Fire vs. Valkyries: Carla Leite Takes Over in Overtime as Portland Snaps Golden State's Win Streak

Golden State scored the first 17 points. Portland scored the last 11. In the end, only one of those runs mattered, and it was not the one the Valkyries were hoping for.

The Portland Fire beat the Golden State Valkyries 90-82 in overtime on Tuesday night at Moda Center to close their season with a win. Carla Leite made the tiebreaking layup with 1:57 left in the extra period and then hit a step-back jumper plus a free throw with 26.5 seconds remaining, and Bridget Carleton led the way with 26 points, including five 3-pointers. The loss ended Golden State's six-game winning streak and, according to the AP, clinched the No. 1 seed for Minnesota.

A 17-0 Start That Should Have Been Enough

The Valkyries came out of the gate like they had a flight to catch. They scored 17 straight points to open the game, and Portland did not get on the board until Carleton's 3 with 3:20 left in the first quarter, per the AP. Golden State led 24-10 after one, and it looked like the Fire's finale was going to be a long, quiet night.

It was not. Portland chipped away in the second quarter, using an 8-0 run to turn a 29-20 deficit into a 29-28 game. Megan DiLeo converted a three-point play to tie it at 35 with 33 seconds left in the half, though Golden State still went into the break up 40-37.

The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair, and the Valkyries clung to a 61-58 lead heading into the fourth.

Fourth-Quarter Whiplash

Then the game turned into a ping-pong match. Portland ripped off eight straight early in the fourth to go up 66-63 by the 7:38 mark. After the Fire stretched it to 68-65, Golden State answered with 10 straight of its own, capped by Tiffany Hayes' 23-foot 3 off a Gabby Williams assist, to lead 75-68 with 2:13 to go.

That should have been the dagger. Instead, Portland went on a 9-0 run. Leite made two free throws, Carleton finished a running layup and DiLeo scored inside to make it 75-74. Then Leite drove for a floater, drew contact and made the free throw to give the Fire a 77-75 lead with 37.8 seconds left. Williams tied it on a driving layup at 29.5, but she missed an off-balance jumper at the end of regulation, according to the AP, and the game went to overtime at 77-77.

Overtime: The Carla Leite Show

The extra period started as a shootout. Williams made two free throws, Carleton matched her, Kayla Thornton drilled a 26-footer and Charisma Osborne answered from the same distance to tie it at 82 with 2:58 left.

Golden State would not score again. Leite drove for the tiebreaking layup at 1:57. Kaila Charles missed a 3 on the other end, per the AP, and Leite came back with a step-back 20-footer plus the free throw to make it 87-82 at 26.5 seconds. Carleton then made a technical free throw, and Emily Engstler hit two more at the line to finish an 11-0 Portland closing run.

The Fire outscored the Valkyries 13-5 in overtime. Leite scored 10 points between the final 1:58 of regulation and the end of the extra period. That is a closing act.

Portland's Stars and Golden State's Struggles

Leite finished with 18 points, six assists and a 9-of-10 night at the line, which mattered more than her 4-of-12 shooting from the field. Carleton was the steadiest player on the floor, scoring 26 on 9-of-21 shooting with five 3s in 40 minutes and finishing plus-20.

DiLeo added 14 points and eight rebounds, Engstler had 11 points and 11 rebounds, and Osborne scored 11 off the bench with three 3s and a plus-19. Jordan Harrison handed out 10 assists in only 16 minutes. As a team, the Fire went 22 of 23 at the line, which is how you win close games.

For Golden State, Williams scored 17 in 41 minutes but needed 19 shots and went 1 of 8 from deep. Veronica Burton had 13 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. Thornton and Janelle Salaun scored 11 each, and Hayes added 10. The Valkyries went just 8 of 31 from beyond the arc and 22 of 30 at the line, and those missed free throws looked bigger and bigger as the night went on.

The Turning Point

Osborne's 3 at 2:58 of overtime. Thornton had just given Golden State an 82-79 lead, and the Valkyries had all the momentum. Osborne's answer tied it, flipped the energy in the building and sparked the 11-0 run that ended the game. Golden State never scored again.

Stats That Matter

• 17-0: Golden State's opening run.
• 11-0: Portland's closing run in overtime.
• 22 of 23: The Fire's free throw shooting.
• 8 of 31: The Valkyries' 3-point shooting.
• 13-5: Portland's scoring edge in overtime.

What It Means

Portland finishes its season at 17-27, including 9-13 at home, and the AP noted the win snapped a four-game losing streak. It was also the Fire's only win in four tries against Golden State this season, after the Valkyries won the first three meetings.

Golden State drops to 31-12, including 14-7 on the road, and its six-game winning streak is over. The result also sealed the No. 1 seed for Minnesota, per the AP. The Valkyries still have one more regular-season game, Thursday at Los Angeles, before the playoffs begin.

Closing Take

The Fire are heading into the offseason, but they made sure their last game of the season was one to remember. It is the sports version of a show that knows it is not getting renewed and decides to blow the entire budget on the finale. Leite and Carleton delivered the kind of performances that make a fan base excited for next year. Golden State, meanwhile, got a reminder that a 17-0 start means nothing if you cannot close.

Stats from the official box score via ESPN. Game details as reported by the Associated Press.