The Portland Fire secured their first franchise victory in dramatic fashion Tuesday night, defeating the New York Liberty 98-96 on a buzzer-beater by Sarah Ashlee Barker.
With the score tied at 96 and under six seconds remaining, Portland's Bridget Carleton missed a three-pointer. Barker grabbed the rebound and put up a shot just before the buzzer, which went in to seal the win.
Carleton led the Fire with 26 points and five three-pointers. Barker contributed five crucial points off the bench. Carla Leite added 21 points, and Kamiah Smalls scored 13. The Liberty shot 53% from the floor, with Pauline Astier scoring 24 points and Breanna Stewart posting 16 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists.
The Fire, an expansion franchise this season, previously existed from 2000 to 2002 but never made the playoffs. Portland now stands 1-1 on the year; New York falls to 2-1.