Portland Fire came from behind in Seattle to claim an important away win in the WNBA regular season
Portland Fire recorded one of the more important victories of its debut WNBA season after the franchise's return, defeating Seattle Storm 77:72 in a regular-season game played on July 4, 2026, at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. According to the official WNBA schedule, the matchup began at 18:00 local Pacific time, and the official game summary states that the contest was played in front of 10,251 spectators. Portland earned the win after a poor start, but took control in the middle stages of the game and withstood the home team's final pressure. The final 77:72 gave the Fire a 9-12 record, while Seattle dropped to 5-17, according to data published after the game by the WNBA and the Associated Press.
The game carried notable competitive weight for both teams, even though it was a mid-regular-season matchup. Portland arrived in Seattle after a demanding road stretch and with a clear goal of stopping a run of away defeats, while the Storm was seeking stability in a season in which results against Western Conference clubs had not matched occasional good performances. The Associated Press reported that Portland concluded this road trip with a 1-3 record, but that single success had special value because it came against a direct conference rival. The Fire won despite a large number of turnovers and modest three-point shooting, which further highlights the importance of rebounding, offensive pressure on the rim and precision from the free-throw line.
Carla Leite led Portland in the key moments
Portland's standout player was Carla Leite, who, according to the Associated Press report, scored 20 points, made four of eight shots from the field and converted all 12 free throws. The French point guard also added four assists, and her performance was especially important because it gave Portland a stable source of points in a game in which outside shooting was not working. Leite attacked contact, drove into the paint and forced Seattle's defense into fouls, giving the Fire a rhythm it could not find through perimeter shooting. Her perfection from the free-throw line proved decisive in the final stretch, when the margin stayed narrow and every conversion carried extra weight.
According to the official game data carried by ESPN, Portland made 23 of 25 free throws, while Seattle converted 16 of 18. That difference was not just a statistical detail, but one of the main reasons why the visiting team managed to overcome weaker shooting percentages from the field. The Fire made only four three-pointers from 25 attempts, but frequent trips to the free-throw line kept the offense more efficient than could be concluded solely from shooting percentage. Seattle, on the other hand, made eight three-pointers, but did not have the same amount of points from the line, and in the closing stages it failed to string together enough defensive stops and effective possessions to complete the comeback.
Leite did not carry Portland alone, but she was the central figure in the moments when the game turned. Bridget Carleton scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Megan Gustafson added 10 points and nine rebounds, according to the Associated Press report. Emily Engstler finished with nine points and eight rebounds, having already recorded all nine points and six rebounds by halftime, which helped Portland overturn its early deficit. Frieda Buhner also played an important role off the bench because she scored all of her nine points in the third quarter, during a stretch in which the Fire separated the game from the rhythm that suited the hosts.
Seattle opened strongly, but lost control in the second quarter
Seattle Storm opened the game better and led 20:10 after the first quarter. The Associated Press notes that Natisha Hiedeman had already scored nine points in the opening period, while Seattle closed the quarter with a 13:2 run over the final 5 minutes and 27 seconds. That initial surge by the home team suggested that the Storm might impose its rhythm and use the energy of its home arena. Portland had problems organizing its offense during that stretch, did not consistently find open shots and allowed Seattle too early to turn the game into a duel of quick reactions and transition attempts.
However, the second quarter completely changed the course of the contest. Portland won that period 22:10, moving ahead 32:30 by halftime. According to the Associated Press report, Engstler was especially important in the first half because her rebounding energy and finishing close to the basket helped the Fire return after a very poor start. During that stretch, Portland slowed Seattle's attacks, protected the paint better and began creating positions from which Carleton, Gustafson and Leite could attack the defense without forcing three-point shots. The home team lost the offensive fluidity it had shown in the first quarter, and Portland reduced the space for open attempts minute by minute.
