The Portland Fire faded in the second half against the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday, falling 89-72 to drop below .500 on the season (6-7). Shooting troubles plagued the Fire throughout the contest, eventually leading to the double-digit loss.
Portland was led by center Megan Gustafson’s 16-point, 12-rebound double-double. The only other Fire players in double-digits were guard Carla Leite and forward Emily Engstler, who finished with 10 points each.
The Sparks were led by forward Dearica Hamby, who
finished with 22 points. Forward Nneka Ogwumike and guard Kelsey Plum also contributed heavily to the win with 20 and 16 points, respectively.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the key factors in the game.
Getting the Job Done in the First Half
In the first half, the Fire shot just 33% from the field and 11% from behind the arc. Despite that, they held a 43-41 lead at the break. They managed to hold the lead thanks to their aggressive play and disciplined defense. Their offensive game plan led to lots of attempts in the paint and lots of free throws. Portland drew 10 fouls on the Sparks, leading to a 13/14 mark at the free throw line.
In addition, the Fire snagged 27 rebounds in the half, 9 of which were offensive boards, compared to just 20 from Los Angeles. Their defensive game plan also limited the impact of Plum, the WNBA’s leading scorer. She was held to just three points with no shot attempts in the half.
Second Half Collapse
That poor shooting finally caught up to the Fire in the second half. And when it hit them, it hit them hard. The Sparks shot out of the locker room with a 14-2 run to go up 10 points. From there they never looked back.
In the third quarter alone, Portland had nine turnovers after taking good care of the ball throughout the first half. Los Angeles’s defense led to 23 points on the other end in the game. Partner that with an unfortunately consistent percentage from the field and three-point line throughout the game for the Fire, and it spelled disaster. The Sparks won the third quarter 23-12 and the fourth quarter 25-17 on their way to the win.
Sarah Ashlee Barker
This game was Fire guard Sarah Ashlee Barker’s second start of the season, taking the place of Nyadiew Puoch in the starting lineup. While this wasn’t her best shooting performance, 2/8 from the field and 1/5 from deep, her impact was clearly felt throughout the game. She finished with 6 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, a steal and a block. She has been the ultimate do-it-all player throughout the season and has continued to flash different parts of her game.
This game it was her playmaking that jumped out the most. She had three assists in the second quarter, all three highlight-worthy passes.
Bridget Carleton
Fire forward Bridget Carleton was very quiet tonight. She scored just seven points on four shots. This marks the third straight game where Carleton has failed to eclipse 10 shot attempts in a game, all three games resulting in losses. Her offensive ability is an important part of the Fire’s identity, and Carleton being more involved in the offense has led to good results so far this season.
Carleton was able to grab seven rebounds and made all four of her attempts from the free throw line, so she did still have a positive impact. However, it was not quite the scoring performance Portland has come to expect from her, or rely on from her.
Up Next
The Fire have a couple days off before facing the reigning WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces at home on Thursday, June 11 at 7:00 p.m. PDT.
