The Portland Fire drafted Carla Leite as part of the team's expansion draft this year, something that came as a surprise to Golden State Valkryies fans — because it revealed the team opted against protecting her. Leite, who played professionally in France before she was chosen as part of the Valkyries' own expansion draft in December 2024, endeared herself to fans in the Bay Area and was considered by many to be part of the fabric the team was built on.
That loss has only become more pronounced, as Leite is thriving in Portland and has already become a big part of the identity the Fire is projecting to its fans and to the rest of the WNBA.
Leite made a splash on Saturday when she scored the first-ever points for the Fire, something she did quickly and efficiently. Being fast is part of Leite's game; she's an enthusiastic athlete and a hard worker, and someone who clearly takes the sport of basketball seriously. She's also a future member of the French National Team, an honor she coudl hol as soon as the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California.
Carla Leite is an important part of the Portland Fire
Building an expansion team from the ground up isn't easy, as the Valkyries know well and the Fire is learning. The fact that both teams drafted Leite isn't a huge coincidence — the Fire's GM Vanja Černivec worked for the Valkyries last season. Though Černivec has repeatedly insisted that neither team set out to heavily recruit European players, there's no denying that they've both benefitted from having done so.
If Leite misses the Bay Area, it's not obvious in the way she's playing. Her development is moving along at a pace that's noticeable, and she's making real-time adjustments mid-game — something that is part of head coach Alex Sarama's Constraints-Led Approach (CLA) basketball philosophy. Part of Sarama's coaching includes drafting detailed reports that are constantly reworked and studied throughout a game or practice, which means multiple coaches are specifically thinking about each individual on the court each day.
Clearly, that kind of attention is helping Leite unlock new parts of her game. That's a major plus for the Fire, and a huge loss for Golden State. The Valkyries began the 2026 season on a bit of a downward spiral in terms of PR after bungling the Flau'jae Johnson draft night trade scenario and waiving fan favorite Kate Martin weeks later.
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