An 11-0 Run Decides It
Golden State led 82-79 in overtime with 3:13 to play and did not score again. Portland answered with 11 straight points to steal a 90-82 win that neither playoff-seeding math nor the box score suggested was coming an hour earlier. The Valkyries had led by seven points with just over four minutes remaining in regulation before the Fire ripped off nine points in 80 seconds, helped along by Golden State turnovers and a missed three from Gabby Williams, to force the extra period in the first place.
Bridget Carleton led every scorer with 26 points, but the turning point belonged to Carla Leite. She had managed just eight points through 36 minutes before erupting for ten more across the final nine minutes of regulation and overtime combined, exactly when Portland needed someone to take over. Emily Engstler added 11 points and 11 rebounds, including the defensive stop in overtime that snuffed out Golden State’s last real chance.
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The Seeding Fallout
The result reaches well beyond Portland’s inaugural season. Golden State (31-12) now sits a game behind the Minnesota Lynx with one contest left to play, and Minnesota already owns the tiebreaker after winning the season series 3-1. That combination locks up the No. 1 overall seed for the Lynx regardless of what happens on the final night of the regular season, a direct consequence of a Fire team with a losing record playing spoiler.
Portland shot just 39 percent from the field and 10 of 36 from three-point range, numbers that would normally lose most nights. Golden State shot almost identically, 39 percent on the night and 8 of 31 from deep, which meant the game turned on execution in the final minutes rather than a hot shooting stretch from either side.
Snapping a Skid
The win also ended a four-game losing streak for Portland (17-27), a first-year franchise still finding its footing. Megan DiLeo’s 14 points and eight rebounds rounded out a balanced night that the Fire will need to repeat if they want to close out their debut season on a high note.
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