The Portland Fire took a HUGE step towards a playoff spot, beating the Washington Mystics 75-56 on Thursday at CareFirst Arena. This wasn't some nail-biter, either, which is wild considering their last matchup was the second quadruple-overtime game in WNBA history.
The Blowout Nobody Saw Coming
Remember that insane 124-123 quadruple-OT thriller that Washington won a couple of weeks ago? Yeah, Portland made sure that wasn't happening again. They absolutely flew out of the gate, hitting Washington with a massive 28-13 lead by the end of the first quarter. Carla Leite was straight-up dealing, dropping 9 points in those first ten minutes alone. She finished the night leading the Fire with 14 points and 5 assists. Serah Williams also stepped up big time, filling in for Megan Gustafson (who was out for personal reasons) and racking up 12 points and 5 rebounds from the starting lineup. The Mystics never even got close, never shrinking the lead to less than 13 points in the fourth quarter. It was a statement win, plain and simple.Defense Wins Games, Even for the Fire
What makes this win even crazier is that the Fire have been one of the WNBA's worst defensive teams all season. But against the Mystics? They were absolutely relentless. Washington shot a dismal 29% from the floor, hitting only 19 of 65 attempts. From beyond the arc, it was even worse: a brutal 10% on 2-of-21 three-pointers. The Fire defense forced 19 Mystics turnovers and swiped 10 steals. Mystics star Shakira Austin put up 19 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks, but she was the only Washington player to even hit double figures. Sonia Citron added 8 points and managed to snag her 1,000th career point during the game, but that's about the only positive for the Mystics. Kiki Iriafen, who usually averages 15.6 points and shoots 55% from the floor as their second-leading scorer, had one of her worst games all season, tying a career-low with only 2 points on 1-for-8 shooting. That kind of defensive intensity changes everything for Portland.What's Next for This Playoff Race?
So, where does this leave things? Washington (12-11) came into Thursday as the No. 7 seed, essentially tied with the New York Liberty. Now, the Fire (11-14) are only two games behind the Mystics for that No. 8 and final playoff spot. Can this expansion squad really string together some wins and make a move? It's gonna be tough. They've been alternating wins and losses over their past five games, and up next is a brutal road trip to face the WNBA-best Minnesota Lynx (19-6) on Saturday. The Mystics don't get a break either; they have back-to-back games against the Golden State Valkyries (18-7) in San Francisco on Saturday and Monday. This WNBA season is far from over, and Portland just made things super interesting.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.