The Portland Fire rallied after a near-hopeless start to beat the second-place Golden State Valkyries 90-82 in overtime on Tuesday to close out their first season back in the WNBA since 2002. Bridget Carleton led the way at the Moda Center with 26 points, while Emily Engstler had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Jordan Harrison added 10 vital assists off the bench. Gabby Williams had 17 points for the visitors.
It took 2:18 of game time for either team to score. Once the Valkyries made
their first shot, their offense got into a rhythm. By the time the first timeout had arrived with 5:39 left in the in the first quarter, the Fire still hadn’t gotten on the scoreboard. When the Fire finally broke the spell through a Carleton three, there was just 3:19 left in the quarter and the Valkyries had a 14-point lead. Credit to the Fire for stopping the bleeding; they finished out the quarter without losing any more ground, and it was 24-10 at the end of one. It’s never a good sign when you finished a quarter with one more turnover than made shots, but that’s what the Fire did with 5 turnovers and 4 makes.
The bench came in and added some much needed energy. Harrison in particular brought quickness and sharp passing, and shots started to fall. Harrison quickly tallied six assists, and the Portland defense began to make life difficult for the Valkyries. Golden State had led by as many as 17, but the Fire cut it to seven with 6:17 to go in the half. Energy is infectious, and when the starters began coming back in, their energy level matched the bench players, and folks, we had a ball game. An improbable 20-5 run cut the lead to just 1 point with 3:22 remaining in the second quarter. During the run, it was the Vakyries who were turning the ball over, and the Fire wouldn’t be denied on the offensive end, even if it took three offensive boards in a single possession to get some points. With 33 seconds left, Megan DeLio converted an and-one to tie it up, and a defensive stop followed by a pair of Engstler free throws gave the Fire their first lead of the game. Truly amazing stuff. An unfortunate end to the half saw the Fire leak some points, so it finished 40-37 for the Valkyries.
The Valkyries were well and truly out of their second quarter funk in the third quarter, but the Fire hung with them through threes from Carleton. A mini-burst from Golden State toward the end of the quarter allowed them to take a 61-58 lead at the end of three, setting up a fourth quarter with the Fire in striking distance for the upset.
When the Valkyries jumped out to a seven-point lead with all the momentum and only 2:13 to go in the game, the casual viewer would be excused for thinking this one was over. Fire fans know better. The Fire forced consecutive turnovers, and flipped the momentum on its head. Every trip down the court was vital for Portland, and they didn’t miss a single opportunity. They cut the lead to five, then three, then one. With 38 seconds to go, Leite pulled out the Eurostep in traffic, converted off-balance, and picked up the foul, promptly converting the added free throw for a two-point lead. Golden State tied it up and, after a wayward attempt from Leite, had a chance to win it in regulation. Golden State missed however, and a DiLeo rebound should have given the Fire one last chance, but the refs inexplicably failed to acknowledge Coach Alex Sarama desperate calls for a timeout and time expired tied at 77-77.
Overtime was Leite time. A patented hard-driving layup gave the Fire their first lead of overtime with 1:57 to go. Then, clinging to a two-point lead with the shot clock running down, Leite hit a teardrop jumper while getting fouled. The converted free throw gave the Fire an 87-82 lead with only 27 seconds to go. Some lack of discipline at the end of the game from the Valkyries gave the Fire some freebie trips to the free throw line, and the Fire coasted home to seal the upset. What a way to end the season!
Here’s what we’ll remember from this one.
The Poorest Of Poor Starts
It couldn’t have been more disappointing for the Fire to start out so poorly. Nothing was going right: turnovers galore, shots weren’t falling, the Valkyries looked like world-beaters after they finally found the bottom of the net, and the energy was low. Props to the Portland faithful, they never gave up and did all they could to inject some energy into the team. As we’ve seen time and time again, this team never knows when it is beaten, and the bench deserves all of the credit for changing the trajectory of the game. Point guard Jordan Harrison should get enormous credit for coming on the court and playing quick, decisive basketball, setting up teammates for open looks. Coming back from 17 down to make a game of it exemplifies this season’s team.
Bridget Carleton
After having missed the previous three games due to a left ankle injury, it was so nice to see Carleton back on the court. Her 26 points and five three point makes were instrumental in keeping the Fire in the game against the heavily-favored Valkyries.
Give it Up for the Bench
This game was all but over in the first quarter. It was the energy from the bench that turned this game on its head. Jordan Harrison and Charisma Osbourne deserve the lion’s share of the praise. If the Valkyries thought the rest of the game would be a stroll through the park, Harrison and Osbourne made it clear that Golden State better not come half-hearted. Hounding defense and energetic offense saved the day for the Fire.
Alex Sarama
The Portland Fire’s coach had a tremendous season as head coach. The Fire played an entertaining brand of basketball from the first game, and he and his staff formed a team that played hard, fought for each other and never gave up. The growth of this team over the season, both collectively and individually, has been a joy to watch. Widely expected to be the doormats of the league, their mid-table finish was a real achievement for this young team, and fans should be optimistic for the future knowing that they are in good hands.
Season Thoughts
I hope you’ve had as much fun this season as we have! We’ve seen the emergence of Carla Leite, the fans put down a marker as the best in the WNBA, tremendous fourth-quarter comebacks and multi-overtime heartbreak. This team beat teams with more talent and more to play for, even after they were eliminated from playoff contention. This game is just another reminder of what happened all season. It doesn’t matter who you are, if you come to Moda Center, you’d better be ready to play until the final horn sounds. The Fire finished with the second best inaugural season in WNBA history. That’s a massive achievement, and something to build on. See you next season!
Box Score
Up Next
The next semi-scheduled event for the Portland Fire is the 2027 WNBA Draft, set for sometime in April. The league has announced a 50-game regular season in 2027, up from 44 games this season. The starting date for the 2027 season has yet to be announced.
