The Portland Fire came into the 2026 season as the team everyone thought they would beat. And some teams definitely have: the team has lost games to the Chicago Sky, the New York Liberty, and the Indiana Fever. But they've also won games against the Liberty, the Connecticut Sun, and the Toronto Tempo. In fact, every time the Fire has lost a game, they've demonstrated the ability to turn around and win one—a sure sign that the team is getting better and learning, game by game.
If the Fire keeps this up, and there's very little reason to believe they won't, one thing will quickly become incredibly clear: the Fire wants to prove you, me, all of us wrong.
On the surface, there's a lot working against the Fire: the team is brand new, one of two expansion teams making their debut this season. They also have a brand new coach, Alex Sarama, who doesn't have experience in the WNBA. On top of that, Sarama and his coaching staff operate under his Constraints-Led Approach (CLA), a system that encourages players to make real-time adjustments, and to seize opportunities for themselves.
While plenty of people on the outside are still attempting to understand what exactly CLA is, it certainly looks like the players on the Fire are more than caught up. Everything that makes the Fire great was on full display Saturday, when the team put on a collective show.
That performance was led by Bridget Carleton, who is the first player the team drafted and also the first player to officially sign a contract with the Fire. Carleton hit 15 points, and was joined by Carla Leite, who had 15 points of her own, and Megan Gustafson, who had 14.
While speaking to reporters after the game, Carleton emphasized that the win was one that should be credited to the entire team. She also praised newcomer Teja Oblak, who was recently activated after returning from injury, and teammate Emily Engstler, who had a few huge blocks. As Carleton put it, the team "wants to be annoying to play against" — words that have also been said by Sarama. The team's coach has repeatedly told reporters that he hopes the rest of the WNBA dread coming to Portland, because they know how hard that game is going to be.
If the Fire keep this up, teams might dread the Fire coming to their home turf, too.
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