Twice this season, the Rose City has emerged victorious. Thanks to the efforts of Carla Leite - who scored 20 points behind a flawless 14/14 free throw rate - the Fire defeated their rivals last night in a thriller.

Entering the night, Portland slumped in with a 2-8 record in their previous 10 games. Through one quarter, that negative trend appeared undeterred. Behind several lethal transition attacks, Seattle led 20-10.

The second quarter featured a stark reversal of fortune. With 9:18 to go, Carla Leite drove from the left elbow into the lane, drew a foul, and swished a bank shot for added measure. The and-1 marked the first points of the night for the second year French guard. Thirty second later, once again attacked from the arc's left edge into Seattle’s paint. This time, she collapsed the defense - enticing three black jerseys towards her dribble - before kicking out to a wide open Emily Engstler for three.

From there, a Seattle miss fell into the arms of Sarah Ashlee Barker. After crossing the halfway line, the second year guard from Alabama lobbed a perfect pass from one hip to the opposite shoulder, lured by Engstler for a transition bucket. With just past two minutes gone, Portland trailed 20-18. Only the halftime buzzer would stop the Rose City run, as the Fire went into the locker room up 32-30.

Surprisingly, Portland only hit two made threes in the first half: the aforementioned Engstler strike, and a twenty-five footer by Euro guard Teja Oblak. Through two quarters, feisty Seattle defense denied their perimeter strikes.

Coming out of the break, the Fire adjusted to what their opponents offered them. With 9:18 remaining in the third, Leite ran to the net for a layup, drawing an and-1. At 7:53 left, she did it again. Time after time, Seattle focused its attention upon black & red snipers across the arc, and Leite made them pay. In the third quarter, she notched 8 points (on 4 made free throws) with 1 assist. When the period ended, Portland led 54-47.

The fourth quarter featured thunderous blasts from both teams. At the 9:23 mark, Bridget Carleton bumped Portland up 8 with a twenty-four footer. With 6:29 to go, that lead was threatened after an Awa Fam twenty-three foot fadeaway crawled Seattle within 3. Seattle struck again with 3:17 left, as a Natisha Hiederman twenty-five foot swish moved the margin to 5.

In the final minute, Leite silenced any prayers of a comeback. Up four with 43.2 on the clock, Portland’s star point guard beat Seattle defender Zia Cooke, earned a foul, and swished her ninth and tenth made free throws of the night. After Dominique Malonga missed a high block jumper on the other end, the game was out of reach.

By securing the 77-72 final score, Portland snapped its six game road losing streak dating back to June 2nd against the Golden State Valkyries. Portland is now 9-12 this season, 6th in the Western Conference and 11th league-wide.

On Thursday, Portland will return home. Tipping off at 7 PM from Moda Center, the Fire will rematch the Las Vegas Aces, who won a shootout in Portland last month.

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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.

The close skirmish was foreshadowed after one quarter, with Portland narrowly ahead 31-28 thanks to 52.6% field goal shooting and a 40% three point clip. The Rose City stayed on top early in the second quarter, thanks to stalwart perimeter defense.

First, a Sarah Ashlee Barker swat set up an Emily Engstler attack in transition. After reaching the three point, the veteran wing whipped the ball right to left across her shoulder to Carla Leite, who found Barker open in the corner for three. The second year guard missed her shot, but she was fouled in the act of shooting. Barker proceeded to hit three consecutive free throws, pushing Portland’s lead to 34-30 with 8 minutes left.

The next Washington set had similar results, as Portland stole the ball at the 3/4 court mark, then set up a 3-on-1 fastbreak. Leite drove towards the paint, then dished to Engstler for an uncontested layup. At the next timeout, Portland led 38-32 with 5:53 remaining.

Soon, Washington rallied. Under three minutes to go, Mystics guard Sonia Citron posted up Barker, drawing a foul inside. After swishing a pair of free throws, Portland led by only two. At the two minute mark, Mystics forward Kiki Iriafen tied the game on a post-up jumper.

The tie wouldn’t last, as Megan Gustafson sniped a corner-trey on the next Fire set, and then Portland added two more points on a Barker pick & roll. Shortly before halftime, Bridget Carleton fired up a twenty-three footer. At the buzzer, the Rose City’s expansion team led 55-48.

Halfway through the action, Fire shooting numbers remained impressive. Portland hit 17 of 35 field goals (49%), with an outstanding 7 of 18 mark (39%) from distance. At the free throw line, they were perfect (14 of 14), while they also held the edge in rebounds (17 to 14) and steals (5 to 2). Thanks to her 50% field goal shooting percentage, Bridget Carleton led the Fire with 12 points.

Much like the second quarter, the third quarter featured a tug-of-war as each side went on runs. With five minutes gone, Washington held possession with a two point deficit, and could have snatched the lead without fiesty perimeter defense by Engstler, rookie Frieda Bühner, and others. Soon, a pair of free throws would tie the battle at 58-all with 4:45 left.

Late in the third, Portland’s second-team unit found its stride, with rookie center Serah Williams hauling several rebounds and forward Nyadiew Puoch hitting from long range. After three quarters, Portland held on 67-64.

The final ten minutes marked a bitter fight, with Portland carrying a narrow lead into crunch time. Coming out of a timeout with 3:19 remaining, the Washington second-year guard Citron hooked a jumper from the foul line, slashing the deficit to two.

On the next Portland set, an Engstler low-block post-up jumper was thunderously blocked out of bounds by the Mystics big Iriafen. Later, a pair of Citron free throws pushed the Mystics ahead with 1:34 to go.

