In their first game back since the FIBA World Cup break, last night the Portland Fire narrowly fell to the Phoenix Mercury, 94-91.
Portland led by 7 at halftime, despite the absences of injured sharpshooter Bridget Carleton, World cup runner-up Carla Leite, and World Cup third-place finisher Megan DiLeo. Emily Engstler’s strong showing - 21 points with an impressive 5/8 three point shooting rate - carried Portland all night.
However, it wasn’t enough. 6 different Phoenix players eclipsed double digit point tallies, led by a game high 22 from guard Shay Ciezki, who echoed Engstler’s shooting form: 5/8 from the field, and 3/5 beyond the arc. The Indiana rookie also added a pair of rebounds, three assists, and two steals, while only seeing 21 minutes of action.
Portland held the slimmest of leads through three quarters, 69-68, before Phoenix pulled away in the final period. Down 90-88 with 21 seconds left, Karlie Samuelson missed a three pointer, and a Phoenix rebound soon transformed into two Natasha Mock free throws.
The loss drops Portland to 16-25 in their expansion season, with another matchup tonight against the Golden State Valkyries at 7 PM PST.