Like the rest of the WNBA, the Portland Fire had a two-week break while Team USA won a gold medal at the FIBA World Cup. Or, at least, about half of the Fire had a break, since six players departed to play in the international tournament (Carla Leite helped France win the silver medal, Megan DiLeo and Iyana Martín helped Spain get the bronze, and Frieda Bühner and Luisa Geiselsöder represented Germany, while Amy Okonkwo played for Nigeria).
The team’s return to the court has been pretty brutal. The Fire began what turned out to be a three-game losing streak when they hosted the Phoenix Mercury at the Fire Pit on September 17, playing without Leite and DiLeo. The team was also missing Bridget Carleton, who was out with an ankle injury. Sarah Ashlee Barker, who tore her ACL in July, was present at the game for support, but unable to play.
Though head coach Alex Sarama offered a bit of optimism before the game when he told reporters the break offered a “reset” of sorts for everyone involved, the Fire was tasked with playing longer rotations against Phoenix. The team typically rotates in and out of games every five to ten minutes, something that sets them apart from other teams in the WNBA.
The return to play “almost felt a little bit like a new season,” Sarama said. Everyone “came back with all these ideas.” He added he was “excited” for the game—if anything, Sarama loves new ideas, knowledge, and when people do their homework.
Despite the team’s 94-91 loss (that’s only one possession), Portland showed up and nearly had the whole game in the bag. Emily Engstler clearly took it upon herself to attempt to win the game and added on 21 points (which included five three-pointers). That effort was nearly matched by Holly Winterburn, who added 18 points of her own.
Portland trailed the Mercury for much of the match but made a strong push in the fourth quarter, a part of the game they always take seriously, and were up 82-79 with over four minutes left—that is, until Alyssa Thomas landed two free throws and Sami Whitcomb added to Phoenix’s lead. The Fire were on the brink of taking over with 21 seconds left, but Karlie Samuelson missed a three-pointer, Phoenix’s Natasha Mack hit her free throws, and that was the game.
The loss stung, but there were moments to celebrate. Winterburn, who hit a big buzzer-beater shot at the end of the third quarter, told reporters after the game those are the types of shots the team practices often.
“We actually practice those shots, off one leg, and from really deep,” she said. The moment might seem extraordinarily big to fans, and it is, but “I’m just comfortable shooting it,” she added. “Alex has full confidence in us to shoot those. Just throw it up there.”
Portland headed down to San Francisco the next day, where they ultimately lost 88-62 to the relentless Golden State Valkyries. That match was always going to be tough, because the Valkyries were extra-motivated by a postseason factor: the team was hoping to overtake the Minnesota Lynx as the top seed as the WNBA’s top eight teams head into the playoffs later this month, and every win counted.
The Fire were again forced to play without Carleton, though Leite returned to the floor. The team was led in scoring by Bühner, who ended the night with 14 points in 14 minutes and was the only player who shot above 50 percent. Leite added another 12 points, and Nywadiew Puoch had 11. Despite a first-quarter lead, turnovers once again proved to be Portland’s undoing. The team ended the night with a whopping 23 turnovers, a nearly impossible number to record and still win.
If there is a silver lining (and it’s always worth looking for one), the Fire have struggled with turnovers all season, and everyone involved with the team knows that it’s an issue they’ll have to figure out before next year. The Fire were ultimately undone when the Valkyries launched a fierce run in the third quarter.
Coming off back-to-back losses is always difficult, and the Fire struggled mightily in the team’s September 20 game against the Los Angeles Sparks. Though Leite was back in form and tacked on 23 points to the team’s total, they were still pummeled 105-84. The team failed to hit most of their three-point attempts in the first quarter, turnovers again became a problem, and the Sparks were up 61-40 at the half. Things didn’t improve for Portland from there.
Even Sarama described the team’s “effort level” as “inexcusable” during the first half of the game. “In terms of our identity, togetherness, [the] spirit wasn’t right,” he also told reporters after the match. “The second half response was better, but you know, this is a true test of our identity in these games.”
Sarama also put the responsibility on the team to make the last game count. He told reporters in LA, “[In] the last one, we’re playing for something we owe to each other, to our fans that come out, with more in this last game. We’ve had so many positives this year, so we know we want to make sure we end this the right way.”
That last game is on September 22, when the Fire host the Valkyries at home in Portland. No matter what happens, Engstler told reporters after the Mercury game that having fans show up is what will mean the most.
“I really hope everyone can come out and support us in that game,” she said. “I mean, I think it will be a really great, great thing for us to end this season on a high note with a win, especially against a good team like the Valkyries.”
The fans “have been supporting us all year,” she added. “We truly have a great fan base. We’re very grateful for them, and I hope everyone can come in and pack out the fire pit.”
Do you hear that, Portland? IT’S YOUR LAST CHANCE: Tuesday, September 22, the Moda Center, 7 pm, buy tickets here. Be there.