Bridget Carleton is thrilled all she\u2019s heard about Portland\u2019s passion for women\u2019s sports is true.<\/p>\n
Published May 11, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 3 minute read<\/p>\n
![\"Bridget](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/carleton-web-1-e1778449581180.jpg\")
Bridget Carleton (6) of the Portland Fire reacts after her three-point basket against the Chicago Sky during the second half at Moda Center on May 9, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (Steph Chambers\/Getty Images)Article content<\/p>\n
Bridget Carleton is the face of the franchise for the Portland Fire, and that face is already known around the city.<\/p>\n
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The Chatham native said all she\u2019s heard about Portland\u2019s passion for women\u2019s sports is true.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThis past week, feeling it on social media, feeling it in the city,\u201d said Carleton, the No. 1 pick in the WNBA expansion draft. \u201cGoing on a walk and people recognizing me already and I hadn\u2019t even played a game yet.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just incredible the amount of support and how excited people were to see us and meet us and be a part of this experience. It\u2019s been surreal.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, yes, I knew about it, but to experience it is different and something I couldn\u2019t even imagine. It was really cool.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Fire made their regular-season debut Saturday with a 98-83 loss to the Chicago Sky in front of 19,335 at Moda Center in Portland, Ore.<\/p>\n
It was the biggest crowd to ever watch a WNBA team\u2019s inaugural game.<\/p>\n
Fire owners Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal also own the Portland Thorns, who are annually at or near the top of National Women\u2019s Soccer League attendance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was incredible to have a sellout, 19,000,\u201d Carleton, 28, said to reporters. \u201cThey were in it the whole game. We were down 13 at half and came out in the third quarter with so much energy. The crowd was so into it. It was so much fun.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe know they were excited about this game, about this season, and we felt that. We\u2019ve been feeling it since we got to training camp. Today was just a great experience, I think, for everybody, so we\u2019re really thankful for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carleton tied for second on the Fire with 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting. She was 3-of-7 on three-pointers.<\/p>\n
The eight-year veteran also had four assists while playing a team-high 30:23.<\/p>\n
The Fire trailed by 17 in the first half. They were down 52-43 early in the third quarter until Carleton hit back-to-back treys.<\/p>\n
She sank her third three-pointer with 8:39 left in the fourth quarter for a 70-70 tie.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully it doesn\u2019t take me long to get going every game,\u201d she said with a laugh about the second-half baskets.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just want to be aggressive. I think coach is always in my ear to be aggressive, obviously shoot it when I\u2019m open, hunt my shots, hunt my opportunities and I got some good looks in the second half.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, I want to be super aggressive in the first half, too, but I also enjoy playing team basketball and so I\u2019m going to make the right play, no matter what that is.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI want to be aggressive. I want to be the person that can be relied on to get a shot up if we need a shot.\u201d<\/p>\n
Portland continues its four-game homestand at Moda, nicknamed the Fire Pit, against the New York Liberty Tuesday and Thursday.<\/p>\n
The Fire are the league\u2019s second-youngest team. Players are still getting to know each other and the coaches, Carleton said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery single game we\u2019re going to continue to grow and learn each other and learn the system and get incrementally better,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s small wins in every single possession, every single game that we\u2019re going to take and run with.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe \u2018not giving up,\u2019 the \u2018staying together\u2019 \u2013 we want to be really annoying to play against. We don\u2019t want any team to enjoy coming here and playing against us. I think we have that identity already and we\u2019re going to continue that the entire season.\u201d<\/p>\n
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