WNBA Recap: Record in Toronto, Clark Swallowed by the Fire, and the Sun Snap a Skid

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Saturday night’s three-game WNBA slate provided a spectacular showcase of basketball. From a record-setting shooting display north of the border to an expansion team hitting a historic century mark while locking down one of the league’s biggest stars, the action did not disappoint.

Here is the comprehensive breakdown of everything that transpired on the court last night.

Charity Stripe History: Tempo Cruise Past Storm (93–72)

The Toronto Tempo (5-4) earned their second straight victory in jaw-dropping fashion, defeating the Seattle Storm (3-6) 93–72 at a packed Coca-Cola Coliseum. The real story, however, was Toronto’s flawless execution at the foul line.

WNBA Record Alert: The Toronto Tempo set an all-time WNBA record by converting their first 31 consecutive free throws in a single game. The streak was only broken with 58 seconds left on the clock when Teonni Key missed back-to-back attempts, leaving Toronto at a spectacular 31-of-33 (94%) from the line.

The game was deadlocked at 51–51 midway through the third quarter until Marina Mabrey (18 points, 4 assists) sparked a decisive 19–5 run with a timely steal and assist to rookie Kiki Rice. Rice was magnificent, scoring 13 of her 17 points in the second half while adding 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Former Storm guard Brittney Sykes chipped in 15 points (7-of-7 FT) against her old squad, and rookie Laura Juskaite knocked down a career-high four 3-pointers to finish with 14 points. Toronto also welcomed back guard Julie Allemand from a five-game absence due to a groin injury.

Natisha Hiedeman led the way with 18 points and 7 assists, while Jordan Horston added a season-high 15 points and 4 steals. Seattle sorely missed center Dominique Malonga (concussion protocol) and struggled heavily from deep, shooting just 26% (7-of-27) from beyond the arc.

Expansion Heat: Portland Fire Smoke Indiana Fever (100–84)

In front of a roaring, sold-out crowd of 19,347 at the Moda Center, the expansion Portland Fire (6-4) played the most complete game in their young history, routing the Indiana Fever (4-4) 100–84.

Portland’s defensive game plan focused entirely on making life miserable for Caitlin Clark, and it worked flawlessly. Clark was held to just 6 points on 1-of-7 shooting in 22 minutes of play. Frustrated and swarmed by Portland’s perimeter length, she picked up her fourth foul in the third quarter and eventually fouled out in the fourth.

Offensively, the Fire lit up the scoreboard to cross the 100-point threshold for the first time in franchise history. Megan Gustafson was an absolute sniper, leading all scorers with 22 points on a perfect 8-of-8 shooting night from the floor. French rookie sensation Carla Leite logged 18 points and 12 assists, while Emily Engstler added 16 points and 10 rebounds—marking the first two double-doubles in Portland Fire franchise history.

Aliyah Boston did everything she could to keep Indiana afloat, turning in 18 points and 7 rebounds, while Kelsey Mitchell added 17 points. However, a brutal 37–25 third-quarter explosion from Portland put the game completely out of reach.

Morrow’s Double-Double Guides Sun Past Sparks (84–81)

The Connecticut Sun (2-8) narrowly escaped with an 84–81 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks (4-4) at PeoplesBank Arena, snapping a painful three-game losing streak.

Aneesah Morrow continued her relentless campaign on the glass, dropping 17 points and 14 rebounds. It was Morrow’s fourth consecutive double-double, and she currently leads the WNBA with 7 double-doubles on the season.

Connecticut relied heavily on their defense, forcing a season-high 11 steals and putting the clamps on the Sparks in the fourth quarter. Los Angeles went completely ice-cold, failing to score a single field goal from the 9:33 mark of the fourth quarter until just 3:38 remained. Kennedy Burke scored 14 points for the Sun, while Diamond Miller and French rookie Leila Lacan—making her highly anticipated season debut—scored 12 apiece.

Ariel Atkins and Rae Burrell paced Los Angeles with 16 points each. The Sparks mounted a furious late-game rally, cutting the deficit to 81–79 on a Burrell 3-pointer with 52 seconds left, but the Sun locked down defensively on the final possessions to seal the win.