The key difference was that, after the first period, Seattle increasingly struggled with the physical component of Portland's game. The Fire created an advantage on the boards that ultimately shaped the final result, and according to ESPN's statistical overview, Portland had a clear overall rebounding advantage. That control of the rim allowed the visitors to survive periods without shooting rhythm while also preventing Seattle from easily creating additional possessions. Although Portland committed more turnovers than the home team, it made up for that deficit with second possessions, drawn fouls and greater stability in finishing attacks.
The third quarter determined the direction of the game
The third quarter was the stretch in which Portland definitively took control. The Associated Press reported that Leite opened the second half by drawing and converting two three-point plays, immediately pressuring Seattle's defense and changing the tone of the game. Gustafson then hit a three-pointer for a 41:38 lead, and after that Portland never gave up the advantage.
Frieda Buhner came off the bench and scored all nine of her points during a six-minute stretch, according to the Associated Press report. That contribution was especially important because it allowed Portland not to depend exclusively on Leite at moments when Seattle was trying to adjust its defense. Buhner's production showed the depth the Fire is looking for during its first season back in the league, especially in games with a packed schedule and in which the main players cannot maintain the rhythm by themselves for all 40 minutes. Portland ended the third quarter with a 54:47 lead, and the gap was large enough to change the psychological dynamic of the finish.
Seattle tried to bring the game back under its control in the fourth quarter and won the final period 25:23, according to the official WNBA line score. Still, the Storm could not build a complete comeback because Portland answered with free throws and sufficiently firm rebounding. The final five-point margin does not reflect total control, but it shows that after the third quarter Portland had enough answers to protect the lead it had built.
Dominique Malonga led the Storm, Hiedeman opened the game at a high rhythm
Dominique Malonga was Seattle's most efficient player with 22 points, according to the Associated Press report. Natisha Hiedeman added 15 points and Awa Fam 12, while Flau'jae Johnson was held to just one point, which AP described as her lowest output of the season. That was a problem for Seattle because, alongside Malonga's scoring, the team lacked another steady source of points in the second half. Hiedeman opened the game very well, but her early offensive rhythm did not turn into longer-lasting control of the contest.
Malonga once again showed why she is one of the Storm's key developmental pillars, especially in a season in which Seattle is battling for consistency. Her ability to score from different situations kept the home team in the game even after Portland took the lead. Still, once the Fire closed the boards and slowed transition, Seattle increasingly had to solve possessions through more static setups. In that kind of game, the lack of additional efficiency from the perimeter and the smaller number of trips to the free-throw line became increasingly pronounced.
According to the official statistical data published by ESPN, Seattle had a better three-point percentage than Portland, but shot worse overall from the field. The Storm made 24 of 71 field-goal attempts, while Portland finished with 25 makes from 68 attempts. The difference was not large, but in a game with a small number of efficiently completed possessions, the deciding factors were the extra details: rebounding, free throws and the moment when the visiting team took control. In addition, according to AP, Seattle remained winless against Western Conference clubs at that stage of the season, which further emphasizes the weight of the home defeat.
Rebounding and free throws compensated for Portland's weaknesses
Portland's victory was an example of a game in which the result did not come from a dominant shooting performance, but from the ability to compensate for weaknesses. According to ESPN's overview, the Fire made only 37 percent of its field-goal attempts and 16 percent of its three-point attempts. It also committed 20 turnovers, six more than Seattle, which in many games would be enough to put victory in doubt. Still, Portland neutralized that minus through a greater physical presence on the boards and nearly flawless free-throw shooting.
That profile of victory is important for a team still building its identity in its returning WNBA season. Portland did not have an ideal offensive rhythm, but it showed that it can win even when a game becomes messy. In Seattle, the Fire found a solution through aggressiveness toward the rim and the interior work of players such as Gustafson, Engstler and Carleton, while Leite's free throws finished what the team had built through rebounding and drives.
