Bridget Carleton Said Portland Wants To Be Annoying, And the Liberty Are Finding Out Why

Yooooo, Seattle! You hear what's poppin' off in the WNBA?! The Portland Fire, an expansion squad, is out here making serious noise, gunning to be only the second first-year franchise EVER to hit the playoffs, a feat Golden State pulled off last year. And let me tell you, this team isn't just showing up, they're straight up *annoying* the competition. Bridget Carleton, their first pick in the expansion draft and the very first player to sign, said it perfectly: "We want to be annoying to play against." And my friends, they are absolutely delivering!

Portland's Fire Is Lit

These expansion Fire are off to a promising 3-3 start, and they've already given the New York Liberty a serious headache. They split their first two games, which is absolutely wild for a brand-new team, right? Remember May 12? Carleton dropped a massive 26 points in their two-point win against the Liberty. And get this: Sarah Ashlee Barker sealed that 98-96 victory with a clutch put-back at the buzzer. That's the kind of gritty, late-game heroics that get you hyped, you know? They proved they can hang, they proved they can win the close ones. Sure, the Liberty held Carleton to 11 points and took an 18-point win in the rematch two days later, but the message was sent: Portland isn't backing down from anyone.

Liberty's Rocky Road & Star Returns

Speaking of the Liberty, they're in a bit of a jam right now. They've lost two straight games to kick off a brutal, season-long seven-game homestand. Losing to Golden State, another upstart team, probably stung, but getting clipped by the Fire? That's gotta be tough for them. The good news for New York, though, is they've got some serious talent back on the court over the past few days. Three-time All-Star Satou Sabally, after dealing with a cyst, and four-time All-Star Sabrina Ionescu, coming back from a foot injury, are both back in the lineup. Sabally led them with 20 points in their 91-76 loss to Dallas on Sunday, and Ionescu put up 11, despite going scoreless in 16 second-half minutes. Sunday marked the first time these two former Oregon teammates, who were the top two WNBA draft picks in 2020 with Ionescu going first, played together professionally! Sabally signed as a free agent from Phoenix, reuniting them at last. Ionescu even said, "I came back a lot sooner than I was supposed to. I'm thankful." You gotta love that dedication! But for the Liberty, with these two back on the floor, the goal is simple: end this "modest skid" they're on. So, the third meeting between the Fire and the Liberty is shaping up to be a must-watch tonight. Can Portland continue to be "annoying" and ride this early momentum? Or will the Liberty, with their superstar duo finally together, snap out of their slump and prove who's boss? This is where early season trends start to solidify, folks. Get ready!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.