Entering today’s game, Portland was 6-1 in “clutch time” games this season, meaning games that had five point margins in their final five minutes. That record was put to the test in the final minute, with Washington up 83-80. After Barker broke free thanks to a Gustafson pick, Portland only trailed by one.

In a scrum for a loose ball, Engstler fouled Mystics forward Michaela Onyenwere, sending the Nigerian six-footer to the free throw line. After the damage was done, Washington led by 3 with 27.5 to go. That margin held until the final seconds, as Gustafson heaved a perimeter prayer that caromed off the iron. After Citron recovered the rebound with 8.1 left, the game hung in the balance.

Miraculously, she missed both free throws, setting up Portland star guard Carla Leite for one of the most iconic moments of her career: after recovering the loose ball, Leite raced down the floor, faked out her defender and fired a fadeaway three that banked off the glass. As the ball swished through the netting, the buzzer sounded. Suddenly, Portland had new life.

Much like the fourth quarter, overtime was a slugfest, as very little separated the two foes. An Onyenwere three was matched by a Gustafson trey, and then another Onyenwere triple put Washington ahead by that amount. Moments later, Leite evened the score at 99 with a net-knocking triple from NBA range. With 18.3 on the clock, it was anybody’s ballgame. After Sonia Citron’s twenty-seven footer clang off the front of the rim, the first overtime period ended without a winner.

Hard, physical defense kept the two teams neck-and-neck throughout double overtime. Just under the two minute mark, a Carleton steal set up Portland with numbers in transition. Leite weaved inside the arc, only to be cut down by a Mystics defender. After an inbounds pass, Leite found Barker, who posted up her defender for a game-tying layup. On Portland’s next set, Leite and Barker connected again, putting the Fire ahead by two.

Washington tied it up on a late layup with 14.9 left, setting up more late-game magic. With the shot clock turned off, Leite calmly walked a dribble from left to right behind the arc, drove up court, kicked out to Carleton on the left wing of the arc, and the Canadian sharpshooter hit glass. When the buzzer sounded, somehow, someway this game went to triple overtime.

The third overtime period built on the tone that preceded it - tired legs, tough defending, and little to separate either side - culminating in a Bridget Carleton game-tying post-up with 3 seconds to spare. The next Washington miss crossed a milestone. For the first time since July 3rd 2001, a WNBA game went to quadruple-overtime.

Trailing once again with under a minute remaining, Portland’s engine Leite drove inside for a game-tying layup, drawing a hard foul. After recovering, the French standout hit one of two free throws. In the final seconds, she lobbed a prayer from the top of the paint, which clanged off the rim. Unfortunately - on a day where the second year star scored a career high 32 points - she would not earn the win. At the final buzzer, Washington won 124-123.

The loss moves Portland to 8-12 on the season. The Fire have several days off before facing the Seattle Storm on July 4th, with tip-off slated for 6 PM at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena.

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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.

Tonight, Chicago center Kamilla Cardoso made history. Entering tonight, Nneka Ogwumike held the record for consecutive made field goals without a miss. Thanks to Cardoso’s career-defining thirteen straight buckets, that record was shattered, and Chicago outpaced Portland 124-94.

With just over a minute remaining in the third quarter, the second-year pro caught a lob across the court, posted up mismatched Portland guard Teja Oblak, and swished her thirteenth basket of the night.

Already ahead eight points after that record-breaking shot, momentum swung fully behind the Windy City. Over the span of four minutes, Chicago went on a 17-0 run.

First, their lead expanded to double-digits. Midway through the period, an Azura Stevens triple lifted the margin to twenty-four. A minute later, Sydney Tayor’s corner three pushed the lead to thirty.

Like a deck of dominoes, Cardoso’s record preceded several other new records. Late in the fourth quarter, a Jacy Sheldon point-blank layup lifted Chicago’s point total to 116, their new franchise high in points. Their next score broke a franchise assist record. Moments later, Courtney Vandersloot found Gabriela Jaquez in transition. That play delivered the Sky their 38th assist of the night, a new WNBA record.

At the final buzzer, Chicago won 124-94. Bridget Carleton led Portland with 20 points in 29 minutes, while Cardoso’s record start positioned her above all: 30 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block.

The loss drops Portland’s record to 8-11, with a two game losing streak overall and a five game losing streak away from home.

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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 about how you can volunteer time and/or donate money to Basic Rights Oregon, browse this link.

An early Megan Gustafson three point shot sparked hope for the visitors. With 8:55 to go in the opening period, Emily Engstler added another trey. Soon, the Sky found their groove. The first quarter featured Chicago guard Sydney Taylor’s 5 point effort, and saw Mali international Aicha Coulibaly haul back-to-back buckets inside. After the home team hailed a Natasha Cloud 23 footer with 29.5 left, they took a 22-21 lead into the next quarter.

From there, the game burst open. Chicago won the second, third, and fourth quarters convincingly. At halftime, the Sky led by 7. Following the third quarter, the deficit was 15.

In postgame comments, Fire head coach Alex Sarama quickly diagnosed what went wrong:

“We shot 16 of 41 in the paint, 16 of 31 at the rim. It’s great we’re getting to the rim, but we’ve got to convert. In the paint [we were] 2 of 13, lot of rim twos. [When] you miss those paint shots, it leads to those transition spills, they get an advantage in transition, and I think why they (Chicago) shot so well at the rim tonight is so many of those were 1-on-0 layups in transition.”

