one of the few positive +/- tallies (+3) on the team. Third round picks don’t make many WNBA rosters, but Williams has earned an exception to the norm.

Guards (6) - Carla Leite, Sarah Ashlee Barker, Sug Sutton, Karlie Samuelson, Jordan Harrison, Teja Oblak

Hours after trading guard Maya Caldwell to Minnesota, her spot goes to Jordan Harrison. Against Seattle, the free agent guard played scored 5 points and 3 assists across 21 minutes. She shone brighter against Los Angeles, notching 9 points and 4 assists across 18 minutes. Crucially, Harrison possesses something sorely lacking on Portland’s roster: speed.

European free-agent signing Teja Oblak makes my list, which may surprise many fans. Oblak boasts something Portland’s roster is starving for: experience. The 35 year old Slovenian has played professionally for 24 years now, and could play the role of a wise mentor for a team that needs one. The fact that Caldwell - an expansion draft pick and projected starter - got moved before Oblak suggests that the Fire front office see something in a player who has never competed in the W.

I expect Portland’s starting lineup to feature Carla Leite and Sarah Ashlee Barker, who each lined up for Wednesday’s opening tip. When Portland wants to go small, expect the emerging star Leite to pair with veteran point guard Sug Sutton. When the Fire want to add length, three and D specialist Karlie Samuelson will take Barker’s place. If either starter needs a rest, or the Fire simply need more speed in transition, good lord, that’s Jordan Harrison’s music.

Forwards (4) - Bridget Carleton, Emily Engstler, Haley Jones, Nyadiew Puoch

Without Bibby, Portland are light at the forward position, and might make this piece moot with a last-second trade or free-agent signing to bolster their numbers. If the roster remains as currently constructed, I expect a core four players to remain in the Rose City: Bridget Carleton, Emily Engstler, Haley Jones, and Nyadiew Puoch.

Puoch in particular flashes potential. In Sunday’s preseason finale, she finished with perfect shooting percentages inside and outside the three point line. Defensively, her game needs work: the Sparks repeatedly challenged the Aussie rookie on Sunday, and she entered halftime with a team low -16 plus/minus.

I expect Carleton and Engstler to start, with Haley Jones the first call off the bench, and Puoch soaking up valuable playing experience as she furthers her career.

Centers (2) - Luisa Geiselsöder, Megan Gustafson

While Carla Leite has earned headlines, the play of Luisa Geiselsöder has been equally revelatory this preseason. Coming off her rookie year in Dallas, Geiselsöder has proven the Fire front office right for selecting the German big in last month’s expansion draft. In two games, she displayed a pick & roll connection with Leite, the ability to set a variety of screens for teammates, and the skill to swish three point shots. In Alex Sarama’s system - which prioritizes three point shooting and perimeter spacing at the expense of traditional post play - Geiselsöder is the team’s obvious starting center. Behind her, expect longtime WNBA veteran Megan Gustafson to provide critical depth at a position of need.

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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 features no paywalls or advertisements. Instead, we conclude every article with a brief spotlight on Matt’s favorite local charities.

On Saturday May 9th, William Temple House is throwing a special one-day music event with five local artists, “William Temple House Jam!”, an inclusive community benefit concert where 100% of proceeds will fund William Temple House’s low-cost counseling and social services. To learn more about William Temple House, browse this link.

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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 features no paywalls or advertisements. Instead, we conclude every article with a brief spotlight on Matt’s favorite local charities.

On Saturday May 9th, William Temple House is throwing a special one-day music event with five local artists, “William Temple House Jam!”, an inclusive community benefit concert where 100% of proceeds will fund William Temple House’s low-cost counseling and social services. To learn more about William Temple House, browse this link.

While the final score did not result in a win, as Portland lost to Los Angeles 85-75, thousands of fans in attendance celebrated the return of professional women’s basketball to the Rose City.

Days after sitting six players in their preseason opener, tonight they sat seven: Teja Oblak, Sug Sutton, Kamiah Smalls, Sarah Ashlee Barker, Karlie Samuelson, Emily Engstler, and Megan Gustafson.

Limited by those injuries, the Fire began the game with a fascinating lineup: point guard Carla Leite was flanked by wings Haley Jones and Bridget Carleton, forward Nyadiew Puoch, and center Luisa Geiselsöder.

With 9:18 remaining in the first quarter, the Stanford alum Jones posted up a Sparks’ defender, fired a jumper inside the paint, and swished the historic first basket in a Portland Fire home preseason game.

