Portland Fire – Sports Radio Service

Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) drives on the Las Vegas Aces guard Chennedy Carter (23) in the first half at the T Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Sun Jul 5, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Rich Perez

Sunday afternoon the Las Vegas Aces took on the Indiana Fever at T-Mobile Arena. A few of the Las Vegas games have been moved to this venue due to the high demand for tickets.

For a third game in a row, A’Ja Wilson will not take the floor due to an ankle issue. Caitlan Clark is also on the injury list for the Fever. After the first two quarters it became very apparent that beating the Fever today would be a challenge.

The Aces had a one-point lead after the first ten minutes of play 23-24. At the half the Fever had taken the lead 42-41. It didn’t stop there. Indiana outscored the Aces in the third quarter 26-14 and with five minutes left in the game Las Vegas was trailing 77-62. The final was 84-68.

GAME RECAP

The Las Vegas Aces again took the court without A’Ja Wilson her third missed game in a row. The Aces are so reliant on her rebounding abilities that they may have a struggle on their hands. While they did have a slim lead after the first ten minutes of play, they were turning the ball over and unable to create very many open shots.

The Fever were successfully keeping them out of the paint and shots from beyond the arc just were not working. Las Vegas took a 24-23 lead into the second quarter looking to extend that lead.

The Fever outscored the Aces in the second quarter 19-17 and led at the half 42-41. It was still anybody’s game but Las Vegas was starting to struggle. The turnovers continued and they would have a lot to improve on in the second half. The Fever continued to keep Vegas out of the paint and second chance shots were non-existent. Despite how close this game was, the way that the Aces were operating was not looking good at all.

When the third quarter got underway the Indiana Fever took control with defense, rebounding and timely shooting. The absence of Wilson was really glaring, the team missing her scoring, rebounding and the defensive anchor that she is. The Fever were winning the battle inside. Aliyah Boston controlled the paint and the Fever grabbed key offensive rebounds that led to second-chance points. Indiana outscored the Aces 26-14 in the quarter and led going into the fourth quarter 67-55.

The Aces would have to get after it to start the final quarter but they continued to struggle. As the fourth quarter wore on Kelsey Mitchell made several big baskets whenever the Aces attempted a rally.

The Las Vegas offense had cooled off in the second half. They struggled to make shots and could not string together enough stops and scores to erase a significant deficit. The bottom line was that the Fever played a disciplined, physical game and executed better in the closing minutes. Indiana had capitalized on the absence of Wilson. The final was 84-68.

GAME NOTES

The second half was a nightmare for the Aces. The turnovers continued Las Vegas finishing with 13 conceding 13 points. The Fever took a lot more shots than the Aces and came away with numerous second chance opportunities.

Through 3 1/2 quarters the Aces did not have a single second chance ball. The Las Vegas starting lineup struggled the high for the Aces Jackie Young with only 15 points. The Fever’s Kelsey Mitchell finished with 27 points and Aliyah Boston a double double with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

The Aces will not play again until this coming Thursday taking on the Portland Fire. A’Ja Wilson has an estimated return of July 9th which is next Thursday. While the team does not want her to re-injure her ankle they are really hurting without her.

They need her healthy upon her return. Not only is her skill invaluable, she lifts the entire team up when she is on the floor. Tipoff for Thursday’s game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Janelle Salaun #13 of the Golden State Valkyries reacts after making a three-point shot over Frieda Buhner #20 of the Portland Fire in the first half during a WNBA Commissioner’s Cup game at Chase Center on June 2, 2026, in San Francisco, California .(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

By Michael Villanueva

SAN FRANCISCO – This Tuesday evening, the WNBA tipped off the Commissioner’s Cup at Ballhalla with the Golden State Valkyries defeating the Portland Fire, 92-23. This was Portland’s first time ever playing here at Chase Center, as they were set to join the WNBA this year as the league’s 15th team. After the Valkyries’ last home game loss to Las Vegas, Golden State bounced back at home and got their first win for the Cup against Portland. Golden State is now 6-3 in its first nine games of the season. Portland Fire drops to 6-5 for the season so far.

The WNBA Commissioner’s Cup is an annual in-season competition that links top competition to community impact is the Commissioner’s Cup, sponsored by Coinbase. From June 1–17, there will be 49 games in the event. A $500,000 prize pool and the Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game will be contested by the team from each conference with the best record in Commissioner’s Cup games. The team with the highest winning percentage in regular-season games through June 17 will host the championship game on Tuesday, June 30.

The Valkyries started guards Veronica Burton, Cecilia Zandalasini, forwards Kayla Thornton, Gabby Williams, and center Kiah Stokes as their five. In Golden State’s last game, they hosted the Las Vegas Aces, but lost, 91-81, just two days ago. They were led by forward Gabby Williams, 20 points, on her 4-of-6 shooting from three pointers. So the Valkyries were determined to make this home game a win and start the Commissioners Cup with a win in the tournament bracket.

Portland went with gaurds Carla Leite (former Valkyrie player), Bridget Carleton, forwards Nyadiew Puoch, Emily Engstler, and center Megan Gustafson as their starting five. Portland, in their last game, hosted and defeated the Indiana Fever, 100-84, just three days ago. Fires center Megan Gustafson led Portland with her 22 points, and went perfect from the floor, 8-of-8 on field goals. Portland is hoping to make this game their second win in a row.

Valkyries forward Kayla Thornton would hit a corner three to start the game off, here, in San Francisco. Then, in the next possession, Portland would respond with their forward Emily Engstler knocking down a 26-foot three-point jumper to get Fire on the board for the night.

However, Valkyrie Kayla Thornton was feeling herself from the start, as she made the first three 3-pointers for Golden State. Thornton would end with 11 points by herself in the first quarter, and give help the Valkyries the lead, 21-20.

At halftime, Golden State had a 20-point lead over Portland, 56-36. The Valkyries’ shooting in the first half is what gave them the control the whole night. Even though Portland was dominated in the paint, Fire had scored 22 of their points in the paint. Golden State was shooting above the 50% almost the entire second quarter. In fact, the Valkyries set a team record, making 12 three-pointers in the first half.

At the start of the third quarter, Fire would go on a quick 4-0 scoring run, and would cut the lead to 14 points. Then Golden State’s Veronica Burton would hit a 24-foot three-pointer to extend the team’s lead. Then, right in the next possession, Valkyrie Kiah Stokes joins the party and knocks down a three-pointer of her own. By the end of the quarter, Golden State had an 18-point lead, 74-56, going into the final quarter.

In the final quarter, Portland would get as close as eight points from the lead. Halfway through the fourth quarter, the score was 75-67. However, Golden State just never let up from their shooting and would knock down multiple three-pointers that led them to a win in Ballhalla. In fact, the Valkyires have set a new single-game franchise record with 18 three-point field goals made.

The Valkyries win this one, due from an explosive second quarter performance. The Valkyries would drop 35 points, just in the second quarter. Their shooting ability really showed off for the home crowd as Golden State starts this month off with a win. Golden State was led in this game by Kayla Thornton’s 19 points, eight rebounds, and her 5-of-10 shooting from deep.

The Golden State Valkyries will head on the road to Minnesota, to face off against the Lynx, who are currently 1st in the West (7-2) at the Target Center. The Minnesota Lynx are being led by Courtney Williams, who averages 17.8 points per game. The tip-off will be at 6:00 p.m., Thursday evening, broadcast on Prime Video.

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