The Portland Fire are quickly becoming one of the most entertaining stories in the WNBA. Expansion teams are not supposed to look this competitive this early, but Portland continues proving it belongs after a strong 3-3 start that already includes a win over the New York Liberty.
Now the Fire head back to Brooklyn for the third meeting between these teams in less than two weeks, and there’s plenty of intrigue surrounding Monday night’s matchup. New York is trying to snap a two-game losing streak, Portland is gaining confidence offensively, and both previous meetings between these teams produced explosive scoring stretches.
With star talent on the floor for the Liberty and Portland continuing to play aggressively offensively, this matchup has all the ingredients for another high-scoring game.
Fire vs. Liberty DATE, TIME & HOW TO WATCH | |
|---|---|
| Where | Barclays Center – Brooklyn, New York |
| When | Monday, May 25, 2026, 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | Peacock/NBCSN |
Betting Odds & Public Betting
The Liberty enter as massive 12.5-point home favorites, while the Fire return as heavy underdogs. The total is set at 176.5 points.
Oddsmakers clearly expect New York’s offense to take control at home, especially with Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally both back in the lineup together. Even during Sunday’s loss to Dallas, the Liberty still showed flashes offensively while continuing to adjust to the chemistry of their returning stars.
Portland has already proven it can score against New York. The Fire dropped 98 points in their upset victory earlier this month and continue playing with pace and confidence offensively. Bridget Carleton and Sarah Ashlee Barker have become major catalysts for a team that refuses to play like a traditional expansion franchise.
Public bettors may lean toward New York covering the large number at home, but the total presents the stronger betting angle given the offensive firepower on both sides.
Fire vs. Liberty ODDS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
| Fire | +12.5 (-110) | +500 | U 176.5 (-108) |
| Liberty | -12.5 (-110) | -700 | O 176.5 (-112) |
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Key Notes & Storylines
Portland’s offense continues exceeding expectations. The Fire are pushing tempo, spacing the floor well, and consistently finding scoring opportunities in transition. They already exposed weaknesses in New York’s defense during the first meeting and should once again attack aggressively Monday night.
Sarah Ashlee Barker continues emerging as one of the breakout players for Portland, while Bridget Carleton has already shown she can create matchup problems for the Liberty.
For New York, the focus remains getting fully healthy and rebuilding chemistry. Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally finally shared the floor together professionally for the first time Sunday, and that duo alone dramatically raises New York’s offensive ceiling.
The Liberty are also highly motivated after dropping back-to-back games at home. Expect a much more aggressive offensive approach early as New York looks to reestablish momentum during this homestand.
Last Three Meetings
Portland stunned the Liberty earlier this month with a dramatic 98-96 victory, capped by Sarah Ashlee Barker’s game-winning put-back at the buzzer. New York responded two days later with a convincing bounce-back victory, winning by 18 points while tightening up defensively against Bridget Carleton.
Even with New York’s dominant win in the rematch, both meetings featured strong offensive stretches and fast-paced basketball.
Injury Reports
New York recently welcomed both Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally back into the lineup, significantly boosting the Liberty offensively.
Portland enters relatively healthy and continues building chemistry quickly for an expansion franchise.
Fire vs. Liberty Prediction
This matchup feels far more appealing from a total perspective than a side.
Portland has already shown it can score against New York, and the Fire continue playing with the confidence and pace of a team that has nothing to lose offensively. Meanwhile, the Liberty are desperate to snap their losing streak and should push the tempo aggressively at home with their stars back on the floor.
The biggest factor here is game flow. If Portland can stay competitive offensively for even three quarters, this total becomes extremely reachable given New York’s scoring upside.
Expect another entertaining, up-tempo matchup between two teams that have already produced one of the highest-scoring games of the young WNBA season.
Final Score Prediction: Liberty 96, Fire 88