At the game’s conclusion, seven Chicago players reached double-digit point totals: Skylar Diggins led the home team with 15 points, while teammates Sydney Taylor and Jacy Sheldon each notched 14, Kamilla Cardoso delivered 13, Azurá Stevens got 11, and Aicha Coulibaly & rookie guard Gabriela Jaquez both earned 10. Megan Gustafson led the Fire with 17 points on 6-12 shooting, but the difference in team shooting proved insurmountable. Chicago out-shot Portland 52% to 38%, got to the free throw line more (23-29 compared to 16-20 for the Fire), won the battle of the boards 38 to 29, and crushed their visitors in the paint 56 to 30.

The loss drops Portland to 8-10, 6th in the Western Conference and 11th in the WNBA playoff race.

Friday evening at 4:30 PM PST, the two sides will rematch in Chicago.

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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 about how you can volunteer time and/or donate money to Basic Rights Oregon, browse this link.

The struggling Portland Fire, with only one win in their last previous six games, battled all night long. When the final buzzer sounded, the Rose City’s expansion team had won the war.

Tonight, the Portland Fire came back to defeat the Seattle Storm 94-89.

The first period featured strong attacks from Sarah Ashlee Barker, who attempted four shots beyond the arc, a jumper at the high post, and a layup inside, going 2 for 6 from the field. Barker’s aggressiveness drew attention away from Bridget Carleton - who sank a pair of three point shots - and Portland led by as much as 9 in the opening quarter. When time expired, it was still anyone’s ballgame, with Seattle ahead 23-21.

The second quarter was a slugfest, with the lead toggling back and forth between sides. Portland fought off Seattle runs with rich contributions from the deep end of their bench. When the dust settled, rookies Frieda Bühner, and Nyadiew Puoch each scored, as did Euro veteran Teja Oblak, while rookie Serah Williams hauled in two rebounds. Just one point separated the two teams at halftime, with Seattle on top 48-47.

Coming out of the break, Fire assistant coach Danielle Boiago shared her impressions of the first half with RoseCity Sports Net:

“I love the way we started the game. We played with pace, and [we were] sharing the ball. Right now we have to clean up that 1-on-1 defense. Point of attack is not there; we need to be more aggressive with our shows, and just all-around more clutchness and more physicality.”

Through two quarters, Portland’s perimeter sniper Carleton was perfect from distance, with three treys. Twenty seconds into the third quarter, she dropped another bomb after receiving a cross-court lob from Carla Leite. On the next Portland possession, Leite hauled in a board, and then tried Carleton again, who watched her first three point miss of the night.

From there, the Fire struck ice. Cold shooting doomed their perimeter attack, and Seattle led by double digits with 4:45 remaining in the third. After a pair of free throws by Portland’s rookie center Williams, the Fire trailed 74-67 after three.

With ten minutes remaining, Seattle center Dominique Malonga led all scorers with 21 points on a staggering 9-of-13 field goal clip (69.2%), while four Fire players reached double digits: Leite led the Rose City with 14 points, flanked by Carleton’s 13, Barker’s 12, and reserve guard Karlie Samuelson’s 10.

On Portland’s first set of the fourth quarter, their Canadian captain Carleton sprung free for an open look beyond the arc. A split-second later, with the net swishing, Moda Center’s sizeable crowd roared in applause. A minute into the period, Seattle led 74-70.

Less than a minute later, Portland drew closer. First, center Megan Gustafson pried the ball free from Seattle guard Natisha Hiedeman, then Carleton raced across the halfway line, laid off to a driving Gustafson, and the Spain international collapsed the defense. Spotting a wide-open Barker over her left shoulder, Gustafson set up the second year guard for an arena-quaking three, but she missed the metal. A moment of anguish transformed into adoration after Leite scooped the rebound, and tipped the basketball through the net for two.

At the 4:39 mark, Portland inched within two once again thanks to Carleton’s sixth trey, which tied a career best she reached last Saturday.

With two minutes left, Leite and Gustafson connected for a game-tying triple. On the next Fire defensive stand, a 2-1-2 zone stymied Seattle into a rim-scraping miss from the top of the arc, followed by Emily Engstler’s lead-seizing post-up of Storm rookie third overall pick Awa Fam. That score grew with 40.5 remaining after Carleton drilled her seventh three - a new career high - and the Fire led by five.

Curiously, the Storm refused to foul. Taking advantage, Portland drained the clock. Maintaining a two-possession 94-89 edge with 8 seconds left, the game was no longer in doubt. When the cluck struck zeroes, the Rose City defeated their rivals by that margin.

Tonight, Bridget Carleton led Portland with 24 points on a personal best 7 made threes, while Carla Leite notched 20 points, and Sarah Ashlee Barker & Karlie Samuelson each reached double-digits. On the opposing side, Dominique Malonga managed an impressive 28 points, while Natisha Hiedeman finished with 19 points thanks to five treys.

Tonight’s comeback win lifts Portland’s record to 8-9, ahead of a long break. After completing seventeen games in the past forty days, the Fire will take a week off. Next Wednesday, Alex Sarama’s squad return to action against against the Chicago Sky. Tip-off is slated for 5 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.

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.

“We were a step slow. We didn’t do the basics in terms of what we want in pick & roll, and most importantly with our transition. The leakouts really hurt, and we didn’t have an answer for that. Yeah, lots to work on from tonight. We’re going to move on and get ready for Seattle.”

Sarama’s words were brief, but incisive.

As a team, Portland shot only 40.6% from the field and 33% beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Minnesota shot a blistering 54.5% across the floor and 43.5% from long range, out-rebounded the expansion side 49 to 39, got to the free throw line more often (22 attempts versus just 11 for the Fire), forced 24 Portland fouls, and stole 14 Portland possessions. When the final buzzer sounded, Minnesota had seven players reach double-digit point totals, a threshold only two Portland shooters could reach: Carla Leite and Frieda Bühner, who each scored ten points.

