How Megan Gustafson’s perfect game fueled Fire vs. Fever

The Portland Fire do not look like an expansion team early in the 2026 season. Portland delivered a signature win to their fans in a 100-84 rout against Indiana. One Fire player had an especially good game, which helped pave the way for the easy victory.

Fire center Megan Gustafson had an incredible game against the Fever on Saturday.

Gustafson went a perfect 8-of-8 from the field, leading both teams with 22 points scored. In fact, Gustafson’s only miss came from the free throw line, where she was still 5-of-6 on the night. She also added one rebound and one block in 28 minutes on the court.

Portland also got solid performances from Carla Leite (18 points, 12 assists) and Emily Engstler (16 points, 10 rebounds).

The Fire signed Gustafson to a two-year contract worth just over $500,000 per season during WNBA free agency.

Gustafson explained that the Fire have a collective chip on their shoulder as a collection of castoffs.

“We’re a bunch of overlooked players, and I think we all have a chip on our shoulder,” Gustafson said per ESPN. “I’ve never really been respected as a basketball player until I’ve gotten here, so I’m really thankful for this team, this organization. They really believe in me.”

Head coach Alex Sarama has certainly turned that attitude into fuel for his team.

Portland is now 6-4 on the season and ranked fifth overall in the WNBA standings. That is an excellent start to the season for the brand new expansion franchise.

The Fire have yet to play a game against a Western Conference foe. Portland’s conference record could be important for making the postseason later this fall. But they will get their first test in their next contest.

Next up for the Fire is a road game against the Valkyries on Tuesday June 2nd at 10PM ET.

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