Early mistakes haunted the home team: illegal screens by Jones and rookie Serah Williams burned two possessions, while passes out of bounds by Geiselsöder and Carleton - a lingering issue from Wednesday’s opener - wasted two more scoring opportunities. Portland’s misery extended to the Sparks’ hoop, with the Fire defense collecting six fouls in the game’s first five minutes. When the first quarter concluded, Los Angeles led 19-9 thanks to 9 Portland fouls and 8 Portland turnovers.

The second quarter began with a brief Portland run - second year players Leite and Geiselsöder showed nice chemistry on successive, successful pick & roll plays - but Los Angeles quickly restored their lead to double digits.

The first half featured another strong showing for Leite, who flashed elite handles and quickness during an xx point first half. The French point guard, who played off the bench for the Golden State Valkyries during her rookie season, looks poised for an expanded role on Portland’s expansion team.

Late in the second quarter, the UConn standout Williams, acquired in a draft night trade involving former Oregon Duck Taylor Bigby, faced WNBA superstar Kelsey Plum one-on-one in the paint. Plum swiftly spun free of the Fire’s young defensive stopper - and then drew a foul. However, the moment might teach valuable lessons that can further her burgeoning career.

Sunday’s preseason contest represented a homecoming for Sparks’ center Cameron Brink, who won a pair of state championships at Southridge High School in Beaverton. Despite a warm welcome from the crowd - which included many friends and family in attendance - Brink racked up four fouls in a frustrating first half.

At halftime, the Fire trailed the Sparks 48-32. Kelsey Plum led all scorers with 13 points on 50% field goal shooting and a perfect mark (2/2) beyond the arc. Further, she was flawless from the stripe, swishing all 5 of her free throws.

On the Rose City’s side, rookie Nyadiew Puoch outpaced her teammates with 8 points on 3/3 field goal shooting and 2/2 rate from downtown. Defensive prowess will be a focus in practice for the Tasmanian-born forward, whose offensive production was mitigated by a team low -16 plus/minus in the first half.

After surrendering 12 turnovers in the first half, the Fire’s unfortunate trend continued at the start of the second half, as Leite skied a pass across to the wing to Carleton. Early in the third, Portland’s deficit expanded to twenty.

While errant passes have proven costly this preseason, one mistake spotlighted an inspiring remedy. First, Leite tried to sling a pass across her shoulders to the rookie forward Puoch, but Sparks’ wing Rae Burrell intercepted it. Then, Portland’s impressive young forward made amends for her defensive struggles, hustling back to the ball and deflecting a pass intended for Dearica Hamby.

Late in the third quarter, Maya Caldwell saw her first action in Rose City red. Caldwell, entering her fifth season in the W, had two turnovers during the period. She also hauled in several clutch rebounds.

Through three quarters, Los Angeles led comfortably 72-54.

Portland flashed high energy at the beginning of the final period. First, forward Chloe Bibby swarmed on a Los Angeles guard, forcing a pass out of bounds. Later, Bibby connected with the former UConn post Williams, who shrewdly drew a foul down low. On another possession, Williams showed off her toughness, muscling through several Sparks’ defenders for two contested rebounds. Pouring the figurative icing on the cake, she finished with a putback. With just over seven minutes remaining, Los Angeles called timeout up 72-60.

A minute later, Portland’s run stalled out, swinging momentum decisively in favor of the visitors. When the final buzzer sounded, Los Angeles earned the victory by a 85-75 final score. Sparks’ forward Nneka Ogwumike led all scorers with 17 points on 5/9 shooting, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal. Portland’s highest point tally was 12, earned by both the rookie Puoch - who finished with perfect field goal (4/4) and three point shooting (2/2) percentages - and their backup big Williams. In addition, the Fire’s starting point guard Leite added 11 points. Promisingly, that trio all shot 50% or better tonight.

Now, attention turns to the Fire’s roster projections. Portland’s expansion team has six days to finalize a 12 player roster (with 2 bonus developmental players) before their regular-season opener.

The Portland Fire’s inaugural WNBA season tips-off Saturday night at home against the Chicago Sky.

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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 features no paywalls or advertisements Instead, we conclude every article with a brief spotlight on Matt’s favorite local charities.

Rogue Trans Outreach is a non-profit supportive network for transgender residents of rural Southern Oregon, where Matt grew up. They recently opened Free Closet in Ashland, a safe space where individuals can access gender-affirming clothing and accessories at no cost. To learn more about donating, browse this link.