Portland took an early lead on a game-opening Leite three point shot, then padded their advantage 6-2 on a Megan Gustafson trey with 9:18 remaining in the opening quarter. After buckets from rookie sensation Olivia Miles and veteran forward Nia Coffey, Minnesota seized the lead. They would never relinquish it. After one quarter, Portland trailed the home team 35-21. At halftime, they lagged behind 60-40. Hopes for a comeback fizzled out after the third quarter, which concluded with a long range strike from Belgian guard Antonio Delaere. With only ten minutes remaining, Minnesota led by twenty-six points.

From there, Portland called in their reserves. Rookies Serah Williams and the aforementioned Bühner saw expanded minutes, as did former Oregon guard Holly Winterburn, but the game had long since been decided. With four minutes left, Minnesota claimed a 98-68 advantage. Two minutes away from relief, a pair of free throws by former Portland expansion draft pick Maya Caldwell - now a reserve guard for the Lynx - pushed the deficit to 34. After the clock mercifully flashed all zeroes, Portland suffered their largest margin of defeat in franchise history, 107-74.

The Portland Fire will return to the Pacific Northwest this week, hosting their arch-rivals Seattle Storm Wednesday night at 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 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.

Tonight the team’s Canadian star Carleton fired a career high six made three point shots, leading Portland past the Dallas Wings 84-83. The win snapped a four game losing streak.

While three point shots helped Portland seize the win, ironically they started frigidly cold beyond the arc. In the opening quarter, the Rose City’s expansion team missed six shots from distance, with only second year role players Luisa Geiselsöder and the aforementioned Barker swishing treys. Still, the Fire held on, trailing after only one point through ten minutes of action.

The second quarter saw Carleton’s career night begin to emerge. After receiving a lob from French point guard Carla Leite, Carleton shook past Dallas veteran Arike Ogunbowale on the left wing, and delivered a jaw-dropping step-back three point shot. Ninety seconds into the quarter, Portland held a one point advantage. A minute later, Leite tipped a loose ball to Sarah Ashlee Barker, who fed Emily Engstler in transition, who then found Carleton in quick succession. Left open on the right flank of the arc, Carleton pulled the trigger on another three pointer. With 7:19 remaining in the first half, the Fire led 26-18.

Portland stayed on top at halftime, 44-37, thanks to Carleton’s team high 11 points and 3-of-5 three point shooting rate. Her efforts were aided by Megan Gustafson, who excelled inside with 8 points thanks to a 50% field goal shooting clip. Repeatedly, Gustafson broke through the teeth of Dallas’ defense on pick & roll plays.

Dallas won the third quarter 24-19, slashing Portland’s lead to only 2 points entering the final frame, thanks to inspiring play from the veteran Ogunbowale, perimeter sniper Maddy Siegrist and rookie first overall draft pick Azzi Fudd, who combined for 9 points, 2 assists, and 1 steal. Portland earned their two-point edge in electric fashion. Moments after the Wings seized control on an Aziaha James layup, Carleton knocked down a buzzer-beater three, whipping the crowd into a frenzy.

The fourth quarter was a no holds barred slugfest, as both teams jostled for the win. Tied at 68 with 6:30 to go, German rookie Frieda Bühner broke the deadlock with a twenty-six footer. Dallas quickly seized the lead, but Portland leveled the scoreline with 3:35 left, on a Gustafson low block floater as the shot clock expired.

With just 1:25 remaining, Dallas appeared to hold a commanding 80-76 advantage, on a close range basket by their former UConn star Fudd. The next Portland set changed everything, with Gustafson receiving an inbounds pass, only to tap it to the hot hand Carleton, who sank a turnaround twenty-seven foot jumper. At the one minute mark, Portland trailed 80-79. That deficit held until 22.5 remaining, as Leite one-hopped a pass inside to Gustafson, and the Spain international drilled a lead-seizing layup.

From there, heroics bordered on hysterics. First, Fudd roared back with an and-1. Then, the Fire tied it up again on a Leite layup inside. In the final seconds, the Wings’ rookie sensation Fudd fell to the floor - following strong contact from the Portland big Gustafson - but no foul was called. The ensuing scramble saw Engstler come away with the loose ball, only to be met harshly by Dallas forward Alysha Clark. The three-time WNBA champion Clark drew a whistle, Engstler swished one of two free throws, and Portland held on for the win.

The Fire’s 84-83 win bumps their overall record to 7-8, 10th overall in the WNBA standings and 6th in the Western Conference. Tonight’s win also marks Portland’s first victory in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup (1-4). The Rose City’s expansion team will next play Monday night at the Minnesota Lynx, with tip-off scheduled for 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 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.

Last night, in a 105-89 loss to the Las Vegas Aces, the defending WNBA champions taught Portland a valuable lesson in star power.

Sin City superstar A’ja Wilson was a tour de force: in 36 minutes, the best player of her generation racked up 32 points on 50% field goal shooting, with five rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. As the game went on, her dominance in the paint demanded Portland’s full attention, opening up space for point guard Chelsea Gray, who scored 29 points thanks to 9 made three pointers. Behind their efforts, the Aces snatched the lead shortly before halftime and never looked back.

Notably, Portland star point guard Carla Leite was a game time decision, with the Fire coaches prepared to start to Euro veteran Teja Oblak. The second year French playmaker persevered through injury, earning 18 points and 8 assists in 28 minutes.

