By: Jennifer Portee
5/13/2026
It didn’t come easy, and it didn’t come clean, but for the Portland Fire, it came right on time.
With the clock winding down and the moment hanging in the air, Sarah Ashlee Barker fought through traffic, secured the miss, and flipped in a putback just before the buzzer lifting the expansion franchise to a dramatic 98-96 win over the New York Liberty on Tuesday night. Just like that, Portland had its first win in franchise history.
The moment unfolded in complete chaos. After a late three-second call gave Portland one more chance, Bridget Carleton pulled the trigger from deep, but it came off hard, no rim, just a loose ball up for grabs. Barker reacted first, fighting through traffic to secure it and power it back up under pressure, instantly sparking a celebration as her teammates rushed in around her.
While Barker delivered the final moment, Carleton was the engine all night. She had a career-high 26 points, knocking down five shots from deep and consistently stretching New York’s defense. Carla Leite added 21 points and six assists, controlling tempo and creating offense when Portland needed it most. Luisa Geiselsoder and Kamiah Smalls each chipped in 13, giving the Fire the kind of all-around production you need to take down a contender.
New York didn’t go quietly.
Even without Sabrina Ionescu, who sat out with a left foot injury, the Liberty still showed their depth. All five starters finished in double figures, led by rookie Pauline Astier’s 24-point breakout performance. Marine Johannes added 18, while Jonquel Jones (17 points) and Breanna Stewart (16 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks) did their usual heavy lifting. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton contributed 10 points in a complete effort that nearly spoiled Portland’s night.
The game itself felt like a shootout. Both teams were hot from deep, combining for 28 made three-pointers. Carleton looked like she might have delivered the decisive blow with a clutch three that gave Portland a 94-91 lead with under three minutes left. But Johannes answered right back, hitting a tough, off-balance triple with the shot clock fading to tie it at 94 and set up the wild finish.
And yet, in the end, it came down to effort more than execution.
Portland fed off the energy in the building and refused to let the moment slip away. Just days after a historic home opener crowd, that same atmosphere held strong into crunch time, and it was that extra push that made the difference.
The Fire may be new, but they’re already showing something you can’t teach late in games: belief.
New York will get another shot quickly, staying in Portland for the second game of the back-to-back on Thursday this time looking to finish what they couldn’t close.
And Portland? That first win didn’t come easy, but it’s one they’ll remember for a long time.