The Portland Fire just won their first game, and it was perfect
Bridget Carleton recorded a career-high 26 points, Carle Leite added 21, and Sarah Ashlee-Barker tallied the game-winner. The roster? The Portland Fire’s first win, a clutch-time defeat of the New York Liberty.
PORTLAND, OREGON - MAY 09: Fans watch Portland Fire player introductions against the Chicago Sky at Moda Center on May 09, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Portland Fire’s roster doesn’t include many big-name WNBA players. One of two expansion teams to join the league this season, their roster is headlined by strong role players like Bridget Carleton, Carle Leite, and Emily Engslter, players who have never been primary options in the WNBA, and fought tooth and nail to make it.
But on Tuesday night in Portland, as streamers inundated the stands, the roster’s relative name recognition didn’t matter. Thanks to a Sarah Ashlee-Barker game-winning putback layup, the Fire defeated the New York Liberty 98-96, toppling a veteran squad that boasts stars like Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones. SARAH ASHLEE BARKER WINS IT FOR PORTLAND AT THE BUZZER OMGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!
😭 pic. twitter. com/XAy7am0Dj6 — Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) May 13, 2026 Important disclaimer: the Liberty have not been healthy to begin the season; two of their most important players — Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally — are both sidelined.
Still, few would have predicted that the Fire, who fell to the Chicago Sky on opening night, would come away with their first win of the season on Tuesday against. Bridget Carleton did everything she could to ensure it would happen. The 28-year-old was selected No.