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.<\/p>\n
Those are the Portland Fire stars of old, from back when the team first existed.<\/p>\n
Now, 24 years later, the Fire are back, and a 22-year-old from France has emerged as the first star of their relaunch.<\/p>\n
The Fire selected Carla Leite with their second pick in the 2026 expansion draft; she was the third pick overall.<\/p>\n
Yes, No. 1 pick Bridget Carleton, as expected, has thrived in the largest role she\u2019s ever had in her WNBA career, but I would argue that Leite has been the best player on the team.<\/p>\n
Leite leads Portland in points per game (15.9) and assists per game (6.3). She\u2019s shooting a solid 47.6 percent on 2s and a phenomenal 87.3 percent from the charity stripe on 6.1 attempts per game.<\/p>\n
Something else that\u2019s 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\u2019s 34-for-85 (40 percent). It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Leite could be one of the WNBA\u2019s most lethal drivers for years to come<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Since that game, Leite has continued to attack the paint, creating opportunities for herself and others.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s penetration\u2014Portland just always seems to be at an advantage, forcing other teams to scramble.<\/p>\n
At 22, Leite is already showing the poise of a veteran and making noise as an All-Star-level player.<\/p>\n