ATLANTA (Interstat) — Emily Engstler recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Portland Fire past the Atlanta Dream 102-92 on Saturday at State Farm Arena. Portland shot 60 percent from the field and made 14 of 29 three-pointers. The Fire built a 51-44 halftime lead and extended it to 83-75 after three quarters. Carla Leite contributed 13 points and 10 assists, and Megan Gustafson scored 17 points. Serah Williams added 15 points off the bench. Atlanta was led by Madina Okot’s 19 points and eight rebounds. Allisha Gray scored 20 points, and Naz Hillmon had 15 points and eight rebounds. Jordin Canada dished 12 assists and scored 10 points. The Dream shot 44 percent from the floor and made only 6 of 30 from beyond the arc. The Fire improved to 10-13, while the Dream fell to 13-10. Portland outscored Atlanta 32-31 in the third quarter and held the Dream to 17 points in the fourth. The attendance was 3,577.

ATLANTA (Interstat) — Emily Engstler recorded a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds and the Portland Fire used a balanced scoring attack and a stifling perimeter defense to defeat the Atlanta Dream 102-92 on Saturday afternoon at State Farm Arena before a crowd of 3,577. Portland, which entered the game with a 10-13 record, shot 60 percent from the field and 48.3 percent from three-point range while holding Atlanta to 44 percent shooting overall and just 20 percent from beyond the arc. The Fire improved to 11-13 while the Dream fell to 13-11. The game began with both teams feeling each other out. Megan Gustafson opened the scoring for Portland with a driving layup off an assist from Carla Leite at the 8:03 mark of the first quarter. Jordin Canada answered with a driving layup of her own to tie it at 2-2. Engstler then knocked down a 28-foot three-pointer to give Portland a 5-2 lead, and the Fire never trailed after the opening minutes. Portland led 25-23 after the first quarter, using a late burst that included a Nyadiew Puoch running layup with 21.2 seconds left and a stop on Atlanta’s final possession. The Fire extended their lead in the second quarter behind three-point shooting from Bridget Carleton, who hit two from deep, and a strong finish from Carla Leite, who made three free throws with 0.6 seconds remaining to put Portland up 51-44 at halftime. The third quarter saw the Dream mount a comeback. Atlanta opened the second half with a 7-2 run, capped by a Naz Hillmon layup that cut Portland’s lead to 55-48. The Dream eventually tied the game at 59-59 on a Hillmon driving layup with 6:12 left in the quarter, then took their first lead since the opening minutes when Hillmon converted a three-point play to make it 60-59. The lead changed hands several times over the next few minutes, but Portland regained control behind the interior play of Serah Williams and the perimeter shooting of Frieda Buhner. Williams scored six points in the final five minutes of the quarter, including a layup that put Portland up 73-70, and the Fire carried an 83-75 advantage into the final period. The pivotal sequence came in the fourth quarter. After Atlanta cut the deficit to 83-77 on an Allisha Gray layup, Portland responded with a 10-2 run that put the game out of reach. Megan Gustafson started the burst with a layup, and Carla Leite followed with a 27-foot step-back three-pointer that made it 88-79 with 8:01 remaining. After a Dream timeout, Teja Oblak drilled a 24-foot three-pointer to push the lead to 91-81. Engstler then scored on a bank shot and Oblak added a driving floater to make it 95-83 with 3:28 left. Emily Engstler capped the run with a 23-foot three-pointer off an assist from Bridget Carleton, giving Portland a 98-87 lead with 2:04 to play. Portland closed the game at the free-throw line, with Carla Leite making two with 29.5 seconds remaining to seal the 102-92 victory. Engstler, a forward from New York City, was the top star for Portland. She finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and one block in 25 minutes. Her previous two games included 10 points and seven rebounds in a loss to Las Vegas and nine points and eight rebounds in a win over Seattle. Engstler’s all-around performance anchored Portland’s defense and sparked several critical possessions, including a block on Naz Hillmon in the fourth quarter that led to a Fire fast break. Carla Leite contributed 13 points and 10 assists for Portland, while Teja Oblak added 10 points and seven assists off the bench. Megan Gustafson scored 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting and grabbed four rebounds. Serah Williams provided a spark in the paint with 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from the free-throw line in just 13 minutes. Bridget Carleton had 12 points, four assists and two blocks. Nyadiew Puoch added nine points. For Atlanta, Madina Okot led all scorers with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting and added eight rebounds. Naz Hillmon recorded 15 points and eight rebounds. Allisha Gray scored 20 points on 8-of-18 shooting but missed all six of her three-point attempts. Jordin Canada had a near triple-double with 10 points, four rebounds and 12 assists, though she committed four turnovers and shot just 3-of-9 from the field. Rhyne Howard chipped in nine points off the bench. Portland’s perimeter defense was the difference. The Fire held Atlanta to 6-of-30 shooting from three-point range, a 20 percent clip, while connecting on 14-of-29 from beyond the arc. Portland also dominated the offensive glass despite being outrebounded overall 38-29, but the Fire grabbed just two offensive rebounds compared to Atlanta’s 12. Portland committed 16 turnovers to Atlanta’s 12, but the Fire forced 13 steals and blocked four shots. The win was Portland’s second in a row after a 77-72 victory at Seattle on July 4. Atlanta had won its previous game against Seattle 89-78 on July 9 but had lost four of its last six overall. The game marked the second meeting between the teams this season. Atlanta defeated Portland 86-66 in Portland on May 29. The Fire will next travel to Connecticut to face the Sun on Tuesday, July 14. The Dream host Los Angeles on Monday, July 13. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Atlanta Dream 95, Portland Fire 87. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Atlanta with an 85.80 percent probability to win. Atlanta had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 11.5. The total score of 194 went under the over/under line of 172.5.

ATLANTA (Interstat) — The Atlanta Dream host the Portland Fire on Saturday at State Farm Arena in a pivotal WNBA matchup between two teams heading in opposite directions. Atlanta (12-9) sits comfortably above .500, while Portland (9-12) is trying to claw its way back to contention. The game tips off at 7 p.m. EDT. The Dream are looking to end a four-game losing streak. Their most recent outing was a 88-83 home loss to Golden State on July 4. Atlanta has dropped five of its last six, a slide that has dampened what was a strong start to the season. Forward Angel Reese has been a consistent bright spot. In the loss to Golden State, Reese logged 35 minutes, posted 17 points and 13 rebounds for another double-double. Over her last four games, she has averaged 15.5 points and 11.8 rebounds. She has recorded a double-double in five of her last seven appearances, including a 21-point, 11-rebound effort against Indiana on June 18. Portland (9-12) arrives after a 77-72 road win over Seattle on July 4, snapping a two-game skid. The Fire have been inconsistent, alternating wins and losses over their last six games. They have struggled away from home, with a 3-6 road record. Guard Carla Leite has been Portland’s most productive player. In the win over Seattle, she played 22 minutes, scoring 20 points with three rebounds and four assists. Over her last six games, Leite is averaging 14.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists per contest. She has scored at least 10 points in every game during that stretch, including a 20-point, 10-assist performance in a 94-89 win over Seattle on June 17. The teams met earlier this season on May 29, when Atlanta blew out Portland 86-66 in Georgia. The Dream dominated that contest, holding the Fire to just 35.6% shooting. Portland will be looking for revenge on Saturday. The Interstat game simulator projects a 95-87 victory for Atlanta. After Saturday, Portland faces a tough road stretch, playing at Connecticut, Washington and Minnesota before returning home. Atlanta will host Los Angeles on Monday before hitting the road to face Toronto on July 17.