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The Portland Fire have officially won their first game since returning to the league, all thanks to Sarah Ashlee Barker.
Barker was in the right place at the right time and snuck in a buzzer-beater to lift the Fire to a 98-96 win over the New York Liberty on Tuesday night.
With the game tied up, Bridget Carleton tried to hit a 3-pointer over Liberty star Breanna Stewart, though Stewart tipped the ball just barely. But Barke found herself wide open in the lane, easly grabbed the rebound and put it back up before the horn sounded.
That sent the Moda Center into a frenzy and sparked a huge celebration under the rim.
The win marked the first for the Fire since they returned to the WNBA this season along with the Toronto Tempo in the league’s latest expansion. The Fire played three seasons from 2000-2002, but ended up folding.
The Fire fell to the Chicago Sky 98-83 in their season-opener, and dropped both of their preseason games. They now sit at 1-1.
Barker finished with five points and went just 2-of-5 from the field off the bench in the win. She was selected with the No. 9 overall pick in last year’s draft by the Los Angeles Sparks, and she averaged just more than three points off the bench during her rookie campaign.
Carleton led the Fire with 26 points after she went 9-of-16 from the field in the win. Carla Leite added 21 points and six assists.
Pauline Astier led the Liberty with 24 points in the loss, which was their first of the season after starting out 2-0. All five of the Liberty’s starters hit double figures, and Stewart finished with a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
The two teams will run it back on Thursday night, which marks the third of a four-game homestand for the Fire to start the season.
Continue reading...
Barker was in the right place at the right time and snuck in a buzzer-beater to lift the Fire to a 98-96 win over the New York Liberty on Tuesday night.
With the game tied up, Bridget Carleton tried to hit a 3-pointer over Liberty star Breanna Stewart, though Stewart tipped the ball just barely. But Barke found herself wide open in the lane, easly grabbed the rebound and put it back up before the horn sounded.
That sent the Moda Center into a frenzy and sparked a huge celebration under the rim.
The win marked the first for the Fire since they returned to the WNBA this season along with the Toronto Tempo in the league’s latest expansion. The Fire played three seasons from 2000-2002, but ended up folding.
The Fire fell to the Chicago Sky 98-83 in their season-opener, and dropped both of their preseason games. They now sit at 1-1.
Barker finished with five points and went just 2-of-5 from the field off the bench in the win. She was selected with the No. 9 overall pick in last year’s draft by the Los Angeles Sparks, and she averaged just more than three points off the bench during her rookie campaign.
Carleton led the Fire with 26 points after she went 9-of-16 from the field in the win. Carla Leite added 21 points and six assists.
Pauline Astier led the Liberty with 24 points in the loss, which was their first of the season after starting out 2-0. All five of the Liberty’s starters hit double figures, and Stewart finished with a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
The two teams will run it back on Thursday night, which marks the third of a four-game homestand for the Fire to start the season.
Continue reading...
