Canadian star Bridget Carleton takes on leadership role with expansion Portland Fire

TORONTO — Ever since Bridget Carleton was selected first overall in the WNBA’s 2026 expansion draft the message has been clear: she has to be aggressive.

The native of Chatham-Kent, Ont., had 15 points, going 4 for 8 from three-point range, to help her Portland Fire rout the Toronto Tempo 99-80 on Saturday in the first-ever game between the two expansion teams. Carleton said her breakout performance boiled down to one word.

“I’m just being aggressive,” said Carleton, sitting alongside Fire teammate Megan Gustafson. “I think every game we’re getting better and better, and learning more about each other.

“Expansion teams, kind of go through ups and downs, and figuring things out. I’m just being aggressive, wanting to shoot threes, wanting to get my shot attempts up.”

Carleton has been the focal point of Portland’s (3-3) offence this season. She was averaging a team-high and career-high 16.8 points heading into Saturday’s game in Toronto. She was also grabbing three rebounds, dishing out 1.8 assists and making 2.4 steals per game.

More than that, the 29-year-old has stepped into a leadership role on and off the court, bringing her nine years of WNBA experience to the Fire’s locker room.

That included hosting a team dinner at Pai, a Thai restaurant in Toronto’s downtown core.

“I think that’s a big part of expansion too, wanting to build chemistry, because you get thrown into the fire with completely new teammates,” said Carleton, who was quick to add that she’s not from Toronto and therefore just as much of a tourist as her teammates. “But we’ve really prioritized, and our coaches have really prioritized, getting to know each other, building connections on and off the court.

“I don’t know, I just like getting to know my teammates and being close to my teammates. It’s pretty natural, I think, for all of us just to bond that way.”

Fire head coach Alex Sarama certainly appreciates what Carleton brings to his team, especially in its inaugural season.

“That was a big reason why we drafted her, and it’s how can we create this environment of joy where we have a really strong culture in the locker room,” he said in his post-game news conference. “I think BC is a huge part of that, and sets in the culture that we want as an expansion team. It’s really important.”

Emily Engstler had 16 points, including nine in the third quarter, as the Fire beat the Tempo.

Evenly matched through the first half, Portland surged ahead thanks to superior three-point shooting. The Fire went 6 for 11 (54.5 per cent) in the third and fourth quarters, for an 11 for 23 (47.8 per cent) in the game.

The Tempo only managed six three-pointers on 25 attempts (24 per cent) in the entire game.

Hamilton’s Kia Nurse, who had four points and two rebounds off the bench for Toronto (3-4) was happy to see her teammate from Canada’s senior women’s basketball program thriving with Portland.

“She’s been very deserving of that, and of the new role that she’s gotten,” said Nurse. “I think it’s great that on this level, in this stage of the WNBA, that she’s getting the opportunity to really show what she can do.

“So, nothing but happy for her, and really proud of her.”

Nurse added with a laugh: “Not proud that it was tonight that she did a good job, but proud of her for every other game.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 24, 2026.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press