The 1.7 Seconds That Dallas Wings Fans Will NEVER Forget

Holy smokes, you guys, did you SEE that game last night?! The Portland Fire just pulled off an absolute stunner, beating the Dallas Wings 84-83 in a thriller that went down to the wire. And when I say wire, I mean Emily Engstler stepped up to the line with 1.7 seconds left and iced the tie-breaking free throw. That's right, the Fire snapped their brutal four-game losing streak, and it was pure drama from start to finish. If you blinked, you missed a lead change, trust me.

A Wild Ride From Tip-Off to Buzzer

This game was a slugfest, folks. The first quarter alone saw the lead change hands four times before Portland edged ahead 14-13. Dallas, even without their leading scorer Paige Bueckers, who was sidelined with a right ankle injury, came out firing. Arike Ogunbowale hit a huge three-pointer to give them a two-point lead early on. But Bridget Carleton wasn't having it, kickstarting and finishing a massive 10-0 run with back-to-back threes that gave Portland a 26-18 advantage. The Fire pushed that lead to 44-37 by halftime, thanks to clutch baskets from Carla Leite and Megan Gustafson. You just knew Dallas wasn't going to roll over, though, and they proved it.

Clutch Plays Define the Fourth Quarter Chaos

The second half was a different beast. Dallas fought tooth and nail, tying the game up at 57 late in the third quarter after Luisa Geiselsoder had given Portland a five-point cushion. Carleton, again, beat the buzzer with a three-pointer to keep Portland up 63-61 heading into the final frame. The fourth quarter was pure pandemonium. We had ties at 71, 73, and 76! Ogunbowale and Azzi Fudd looked like they were going to put the Wings over the top, hitting consecutive baskets for an 80-76 lead. But Carleton, again, came through with another three-pointer, cutting the lead to one. Gustafson then put the Fire up 81-80 with just 22.5 seconds left. Fudd answered with a three-point play, but Leite, cool as a cucumber, laid it in to tie the game at 83 with 11.6 seconds remaining. Then came the big moment: Aziaha James missed a jumper, Engstler got to the line, and she hit one of two, making it 84-83. Ogunbowale had one last shot, a three-pointer at the buzzer, but it didn't fall. Whew! What a win for the Fire, ending that four-game skid and moving them to 7-8 overall, 1-4 in the Commissioner's Cup. That's a huge boost of confidence right there. Every point mattered, every possession was critical, and Emily Engstler stepped up big time when it counted most. You gotta love games like this!

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