Las Vegas outrebounded Portland 42-19 on the night, and that lopsided statline featured prominently in postgame comments from Portland wing Bridget Carleton:

“Yeah, [Alex] calls it high school box out. [It is] none of that, because when we’re little we’re taught to have them behind us and box them out, clear the space, but we talk about frontal hits. I think we’re undersized a lot of the time, so it’s about gang rebounding. It’s not just one person’s job. It’s not the five whose under the basket all the time. Like, guards have to get in there. So that’s a technique that he is teaching us, but at the end of the day, there’s no X’s and O’s to solve for rebounding. Like, it’s about heart. It’s about wanting to get the rebound. It’s about getting the dirty ones, and just flying through the air and having some pride in that.”

Carleton scored 13 in the losing effort, narrowly behind Leite’s team-leading 18 points, and starting center Megan Gustafson’s 17 point tally.

The defeat extends Portland’s losing streak, and drops the Fire win-loss record to 6-8. The Rose City’s expansion team now sits 10th in the WNBA standings, good for 6th place in the Western Conference, ahead of a home matchup tomorrow night against Paige Bueckers’ Dallas Wings. Tip-off is slated for 5:30 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 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.

Through one quarter, the Fire stayed close thanks to crisp cuts from point guard Carla Leite, precision strikes from Sarah Ashlee Barker & Frieda Bühner, and plenty of free throws. Still, Los Angeles led 24-21, with transition defense once again proving difficult for the Rose City’s expansion team.

On the game’s opening possession - straight off opening the tip - Sparks’ star Nneka Ogwumike received an outlet pass from Erica Wheeler, and raced to the basket.

The final field goal of the first quarter occurred on another transition play, with Rae Burrell rebounding a Karlie Samuelson clang off the iron, and taking the orange coast to coast. When the period ended, Los Angeles led 24-21.

Trailing by five with ninety seconds burned in the second quarter, Portland center Megan Gustafson rallied her squad with an impressive physical display: after Emily Engstler’s three point effort caromed off the rim, the Spain international snared the rebound, lept up over two Sparks defenders while aiming a putback, and fell onto the floor in a heap of pain. Tough as nails, the eight year WNBA vet rose right back up, and stepped onto the free throw line.

Trailing by 3 after Gustafson’s play, the Fire inched closer on a beautiful give-and-go between Barker and Bühner with 5:13 to go. The next Los Angeles possession fell errantly into Barker’s grasps, who ignited the Fire in transition. First, she passed to Gustafson, who found backup point guard Teja Oblak at midcourt, who bounced one to Bühner. After the German rookie scored a layup, Portland held their first lead of the game.

Portland carried that lead into halftime, 43-41. Gustafson led Portland with 9 points, while Barker scored 7 and Leite scored 6.

Going into halftime, Portland felt hopeful. Those hopes dashed early in the second half, as explained postgame by head coach Alex Sarama.

“I thought our offense was very purposeful, intentional - the shot quality was really good - defensively we were very solid, crashing, we had like nine offensive rebounds at the half, two turnovers, and then it couldn’t be more of a reverse for how we started that third quarter. I felt it was our responses, when we came out with those early turnovers. We had three in the first three minutes, and a ton in that second half. I mean, it was 12, 13 turnovers in the second half.”

With 6:00 remaining in the third, the Sparks cashed in a Leite turnover, as Kelsey Plum received a gift from Ogwumike. Four minutes into the second half, the Fire trailed by seven. Less than a minute later, the four-time WNBA all-star Plum added to her tally with a twenty-six foot trey, raising Portland’s deficit to double digits.

At the three minute mark, German center Luisa Geiselsöder earned a traveling call - another turnover - and Los Angeles made Portland pay with a Burrell three pointer, moving ahead 60-49. The end of the period saw former Golden State Valkyries guard Kate Martin block Gustafson at the buzzer, and the Sparks led by nine.

Turnovers reared their head once again in the fourth quarter, exemplified by a play with 7:27 on the clock. Portland’s star point guard Leite raced through the teeth of a Los Angeles 1-2-2 zone, but Plum punched the ball free, then launched a three-on-one fast break across the floor, feeding Dearica Hamby off the bounce. Following Hamby’s layup, the Sparks led 71-57.

From there, the game fell out of reach, inspiring strong words from Portland head coach Alex Sarama after the loss.

“We speak a lot about our connectedness and togetherness as a group, and I feel like there were stretches in that half where we were palms up - we were reacting to the refs, to each other, in a way which we don’t believe is conducive at the Fire, and we talk a lot about that with our culture and everything. So I think that kind of just led to that spiral which we saw in the third.”

Sarama went on to challenge his team:

“We’ve got an off day tomorrow. We got two - we’re going to have two really good practice days - and then we’re going to go and show what we’re all about in this next game against Las Vegas.”

When the game ended, Megan Gustafson finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Dearica Hamby led Los Angeles with 22 points, followed closely by Nneka Ogwumike’s 20 points and Kelsey Plum’s 16.

The loss marks Portland’s third consecutive defeat, and drops their record to 6-7 this season. The Fire will next play the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday night, with tip-off teed up at 7 PM PST from Moda Center.

—

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 about how you can volunteer time and/or donate money to Basic Rights Oregon, browse this link.

Despite the tinkering, Portland trailed for most of the night, and fell to Phoenix 78-72.

That experimental lineup featured Spain international Megan Gustafson ahead of German center Luisa Geiselsöder. The first year coach also moved Aussie rookie Nyadiew Puoch to the bench, pairing expansion draft pick Sarah Ashlee Barker with star guard Carla Leite, while slotting two-way standouts Bridget Carleton and Emily Engstler on the wings. Together, the starters formed the core of a 4-1 dribble-drive motion offense.

Trailing 5-0 after two minutes, Leite broke free on a screen, backed up, and drilled a deep three from the right wing. Two minutes later, she scored again from close range. At the six minute mark, the French guard accounted for all five of Portland’s points.

