WNBA Recap | July 16, 2026

Two one game was on Thursday's slate, with the previously scheduled Dallas-New York matchup postponed and now rescheduled for July 20. Portland made sure the lone game of the night counted, jumping on Washington from the opening tip and never letting the Mystics find any offensive footing. Here's how it went down.

Fire Torch Mystics From the Opening Tip

Portland Fire 75, Washington Mystics 56

Portland set the tone immediately, scoring 28 points in the first quarter and building a lead as large as 23 before the game was even half over. Washington never found an answer. The Mystics shot a dismal 29.7 percent from the field and 9.5 percent from three, and their 20 turnovers against Portland's 22 points off those miscues compounded an already lopsided night. Final: 75-56, Portland improves to 11-14 and continues to climb the Western Conference standings, while Washington falls to 12-12 and remains eighth in the East.

Carla Leite orchestrated the offense beautifully, going 5-of-12 from the field for 14 points with five assists and a plus-18. Serah Williams was nearly perfect, shooting 5-of-6 for 12 points at 87.2 percent true shooting with five rebounds. Sarah Ashlee Barker added 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting (2-of-3 from three) with seven rebounds and four steals. Portland's 20 assists on 29 made field goals reflected genuinely connected offensive basketball, and their 10 steals kept generating extra possessions throughout a game that was never in doubt after the first 10 minutes.

Washington had almost nothing go right. Shakira Austin led the Mystics with 19 points on 6-of-15 shooting, drawing nine fouls and going 7-of-9 from the free throw line, but her own three turnovers reflected a rough shooting night that mirrored her team's struggles. Kiki Iriafen shot just 1-of-8 for two points, and Michaela Onyenwere went 2-of-10 for five points. Washington's zero fast-break points and 2-of-21 three-point shooting as a team reflected an offense that never found any rhythm from start to finish.

POR 75 · WAS 56

PDX Wins.

With only one game on the slate, Portland delivered the kind of dominant, wire-to-wire performance that should give the Fire real confidence as they continue their late-season push. Washington's shooting collapse, a season-worst effort from the field, is a game the Mystics will want to move past quickly as they look ahead to a playoff race that remains tightly contested in the East.

Star of the Night: Carla Leite, Portland Fire

14 points | 5-of-12 FG | 5 assists | plus-18

Leite ran Portland's offense with poise from the opening tip, setting the tone for a Fire team that never let Washington back into the game. Her playmaking and floor leadership were the connective tissue behind Portland's most complete offensive performance in recent weeks.

Dud of the Night: Kiki Iriafen, Washington Mystics

2 points | 1-of-8 FG | 12.5% field goal percentage | minus-21

Iriafen has been one of Washington's most reliable interior scorers this season, and Thursday was the opposite. One made field goal on eight attempts with a minus-21 reflects a night where nothing worked, and in a game Washington lost by 19, her inability to generate any offense in the paint was the most visible individual symptom of the Mystics' complete offensive collapse.

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