PORTLAND, Ore. (Interstat) — Bridget Carleton scored 24 points and Carla Leite added 20 points and 10 assists to lead the Portland Fire to a 94-89 victory over the Seattle Storm on Wednesday night at Moda Center before 13,084. Portland trailed by seven entering the fourth quarter but outscored Seattle 27-15 in the final period. Carleton hit four 3-pointers, including two in the fourth, and Leite converted key free throws. Emily Engstler contributed nine points, six rebounds and five assists. Dominique Malonga led Seattle with 28 points and 11 rebounds, while Natisha Hiedeman scored 19 points and Awa Fam added 18. Portland shot 17 of 42 from beyond the arc and 23 of 27 from the free-throw line. Seattle made 9 of 24 from 3-point range and 16 of 19 on free throws. The Fire improved to 8-9, while the Storm dropped to 3-13.

PORTLAND, Ore. (Interstat) — Bridget Carleton scored a three-point jumper with 41.4 seconds left to break a tie and Carla Leite made two free throws 19 seconds later as the Portland Fire defeated the Seattle Storm 94-89 on Wednesday night at Moda Center before a crowd of 13,084. Carleton finished with a game-high 21 points for Portland, which improved to 8-9. The Storm dropped to 3-13. The victory snapped a two-game losing streak for the Fire, who had lost to Minnesota by 33 points and to Las Vegas by 16 in their previous two outings. Seattle, which had lost eight straight and 11 of its last 12, led by six points late in the third quarter but could not hold off Portland’s fourth-quarter surge. The Storm shot 47.8 percent from the field but were outscored 27-15 in the final period, when the Fire made 4 of 10 three-point attempts and 7 of 8 free throws. Portland outrebounded Seattle 37-27, including a 14-8 edge on the offensive glass, and blocked seven shots to Seattle’s three. The Fire also had seven steals and forced 12 turnovers. Leite, the French guard from Poissy, scored 16 points and had six assists. Carleton, a forward from Chatham, Ontario, made 6 of 12 three-pointers and grabbed seven rebounds. Emily Engstler added 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists for Portland, and Sarah Ashlee Barker contributed 11 points and five rebounds. Seattle center Dominique Malonga led all scorers with 26 points on 12-of-20 shooting and added eight rebounds and two blocks. Natisha Hiedeman scored 17 points, making 4 of 8 three-pointers, and had five assists. Awa Fam added 16 points off the bench for the Storm. The game began with a flurry of early baskets. Malonga put Seattle on the board with a driving layup at 8:57 of the first quarter. Portland answered with back-to-back three-pointers from Engstler and Carleton. Hiedeman tied the game 6-6 with a three-pointer at 7:19, but Barker answered with a three of her own. The Fire took a 21-23 lead into the second quarter after Barker made two free throws with 6:21 left and Leite added a floater. Seattle’s offense heated up in the second quarter. Malonga scored six points in the period, including a turnaround jumper off the glass, and Hiedeman hit another three to put the Storm up 36-35 with 4:05 left. Fam converted a three-point play with 2:38 remaining to extend the lead to 48-42. But Portland closed the half with a Leite three and a Carleton free throw to cut the deficit to 48-47 at intermission. Seattle shot 54 percent in the second quarter despite committing six turnovers. The Storm took control in the third quarter. Fam made two three-pointers, the second giving Seattle a 64-55 lead with 6:59 left. Jade Melbourne added two free throws and Malonga scored on a follow shot to push the lead to 68-57 with 6:12 remaining. Portland trimmed the margin to 74-67 entering the fourth, as Karlie Samuelson hit two three-pointers and Teja Oblak added a jumper. Portland turned up its defensive pressure in the fourth quarter. The Fire opened the period with a Carleton three to make it 74-70. The teams traded baskets until Carleton’s three-point play with 6:49 left cut the Storm lead to 81-78. Megan Gustafson tied the game at 83 on a layup with 3:41 left, but Hiedeman answered with a three to put Seattle up 86-83 with 3:14 to play. Engstler tied it again with a three of her own at the three-minute mark. Malonga put Seattle back in front with a two-point shot at 2:39, but Leite made two free throws after a flagrant foul call on Melbourne to tie the game at 88 with 2:22 remaining. Gustafson’s three-pointer at 2:06 gave Portland its first lead of the quarter at 91-88. Seattle had a chance to tie after Engstler made a layup to make it 93-88 with 1:17 left. Hiedeman missed a driving floater with 1:11 to go, and Carleton’s three from the left wing with 41.4 seconds left sealed the outcome. Hiedeman and Melbourne missed three-point attempts in the final 40 seconds, and Barker grabbed the final defensive rebound. Portland shot 38.6 percent from the field but made 17 of 42 three-pointers, a 40.5 percent clip. The Fire also made 23 of 27 free throws. Seattle was 9 of 24 from beyond the arc and 16 of 19 from the line. Each team committed 12 turnovers and 18 personal fouls. The Storm next travel to Phoenix on Saturday, while Portland visits Chicago on Wednesday. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Seattle 96, Portland 95. Interstat’s ELO system had given Portland a 74.60 percent probability to win. The Fire had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 2.5 points. The total score of 183 points went over the over-under line of 163.5.

WNBA: Storm at Fire Preview PORTLAND, Ore. (Interstat) — The Seattle Storm visit the Moda Center on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, to face the Portland Fire in a Western Conference matchup that pits two teams heading in opposite directions. Seattle (3-12) carries a five-game losing streak into the contest, while Portland (7-8) is looking to build momentum after a narrow victory. The Storm are coming off a 76-72 home loss to the Golden State Valkyries on Friday, a game that highlighted the team’s offensive struggles. Seattle has lost eight of its last nine games, with its only win during that stretch coming against Washington on May 24. The Storm have been particularly vulnerable on the road, where they have lost four consecutive games. Guard Natisha Hiedeman has been a bright spot for Seattle. She scored 26 points on 4-of-8 shooting from 3-point range against Golden State and is averaging 20 points over her last three games. Hiedeman, who also contributed four rebounds and four assists in the loss, leads the Storm in scoring during that span and has reached double figures in nine of her last 10 appearances. Her ability to create off the dribble will be critical against a Portland defense that has allowed an average of 89 points over its last four games. Portland enters on a high note after edging the Dallas Wings 84-83 on Saturday. The Fire are 3-2 in their last five games but have struggled with consistency at home, where they are 3-4. Center Megan Gustafson has been a force for the Fire. She recorded 16 points, six rebounds, four assists and three blocks in the win over Dallas. Gustafson has posted double-doubles in two of her last three games and is shooting 52% from the field this season. Her presence in the paint will challenge a Seattle frontcourt that has allowed opponents to average 44 points in the lane over the last five games. Portland also received strong contributions from forward Bridget Carleton (20 points) and guard Sarah Ashlee Barker (10 points) in the win. Interstat’s game simulator projects a high-scoring affair, with Seattle prevailing 96-95. The Storm will need to improve their defense, which has allowed at least 88 points in four of their last five losses. Portland will aim to protect its home court before embarking on a five-game road trip that begins June 24 in Chicago. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Pacific.