From there, momentum flipped between the two sides, with Phoenix transition baskets setting up a 10-2 run, before Portland full court pressure curried favor back towards the home team. In the opening period, the Fire forced 6 Mercury turnovers.

In the final seconds of the first quarter, Engstler drove into the paint, striking nylons with a finger roll, and the buzzer rang with Portland trailing 21-16.

No matter how close Portland climbed, it wasn’t enough. The early minutes of the second quarter saw Phoenix match the Fire’s full court pressure with ferocity of their own, forcing an eight-second violation with 7:13 left, and maintaining a nine point lead. That margin shrank after a pair of buckets by Carleton, 31-24 Phoenix with 5:23 remaining, inspiring the Fire to fight back.

In a play that will likely be replayed in season highlight reels, the second year big Geiselsöder whipped a bounce pass to Euro veteran guard Teja Oblak, who raced unguarded to the hoop. With 4:16 left in the half, Phoenix led by five. Then, a Karlie Samuelson trey shaved the deficit to 34-29 with 2:53 remaining.

Moments after denying a Phoenix floater, the WNBA’s leading shot-blocker Engstler aimed a buzzer-beating three. The Portland forward scraped iron, inspiring oohs & ahhs from the anguished home crowd, and Phoenix took a 38-34 lead into halftime. Leite and Samuelson flashed atop Portland’s scoreboard with 7 points apiece, but the Fire shot only 38.7% as a team, and turned the ball over 10 times.

Portland’s icy offense warmed up in the third quarter, with a beautiful connection midway through the period. First, Leite drew a double team on the right edge of the perimeter. She then fed German rookie Frieda Bühner inside, whose penetration collapsed the defense, leaving Samuelson free behind the arc. Following the former London Lion’s third made three of the night, Portland trailed 44-39 with 5:15 remaining.

Late in the quarter, the Fire tried a packline defense, clogging passing lanes inside. The tactic paid dividends, with Gustafson swatting a Mercury pass across the perimeter, and then Carleton diving on the loose ball. Despite an agonizingly-close missed buzzer-beater by Barker, who heaved the rock from 3/4 court, Portland entered the fourth quarter down just 55-51.

With ten minutes of action remaining, the reserve guard Samuelson led all Fire shooters with 13 points across 13 minutes, thanks to a perfect 4/4 shooting clip.

Already accustomed to comebacks this season, Portland tried to start one early in the fourth. With 8:10 left, Carleton found Gustafson open behind the three point line. The Spain international’s trey trimmed the deficit to 3. Then, coming out of a timeout, Geiselsöder and Oblak hit back-to-back threes to complete the comeback. At the 4:31 mark, Portland held their first lead of the night.

From there, Mercury physicality proved the difference, as Phoenix leveraged Monique Akoa Makani’s length to disrupt passes. Gifted extra possessions in transition, the Mercury found forward DeWanna Bonner down low. Coming out of a timeout with 45.1 on the clock, Phoenix led 73-67.

After a pair of Natasha Mack free throws with 25.9 left, the margin was three possessions wide, 77-69 Phoenix. At the final buzzer, the Mercury escaped Portland up 78-72.

A month after making franchise history with a last-second buzzer-beater in Portland’s first win, Sarah Ashlee Barker led all Fire scorers with 15 points on 60% field goal shooting and a fiery 50% three point rate. She also hauled in 7 rebounds.

Tonight’s loss drops Portland to 6-5 on the season. The Fire will play again Sunday evening against Barker’s former team, the Los Angeles Sparks, with tip-off slated for 4 PM PST.

—

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.

Perhaps fitting at a venue WNBA fans call Ballhala, the former Valkyries rookie, swaggered onto the court like a triumphant hero. However, despite the French point guard’s best efforts, a record-setting three-point shooting mark pushed Golden State past Portland, 95-77.

Riding the hot hand, Portland started center Megan Gustafson, who notched a career-high 22 points last Saturday against Indiana. Ominously, the game’s first basket was a Kayla Thornton three pointer over the Spanish post. Later in the quarter, Gustafson scored back-to-back buckets paired with the Bay’s lost Leite Show on pick & rolls. At the 6:00 mark, Portland led 9-8.

Golden State tied the game with 4:30 remaining in the quarter, on a Thornton trey from the left wing. From there, the Valkyries held a narrow edge, led by their eleven year vet. When the opening period ended, she had 11 points on 3/6 shooting, and Golden State led 21-20.

Early in the second quarter, 2025 Valkyries first rounder Justė Jocytė swished back-to-back threes, pushing Golden State’s lead to 7 with 8:41 remaining.

Portland pulled closer two minutes later with a Bridget Carleton strike from the right wing of the arc. With 6:30 to go, the Fire trailed 33-30. Moments later, a Golden State trey on the other end pushed the margin back to two possessions. Adding insult to injury, the next Valkyries set ended with another triple by French forward Janelle Salaün. Halfway through the second quarter, the Valkyries shot 50% from the field and 52% from behind the arc.

Until the first half expired, threes kept dropping through the netting. At halftime, Golden State led 56-36 behind Thornton’s 4 triples and her team’s combined 12/23 rate from downtown. That mark set a new Golden State franchise record for three pointers made in a half. On the other side, Portland shot 14/32 from the field.

Despite the deficit, Portland fought hard. With 8:26 in the third, Carleton slashed into the paint, drew contact from Valkyries center Kiah Stokes, and sank a floater. Coming out of a timeout, the Canadian star knocked in a free throw to complete the and-1.

