Carla Leite's 23 Points Push Fire Past Mercury

Thanks to the French point guard's 23 points and 5 assists, Portland won their second straight game.

When the Portland Fire picked Carla Leite in their expansion draft this past Spring, the second-year Golden State Valkyries backup guard was considered a hidden gem.

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

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

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

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

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