The Portland Fire delivered a jaw-dropping, 98-96, finish Tuesday night over the New York Liberty to get their first franchise victory.
Late in the fourth quarter, the Fire and the Liberty traded baskets as the seconds ticked off the clock. With 13 seconds remaining and an overtime period looming, the Liberty turned the ball over with an ill-timed three-second violation. On the next possession, Bridget Carleton, who had a career-high 26 points and five 3-pointers, dribbled around the perimeter and immediately pulled up for a shot over Breanna Stewart, hoping to sink the game-winner.
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Carleton’s 3-pointer hit the backboard and ricocheted off. Her teammate, Sarah Ashlee Barker, was jockeying for positioning for the rebound and was bumped into the pathway of the ball as it fell. Barker quickly gathered it and put the ball into the air as she was falling to the ground. It hit the backboard, then the front of the rim ― and the back of the rim for good measure ― and bounced in as time expired.
“I missed that first play for (Sarah Ashlee Barker) to get that rebound,” Carleton said with a smile postgame. “That’s just who she is. She’s aggressive. She’s gritty. It was meant to be that way, so I’m really happy for her and proud of her.”
Barker, who was responsible for the Fire’s first win as an expansion team, 24 years after the original franchise ceased operations, had noticeably red eyes when asked about her history-making basket.
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“I’ll be honest. It’s been an emotional 24 hours. I lost somebody who was important to me yesterday. Tonight was God’s strength, not mine,” Barker said with a quiver in her voice. “It’s (a) perfect ending.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Portland Fire steal first win with stunning buzzer-beater vs. Liberty