Halfway through the period, Portland trailed by twenty, but still found something to celebrate: their breakout star point guard Leite added to her accolades, sinking her 50th out of 52 free throws this season, good for the third highest mark in the W so far this year.

Chinese guard Kaitlyn Chen drove coast-to-coast for a buzzer-beating basket, padding Golden State’s lead to 74-56 after three quarters. Still, Portland rallied. Leite pried free on a pick & roll with 6:29 to go, finding her spot on the right edge of the high block, and drawing another foul. After sinking both free throws, the deficit was trimmed to 10. Thirty seconds later, Carleton bounced the ball to Emily Engstler in transition.

The connection seemingly woke Golden State, who roared back on an impressive run, which featured Thornton’s fifth three pointer on the night. With three minutes remaining, the Bay Area side led 88-73. From there, both sides looked to their benches. When the final buzzer sounded, Golden State emerged victorious 95-77.

With eighteen made three pointers, Golden State set an all-time franchise record for the most bombs dropped in one game.

The loss moved the Fire record to 6-5, 6th in the WNBA, and marks their first ever Commissioner’s Cup loss. Portland returns to action Friday night at 7 PM PST against the Phoenix Mercury.

—

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 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.

On Saturday night in Portland, they flipped the script.

After recovering from an 8-2 deficit early on, Portland put their foot on the gas and never looked back. Megan Gustafson got things going early, igniting the home crowd with back-to-back and one baskets.

A few moments later, Bridget Carleton(returning from injury) hit a 25-foot step-back three, prompting an Indiana timeout. However, this failed to extinguish the Fire’s momentum. Carleton finished a layup off an assist from Frieda Buhner, pushing the lead out to seven. Portland continued to clamp down on the defensive end, holding the Fever to just four points over the final five minutes of the first quarter.

Anyone who expected the Fire’s momentum to come to a halt were proven wrong, as they started the second quarter off the way they ended the first quarter. Emily Engstler got in on the action with a monstrous 30-foot three, doubling it up at 32-16. After a bucket from Raven Johnson got it back within 16, Megan Gustafson continued to excite by hitting a triple.

After Indiana put together a small run, Sarah Ashlee Barker responded with a huge three that swung momentum back to Portland’s favor. Overall, Clark and the fever just had a difficult time getting anything going in the first half. Barker stayed hot, putting up five more points in the remaining time of the second quarter. Indiana had managed to close the deficit, however, and it went into the break with Portland up 50-37.

Out of the dressing room, Portland took this game by the throat. Carla Leite and Emily Engstler found buckets early in the third quarter, and the Fire continued to impress on the defensive end. Despite a couple of threes from Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell, Portland never wavered in their offensive rhythm.

After a Carla Leite layup on a tough finish pushed the lead back out to 18 points, the game was never really in doubt from this point on. The Fever showed signs of life at times in the third quarter, but were never able to make much of a dent into the Fire’s lead. The Fire ended up winning this one by a final score of 100-84, setting a new franchise record for points.

Perhaps the most shocking stat of the night in Portland’s upset victory is that superstar Caitlin Clark was held to a total of six points, and shot 1-7 from the floor. Boston and Mitchell both had good nights, but it wasn’t enough for the visitors.

Center Megan Gustafson had a mammoth game for Portland, putting up a season-high 22 points, and shooting a perfect 8-8 from the floor. Engstler had 16 off of 7-10 shooting, and also grabbed ten rebounds for a double-double. Carla Leite, the motor of Portland’s offense, finished with an astounding 12 assists on the evening.

After four quarters tonight, that record remained intact, as the Atlanta Dream repeatedly capitalized on Portland mistakes - scoring 33 points off turnovers - and they beat the Fire by twenty. When the final buzzer sounded, Atlanta won 86-66.

Without Bridget Carleton - who missed the game due to a back injury - Portland relied on former Oregon Duck Holly Winterburn, making her first career start. Winterburn’s debut to the starting lineup began positively, with a drive and kick to veteran wing Emily Engstler for a corner trey.

Despite the Fire’s fine passing and ball movement early in the game, Atlanta took the lead thanks to ferocious rebounding. Later in the quarter, Portland rallied back: first, Karlie Samuelson scooped a board and fed Emily Engstler for a right wing triple with 4:37 to go, inching the margin to two. Then, Winterburn drove into the paint for a lay-up, tying the game at 14 with 2:22 remaining.

After one quarter, the Fire trailed 16-14.

Portland managed their first lead with 6:00 until halftime, as Carla Leite whipped the orange across the arc to Megan Gustafson, who swished a three from the top of the arc.

Later in the second quarter, Luisa Geiselsöder feds Sarah Ashlee Barker from close range, and Portland trailed 30-29. After a Rhyne Howard three ball, the Dream led 35-31 with thirty seconds left. Another Howard trey launched the deficit to 7 points, 38-31 at halftime.

In the first half, Portland shot just 4-13 from three point range, while Atlanta outfought them at the free throw line (7 of 8, versus 1 of 1 for the Fire), outrebounded them (13-10), and forced 14 Fire turnovers.

Both teams battled to begin the third quarter, with Portland inching within 2, 40-38, with 7:45 left. Angel Reese charged into the paint for an offensive foul, but then Geiselsöder gave possession back to Atlanta with an illegal screen. After a 7-0 Dream run, Portland whistled timeout with 6:44 remaining, but Atlanta roared right back. Thanks to another Howard three, their lead was double-digits. Behind a trio of perimeter strikes from Gustafson and Barker, Portland managed to crawl closer. When the third quarter ended, the Fire trailed 59-53.

