The Portland Fire took down the Atlanta Dream 101-83 on Friday night, securing a win over one of the WNBA’s top teams. It was a dominant end-to-end game for the Fire as they were able to maintain their lead throughout the contest.
Carla Leite and Emily Engstler led the way for Portland with 26 and 25 points respectively. They both were ultra-efficient with their opportunities, leading to their scoring outbursts.
Rhyne Howard finished with 26 points to lead the Dream. Angel Reese was second on the team
with 16 points and 16 rebounds, tying the WNBA record with her 28th double-double this season.
Here are some key takeaways from the game:
Emily Engstler
Engstler’s 25 points in the game set a new career high. She was dominant in the contest, making 11 of her 14 shots from the field, including 3 of her 5 three-point attempts. In the first half alone she had 18 points to lead all scorers and contribute to the advantage the Fire held at the break.
But it was defensively that Engstler had the most impact, surpassing even her incredible offensive output. She recorded four steals and four blocks. She was all over the place: in passing lanes, defending at the rim, pressuring the ball-handler. It was a masterclass offensively and defensively for the forward as she singlehandedly spearheaded runs, helping the Fire hold the lead throughout.
Points In The Paint
The Dream are near the top of the WNBA in points in the paint this season. But Portland got to the rim at will, stopping Atlanta from being able to do the same. A 50-28 advantage in the paint in favor of the Fire was one of the major factors in the dominant win. Easy baskets flooded in to help build the lead. Runs never got started on the other end thanks to the defensive intensity of Portland.
That intensity did lead to a 24-16 foul discrepancy, making it a 24-14 advantage for the Dream in free throw attempts. However, limiting their paint presence outside of tough looks and fouls was clearly the defensive game plan for the contest, and it worked incredibly.
Building For The Future
The Fire are already eliminated from playoff contention this season. Atlanta is locked into a spot. At the end of the day this game didn’t mean much for either team’s respective fate. However, heading on the road to face a good team jostling for position while you yourself are already eliminated seems like the type of game one would expect to end in a blowout, just the other way around. Instead Portland fought tooth and nail to gain and maintain their lead in the contest, and they emerged victorious.
This is the type of win that a team building for next season loves to see. A bunch of players who just go out and play, and play well, regardless of the circumstances. Being able to not just roll over and get demolished is one thing. Going out and leading almost the entire game is another thing entirely. It’s a win that can inspire confidence looking to the future of the Portland Fire.
Up Next
Portland is back in action at home against the Golden State Valkyries on Sunday, August 30th at 4:00 p.m. PST.
