Portland Fire Fall to Seattle 91-81 in First Preseason Game
Portland fans lose their preseason opener, but gain the pride of a WNBA team representing the Rose City.
Tonight, the reborn WNBA expansion Portland Fire achieved something not seen since the original Portland Fire franchise folded in early 2003.
Tonight, April 29th 2026, the new Fire played their first ever preseason game. When the final buzzer rang, the Seattle Storm won 91-81.
Despite a ten point defeat at the hands of their I-5 rivals, the significance of this game will not be found in the final score. Instead, it shows in the immediate success of ten women returning professional women’s basketball to the Rose City.
Injuries defined Portland’s lineup leading up to the opening tip. Free agent signings Karlie Samuelson and Teja Oblak were ruled out, as were expansion draft picks Sug Sutton and Maya Caldwell, while Kamiah Smalls was listed as doubtful.
Without them, the Fire brought out guards Carla Leite & Sarah Ashlee Barker, forwards Emily Engstler & Nyadiew Puoch, and center Luisa Geiselsöder for the first starting lineup in franchise history. Five others - Jordan Harrison, Megan Gustafson, Serah Williams, Haley Jones, and Peyton Williams - saw action as the game progressed.
Following the first minute of play, Leite and Puoch combined for a pick and roll, with the Australian rookie big kicking out to an open Engstler on the baseline, who scored the first basket in franchise history.
Decisive speed surged Seattle past Portland 10-7 at the game’s first timeout. Possession after possession, Fire miscues sparked Storm attacks in transition.
Coming out of the break, third round draft pick Williams was a revelation. First, the UConn center bullied white & green-adorned defenders for a contested rebound, then banked a bucket from close range. Minutes later, free agent guard Harrison shoveled the basketball past her shoulder to an open Williams, who calmly swished a jumper from the top of key.
After one full quarter of action, Portland trailed 27-19, with Seattle fast break opportunities buttressing the home team’s impressive 46.2% field goal shooting percentage.
Trailing by ten points halfway through the second quarter, the Fire played up to what general manager Vanja Černivec dreamed they could accomplish: Leite rebounded an air-balled trey, strode to the halfcourt line, and bounced the ball to free agent center Gustafson in transition. Matched up against a helplessly undersized guard, the Spain international tore into the paint for an easy layup.
As the second quarter progressed, the young, expansion team tightened up defensively. Steals by Barker and Jones created efficient shots from point-blank range. Through the first half, the Rose City’s side tallied eleven steals. Despite once trailing by double digits, the Fire marched into halftime down just one possession. At the buzzer, the Storm led 45-42.
Halfway through, Portland’s highest scorer was Barker; the expansion draft pick, a second-year guard from the Los Angeles Sparks, earned 11 points on 44% shooting. The German big Geiselsöder, a fellow expansion draft selection entering her second year in the W, had 10 points thanks to 60% from the field and a fiery 50% from behind the arc. Williams, the third rounder with a steep climb to make the final roster, notched a team-high 7 plus-minus. On the other side, first round rookie Flau’jae Johnson tied former NCAA champion guard Zia Cooke with 8 points.
Momentum stayed in Portland’s favor to begin the second half. With just over a minute gone, former Stanford standout Jones went coast-to-coast for a game-tying layup. The Fire’s next offensive stanza saw Leite drawl a foul after driving into the paint. The French international proceeded to calmly deliver a lead-seizing free throw, 47-46 Fire with 8:13 in the third.
For one night, the former LSU star Johnson proved Seattle right for drafting her. Following a stretch of several minutes where the lead toggled between teams, the WNBA draft’s eighth overall pick accrued a balance of rebounds, steals, fast break layups, three point shots, and free throws. When the third quarter ended, she had a game-high 15 points. Meanwhile, tired legs betrayed the injury-stricken Fire. Entering the final ten minutes of game time, Climate Pledge Arena’s scoreboard flashed 67-60 Storm.
The fourth quarter featured an awesome display of long distance strikes. Leite, Gustafson, and free agent signing Williams all sank threes. Seattle’s lead held, however, as Johnson and Cooke made their own magic happen on the perimeter.
Coming out of a timeout with Seattle on top 78-73 and under six minutes remaining, Engstler was ruled out with an ankle injury. The Fire starting forward finished with 5 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2 steals.
Without her, the Fire lacked length to disrupt Seattle passing lanes, and the Storm cruised ahead double digits for the first time since the first quarter. In the game’s closing moments, both sides called upon reserves, and the Storm secured a ten point win, 91-81.
Alabama Crimson Tide legend Sarah Ashlee Barker, starting at guard tonight, earned 14 points across a team-high 33 minutes. Promising German big Luisa Geiselsöder scored a team-high 15 points.
On Sunday May 3rd, Portland concludes their preseason with a home contest against the Los Angeles Sparks. Tip-off is slated for 4 PM PST inside Moda Center.
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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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