Portland Fire Secure First Franchise Win With Dramatic Buzzer-Beater

The Portland Fire needed a miracle finish to get their first win. Sarah Ashlee Barker gave them exactly that.

Barker’s putback buzzer-beater lifted the Portland Fire to a 98-96 victory over the New York Liberty on Tuesday night at Moda Center, sending the sold-out crowd of over 19,000 into complete chaos. With the score tied and time running out, Bridget Carleton launched a three-pointer over Liberty star Breanna Stewart.

Stewart got a hand on it, but the ball fell straight to Barker in the lane. She gathered it cleanly and finished before the buzzer. Players rushed under the basket, the building erupted and just like that, Portland had its first win back in the WNBA. Portland sits at 1-1.

“The Fire Pit” had been loud all night. The ending made it unforgettable.

Portland Fire’s Historic Return to the WNBA

This was a big moment beyond just the box score. The Fire originally played from 2000 through 2002 before the franchise folded and the Portland market went dark for over two decades. This season, alongside the Toronto Tempo, the team returned to the league under new ownership.

Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal paid $125 million to bring professional women’s basketball back to Portland and head coach Alex Sarama has them playing fast and physical from the jump.

It had been a rough start before Tuesday. Portland dropped both preseason matchups and opened the regular season with a 98-83 loss to the Chicago Sky just days ago. The win over New York changes the tone entirely.

Carleton led the way with a career-high 26 points and four steals. Carla Leite added 21 points and six assists while Luisa Geiselsöder and Kamiah Smalls each chipped in 13. Barker came off the bench and finished with five points on 2-for-5 shooting but saved her biggest contribution for the final second.

The No. 9 overall pick by the Los Angeles Sparks in last year’s draft averaged just over three points per game in her rookie season. Tuesday night was a different kind of statement.

The Liberty were without Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally but still shot 53% from the field and 46% from three. New York turned the ball over 10 times in the first half alone, largely due to the pressure Engstler and Carleton applied in the passing lanes throughout the night. The defensive effort kept Portland in it long enough for Barker to finish it.

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on May 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.