Megan Gustafson Exploded For 22, And The Portland Fire Are Making Expansion History

Holy smokes, did you see what went down in Portland last night? The expansion Fire absolutely throttled the Indiana Fever, dropping a season-high 100 points on them in a wild 100-84 win! This wasn't just any victory, either. The Fire are now 6-4, tying the 1998 Detroit Shock for the best start by an expansion team in league history! Seriously, this squad is for real, and they just put the entire league on notice.

Portland's Offensive Firepower Is Absolutely Unstoppable

The Fire's offense was just on another level. Megan Gustafson, getting her first start of the year, went absolutely bonkers, pouring in a season-high 22 points. Get this: she was 8-for-8 from the field, even hitting a three, and went 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. Talk about efficient! But it wasn't just her. Emily Engstler kept the double-double streak alive with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Carla Leite dished out a career-high 12 assists to go with her 18 points, also a double-double. Bridget Carleton chipped in 14 points, and Sarah Ashley Barker added 15 points, six boards, and four assists.

This team was cooking from the jump, kicking off with a dominant 19-2 run that put them up 21-10 in the first quarter. Gustafson had back-to-back three-point plays in that run, and Carleton sank a three-pointer and a layup. Nyadiew Puoch’s layup pushed the lead to a massive 41-20 in the second quarter. They shot a blistering 51.4% from the field and totally shut down the Fever's offense, holding them to just 41.4%. And get this, after committing a season-high 28 turnovers the night before, they cleaned it up with just 12 against the Fever. That's a huge turnaround!

Caitlin Clark Had A NIGHTMARE, And The Fever Are Spiraling

While the Fire were celebrating, it was a rough night for the Fever and their superstar Caitlin Clark. She was held to a season-low six points on a dreadful 1-of-7 shooting, along with six assists, playing only 22 minutes because of foul trouble. Clark picked up her fifth foul in the final minute of the third quarter, right as the Fire built a ridiculous 25-point lead, and barely saw the floor in the fourth. This is her second straight game with a season low, after putting up only 16 points on 3-of-12 shooting against Golden State. Yikes!

The Fever, now at 4-4, have lost two in a row after a three-game winning streak. Their previous three losses were by a combined seven points, so this blowout loss is a new low for them. Aliyah Boston tried to keep them in it with 18 points and seven rebounds, and Kelsey Mitchell added 17 points and four assists, but it wasn't enough. The Fire definitely got their revenge for that 90-73 loss on May 20, a game Clark missed due to a back injury. What a statement!

The Fire are now tied for the best expansion start in league history, and it's awesome to watch. Can the Toronto Tempo match that 10-game start when they face the New York Liberty next Wednesday? We'll be watching to see if Portland gets to hold that record alone, but either way, this Fire team is bringing serious heat!

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