On the other side, Seattle can regret a missed opportunity after a very good start. The 20:10 lead after the first quarter should have given the Storm the foundation for a game in which the home team controlled the tempo. Instead, Portland turned the second quarter into a 22:10 answer, then in the third quarter raised the lead to a level Seattle could no longer erase. In the closing stages, the Storm had offensive energy, but not enough stability to punish Portland's turnovers and poor shooting from outside positions.
Wider context: Portland's return and the building of a new WNBA franchise
The win in Seattle has an additional symbolic dimension because Portland Fire is playing its first season after returning to the WNBA. In an official announcement from September 2024, the WNBA stated that Portland had been awarded the league's 15th franchise and that the team would begin play in the 2026 season. The league emphasized at the time that professional women's basketball was returning to Portland after more than two decades, since the earlier version of Portland Fire played in the WNBA from 2000 to 2002. The new franchise, according to the same announcement, is owned by RAJ Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal.
Official NBA Communications data on the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft further explains how Portland built its roster for the debut season. The Fire selected Bridget Carleton in the first round as its first pick, while Carla Leite arrived as the third pick, from Golden State Valkyries. In the same process, Portland also selected, among others, Emily Engstler, Sarah Ashlee Barker and Nika Mühl, showing that from the start the team tried to combine international potential, WNBA experience and players who could immediately take responsibility. Carleton, Leite and Engstler had an important impact on the win in Seattle, giving this game developmental significance for the new franchise project as well.
For the WNBA, matchups such as Seattle Storm - Portland Fire fit into the broader framework of league expansion and the strengthening of the western map of competition. Portland's inclusion, along with other expansion moves by the league, increased the number of clubs and created new regional and conference rivalry storylines. In this contest, that dynamic was visible through Portland's second win over Seattle this season; ESPN's schedule and results overview state that the Fire beat the Storm 94:89 in Portland on June 17, 2026, and then also won in Seattle 77:72 on July 4. In doing so, Portland gained a clear results advantage in the season's head-to-head meetings.
What the win means for the rest of the regular season
According to the Associated Press report, after the trip to Seattle, Portland plays its next game at home against Las Vegas Aces on Thursday, July 9, 2026. That will be a significantly different test for the Fire, because Las Vegas at that stage of the season ranks among the leading teams in the Western Conference. The win in Seattle therefore gives Portland not only an end to its road problems, but also an important dose of confidence before facing one of the most demanding opponents in the league. The Fire will have to maintain its aggressiveness toward the rim, but also reduce the number of turnovers, because against stronger offensive teams such a flaw usually leaves less room for recovery.
Seattle, according to the same AP report and ESPN's schedule, visits Los Angeles Sparks as early as July 6, 2026. For the Storm, that will be a chance to respond quickly after a defeat in a game in which it had a good start but failed to maintain intensity through the middle quarters. The Seattle team must find a way to turn Malonga's offensive output into more stable collective production, especially when the opponent shuts down transition and forces the Storm into five-on-five play. With a 5-17 record, every next game carries weight not only in the fight for position in the standings, but also in assessing the direction of the team's development during the second half of the season.
For Portland, this was a victory that does not solve all problems, but gives clear confirmation that the team can win outside its own arena. In Seattle, the Fire showed resilience after falling behind, survived poor three-point shooting and overcame its own turnovers through rebounding, contact and a steady hand from the free-throw line. Leite finished as the leading figure of the game, but the victory was the result of contributions from several players in different phases of the contest. In a season in which Portland is building the identity of a new WNBA franchise, precisely such victories often have value greater than the win-loss record itself.
Sources:
- WNBA.com – official game summary for Portland Fire - Seattle Storm from July 4, 2026, including the score, venue, line score and game data (link)
- Associated Press / CBS Sports – game report with data on player performances, the course of the contest, team records and upcoming games (link)
- ESPN – schedule and statistical overview of the 2026 WNBA season, including the game result, leading scorers, team statistics and upcoming matchups (link)
- WNBA.com – official announcement awarding Portland the 15th WNBA franchise and the start of play in the 2026 season (link)
- NBA Communications – official results of the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft and information on Portland Fire player selections (link)