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The Portland Fire made it exciting down the stretch, but their late comeback effort came up just short in a 101-97 loss to the Dallas Wings at Moda Center on Wednesday night.
The Fire (11-16) trailed 99-90 with just 1:21 to play after a Paige Bueckers three-pointer. The shot looked like a dagger, but the Fire got a clutch three-pointer from Bridget Carleton to trim the lead to six. After a defensive stop, the Fire’s Megan DiLeo raced down the floor for an easy transition basket. Karla Samuelson immediately followed that with a steal and layup to cut the lead to two with :34 seconds to play.
Bueckers ran the clock down on the next possession, eventually missing a mid-range pull-up. Carleton had a chance to tie the game at the other end, but her jumper from the foul line missed the mark. After a replay review, officials determined that the Wings were fouled with 0.7 seconds to play after securing the rebound. Maddy Siegrist made both foul shots to secure the win.
By escaping Portland with a win, the Wings improved to 18-9 on the season. They were led by All-Star Jessica Shepard, who notched a triple-double with 18 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. Arike Ogunbowale led all scorers with 24 points, while Bueckers added 21.
The Fire got 21 points from DiLeo, while Carleton had 18.
Here are some takeaways from the game.
Depth on Display
The Fire like to utilize their bench, share the ball, and spread playing time around. On Wednesday night, it was Frieda Buhner’s turn to shine off the bench. In just 17 minutes, she led all reserves with 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
The Wings, on the other hand, tend to rely on their starters. They have four players (Bueckers, Shepard, Ogunbowale and Azzi Fudd) who play 29 minutes per game or more, while the Fire have only one such player (Carleton).
But on Wednesday night, the Wings also got some timely scoring off the bench. Siegrist, who averages just six points per game, poured in 10 of her 14 points in the second quarter alone. Li Yueru, who averages just 9.5 minutes and 3.6 points per game, chipped in 4 points in a five minute shift during the second quarter.
It doesn’t sound like much, but the Wings needed every point their bench could muster. At halftime, the Wings two All-Star starters (Bueckers and Shepard) had six points apiece on a combined 4-of-12 shooting. Ogunbowale did even less in the first half. She was held scoreless on just two field goal attempts.
Despite the lack of production from the Wings stars, the Fire led just 42-40 at the half.
Offensive Explosion
Unfortunately for the Fire, the Wings figured things out offensively in the second half. Ogunbowale exploded for 15 points in the third quarter, but Bueckers, Fudd and Shepard all woke up as well. As a team, the Wings made 15-of-24 shots en route to a 36-point third quarter.
To get on track, the Wings ran more of their offense through Shepard, who made 4-of-5 shots in the quarter and dished out five assists while facilitating from the elbows. There have been only six triple-doubles in the WNBA this season and Shepard now has four of them.
Triumphant Return
Fire fans have known her as Megan Gustafson all season, but against the Wings, she played well in her first game as newlywed Megan DiLeo. Her 21 points were her second-highest total of the season. She made 9-of-13 from the field, including 2-of-5 from behind the three-point line.
But despite being the tallest player on the floor, she grabbed only two rebounds.
Second Chance Points
Like they have so many times this season, every member of the Fire struggled on the boards. The Wings won the rebounding battle 45-30. That advantage helped them outscore the Fire 16-4 on second chance points. In a game that came down to the final seconds, that disparity hurts.
Barker Injury
Just four minutes into the game, the Fire’s Sarah Ashlee Barker went down with what appeared to be a significant injury to her left knee. There hasn’t been any reporting yet about the severity of the injury, but any missed time would be painful for the Fire. She has been a fixture in the starting lineup since early June and is one of five players on the team averaging double-figures in scoring.
Up Next
The WNBA has reached the All-Star break and the Fire will have nearly a week off before their next game. When their schedule resumes, they’ll have a tough test against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces. Tip off in Sin City is scheduled for 7:00 PM Pacific.