Atlanta began the fourth quarter with a 7-0 run. The lead expanded further with 5:18 to go, when Dream big Naz Hillmon drove into Megan Gustafson down low, spun free, and buried a close-range bucket. Portland’s reserve center fell to the floor with an upper body injury, and Portland trailed 74-57. At their peak, the Dream managed a 16-4 run, and the game was well out of sight for the home team. As the final buzzer rang, the Dream beat the Fire 86-66.

The loss moves Portland’s record to 5-4, and sets up their first back-to-back of the season, a Saturday night matchup with Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever. Tip-off at Moda Center is scheduled for 5 PM PST.

—

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.

Following tonight’s game, a 71-61 win over the Connecticut Sun, the young German guard earned the full respect of the Rose City. The former developmental player made several clutch shots and pivotal stops in the fourth quarter, helping the Fire come back from a fourth quarter deficit, and pull away on a 16-2 run.

Portland found success early by whipping the ball across the perimeter, forcing Connecticut’s defense to shift, and then striking inside. One such set was finished by Bridget Carleton, who posted up Sun wing Aneesah Morrow, spun back, and swished a jumper from the elbow. With ninety seconds gone, Portland led 5-2.

That ball movement forced Connecticut to defend the arc, creating opportunities for the pick & roll. With 3:50 remaining in the first quarter, guard Teja Oblak broke free on a screen from rookie center Serah Williams, surged into the paint, and drew contact. After the 5’8” Slovenian hit 1-of-2 free throws, Portland led by four.

Portland’s ferocious full court press - a recurring feature of Alex Sarama’s young team so far this season - made it’s presence felt early in the second quarter. An errant pass to Connecticut guard Hailey Van Lith was deflected by second-year German center Luisa Geiselsöder, and recovered by Carla Leite, who immediately crashed into the paint, inciting Van Lith to foul. Through the Fire’s first 7 games, Leite is shooting above 90% from the stripe, and after sinking two free throws she buoyed Portland’s one point lead with 8:55 in the second quarter.

Late in the half, the Fire began to pull away. First, pinpoint passing across the arc twisted Connecticut’s interior defense, freeing up center Megan Gustafson down low. Following her successful bank shot from the low block, Portland led by 5. The next Connecticut possession ended in the blink of an eye, when Oblak ripped the ball free behind half court. She tossed the ball to Gustafson, who found Emily Engstler cutting towards the paint, and suddenly the Fire led by 7 with 4:24 remaining.

At halftime, Portland led 37-27. The Fire’s feisty perimeter defense - which struggled to contain New York and Indiana earlier this month - held Connecticut scoreless from beyond the arc (0 for 13), and forced 11 turnovers. Bridget Carleton led the home team’s attack with 11 points and 5 rebounds, while do-it-all sixth player Sarah Ashlee Barker offered just 2 points, but notched 6 rebounds and a steal.

Coming out of the break, Portland assistant coach Danielle Boiago spoke with RoseCity SportsNet, and praised her team’s defensive effort:

“That was a focus for us coming off that New York game. We needed to just up our defensive intensity, and I think our disruption has been great, now we need to just take care of the rebounds.”

Momentum held early in the third quarter, exemplified by a Leite pick & roll dish to Gustafson close to the rim. At three minutes elapsed, Portland led by seven.

Following that basket, Connecticut stormed back with a 15-4 run. After Charlisse Leger-Walker posted up Barker with 6:29 remaining, the margin was trimmed to 3. Then, Diamond Miller ripped the ball free from Leite near half court, sprinting away for a fast break bucket. Moments after recovering a Carleton turnover and converting in transition, the Sun led 44-43 with 5:00 remaining.

With less than two minutes left in the third, Oblak kept the margin at 1 with a rapid heave backdoor to wide open rookie second-rounder Bühner. The German wing stayed in the spotlight on Connecticut’s next set, holding her own 1-v-1 against the bigger, longer Morrow, and rebounding her miss. Through three periods, the two teams tied 50-50.

The fourth quarter began with a scare. Jumping up for a contested rebound with 8:46 to go, Portland’s veteran leader Engstler took a shot to the lower neck from Connecticut guard Gianna Kneepkens. Despite the pain, the former Indiana and Washington rotation player - who broke out this preseason with Portland - stayed in the game.

Portland trailed by as much as 7 early in the fourth, but then lifted their game in the clutch. Coming out of a timeout, Alex Sarama dialed up more full court pressure, reaping rewards: distracted in a race to the midcourt logo, Sun guard Ashlon Jackson lost sight of Geiselsöder, who punched the basketball loose. In an instant, Oblak scooped the orange ahead to Geiselsöder, who rifled it across the floor to her fellow German, Bühner. Following a successful finger roll from the rookie, Portland seized the lead 56-55 with 5:37 left.

The run continued with another Bühner bucket, then a Carleton seven-footer. After Connecticut inched the margin back to a manageable three points, Leite and Bühner dropped back-to-back bombs behind the arc, lifting Portland ahead by nine with 1:54 left. At the final buzzer, the Fire earned their 5th win of the year with a 71-61 final score.

Carla Leite led all Fire scorers with 20 points, but Bühner’s contribution cannot be understated: the 21 year old from Georgsmarienhütte scored a career-high 9 points in 13 minutes - 7 in the final period - and shot 80% from the field.

The win moves Portland’s record to 5-3, good for sixth place in the Western Conference, and sets up a battle with 4-2 Atlanta on Friday night. Tip-off is scheduled 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 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.

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.

—

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.

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.

Adelante Mujeres offers Latine women and their families holistic programs and the tools to achieve self-determination in the areas of education, leadership training, and enterprise. To learn more about donating, browse this link.

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.

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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.

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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.

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