Bridget Carleton Tops Career Highs Again in Fire Win, 94-89
The Canadian star's seven made threes - a new personal best - pushed Portland past their rival Seattle, 94-89.
From the opening minutes, this game felt different.
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.
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