There was Sophia Witherspoon in 2000, averaging 16.8 points per game and shooting 36.8 percent from 3. There was Jackie Stiles in 2001, averaging 14.9 points per game and shooting 43.1 percent from beyond the arc. There was Alisa Burras in 2002, shooting 62.9 percent from the field in helping the team to their first non-losing season at 16-16.

Those are the Portland Fire stars of old, from back when the team first existed.

Now, 24 years later, the Fire are back, and a 22-year-old from France has emerged as the first star of their relaunch.

The Fire selected Carla Leite with their second pick in the 2026 expansion draft; she was the third pick overall.

Yes, No. 1 pick Bridget Carleton, as expected, has thrived in the largest role she’s ever had in her WNBA career, but I would argue that Leite has been the best player on the team.

Leite leads Portland in points per game (15.9) and assists per game (6.3). She’s shooting a solid 47.6 percent on 2s and a phenomenal 87.3 percent from the charity stripe on 6.1 attempts per game.

Something else that’s really stood out is her improvement from distance. She shot 13-for-75 (17.3 percent) from 3 last year as a Golden State Valkyries rookie; this year, she’s 34-for-85 (40 percent). It’s low volume, but about one made 3 per game at the magic threshold of 40 percent has kept defenses honest and allowed Leite to be even more dominant at the part of her game she is known for.

Leite could be one of the WNBA’s most lethal drivers for years to come

When I watched Leite play the Washington Mystics in the quadruple-overtime game back on June 28, I was struck by her ability to get past her defender off the dribble and penetrate into the paint on seemingly every play.

By getting into the paint so consistently, Leite was able to constantly keep the Mystics on their heels and make good things happen for Portland. She went for a career-high 32 points to go along with nine assists. It may have come in a lengthy 48 minutes that allowed those numbers to increase, but it was still impressive that she was at her best under the pressure of overtime, scoring 19 of her points across the 20 minutes of free basketball.

Since that game, Leite has continued to attack the paint, creating opportunities for herself and others.

The expansion Fire have been pesky, winning or almost winning a bunch of games against teams that were expected to be way better than them. That peskiness starts with Leite’s penetration—Portland just always seems to be at an advantage, forcing other teams to scramble.

At 22, Leite is already showing the poise of a veteran and making noise as an All-Star-level player.

Her numbers don’t just lead the Fire; they’re also competitive among the best players in the W. She’s sixth in the league in assists per game, 19th in points per game, fourth in made free throws and 15th in free throw percentage. As our Edwin Garcia wrote about, she’s in the running for Most Improved Player after averaging 7.2 points per game and two assists per game last year.

You can’t talk about Leite without recognizing her rapid rise

Leite began playing basketball at age nine. At 13, she began to dedicate her life to it, making sacrifices to get better that caused her to miss out on a typical adolescence. She doesn’t regret the path she took, and her hard work has certainly paid off.

For high school, she attended the Tony Parker Academy, created by its legendary San Antonio Spur and French namesake. She was then selected at No. 9 overall by the Dallas Wings in the 2024 WNBA Draft, but didn’t debut until 2025 after the Valkyries picked her up in their expansion draft.

In 2025, before suiting up for the Valkyries, she played for Villeneuve d’Ascq LM in EuroCup Women (17.6 points per game) and EuroLeague Women. Playing for Casademont Zaragoza this past EuroLeague season, her team went much further, finishing third in the competition while she averaged 10.4 points per game.

It’s been a whirlwind; it’s amazing to think that just nine years ago is when it all started getting serious.

For the French National Team, Leite is currently averaging 16.6 minutes per game and 6.2 points per game at the FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin. Les Bleues are loaded with eight WNBA players, so it’s not surprising that Leite isn’t playing a starring role. But she’s capable of having a big game any given night. Based on her 2026 season in the W, she’s just as good as France’s Big 3 of Gabby Williams, Dominique Malonga and Marine Johannès.

France plays the United States for World Cup gold on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET (TNT). Tune in to see if Leite and Les Bleues can pull off the upset that many people have been saying won’t be that much of an upset if it happens. Leite is one of the reasons why.