Former Valkyries guard Carla Leite is loving her ‘fresh start’ with Fire

SAN FRANCISCO – So many of the leaps we see WNBA players take every year are predicated on opportunity. That was the case for the Golden State Valkyries last year, as an expansion team with 12 new roster spots last year, former bench players like Veronica Burton all of a sudden had the opportunity to prove their past teams wrong, with Burton being the ultimate example by becoming a franchise cornerstone.

And with a new opportunity with the newly minted Portland Fire, former Valkyries guard Carla Leite has taken that leap to become a player trusted with the keys of the franchise, even if it wasn’t totally on display in her 10-point, seven-assist homecoming performance, as the Valkyries dismantled the Fire 95-77. Before the game, Leite spoke about her new home in Portland and how she’s made the most of the opportunity.

“It was a fresh start for me with new teammates [and] a new coaching staff,” Leite said. “I think I took my responsibility, and I showed that I can play in this league.”

We talked with Carla Leite pregame, she spoke about her opportunity with Portland, her time w/ GSV, and the leaps she’s taken:

“It was a fresh start for me with new teammates, a new coaching staff, and I think I took responsibility and I showed that I can play in this league.” pic.twitter.com/k0MPDpyjaE

— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) June 3, 2026

Through nine games this season, Leite is averaging a career-high 15.9 points and 5.0 assists per game on 23.3 minutes per game, paving the way for the Fire’s surprising 6-5 start in their inaugural season in the league. Leite has blossomed in her new role with Portland, with the point guard showing the height of her potential in some big shots in the clutch over the New York Liberty and Connecticut Sun.

The difference between Carla Leite this year and last year

But for her former coach, Natalie Nakase, Leite’s game isn’t too different than what she did last season, even with the leaps she’s taken this season. It’s just the opportunity and circumstances that have changed.

“I’d say she’s still a downhill attacker,” Nakase explained. “I think she’s developed a lot more confidence, obviously. When you’re a starter, and you get more minutes, I think she’s really [shone] in that… But at the end of the day, you gotta love Carla’s fight. She plays with so much passion, and just her celebration alone is really cool. And can’t take your eyes off her.”

Fire head coach Alex Sarama echoed Nakase’s observation, pointing to how Portland built an offense to make the most of Leite’s strengths.

“I saw a really nice stat today. [This season, Leite] has the highest volume ever pick-and-roll ballhandler in W history,” Sarama said. “That’s really been the whole intention. Just trying to create as much space as possible.”

“She’s one of the best players in the league, just getting down to the driving, 94% of her driving, getting into the paint. So yeah, it allows us to do some really unique things offensively. And we’re just trying to be very focus-ful with the shapes we’re creating and how we’re space them out to maximize her unique skill set.”

How Leite is adjusting to her new home with the Fire

For Leite, she’s no stranger to the expansion franchise atmosphere, having gone through it last year. But as the focal point of this new team, Leite emphasized that she had to adapt her game to fit the scheme, playing more like a shooting guard rather than as a point guard, as she had for most of her career.

But ultimately, Leite is happy with her new home in Portland and remains eager to prove the league, along with the rest of her teammates, that they’re capable of doing damage this year as an expansion team.

“Sometimes it’s hard because you change a lot of your environment,” Leite said. “But I think what is good is it’s a new opportunity for everyone to show what we are capable [of doing] on the court. We just try to build connections as quickly as possible, and I think it’s worked for us this year.”

And Leite made it clear it’s not from a place of spite or trying to prove the Valkyries wrong for not protecting her. Rather, it’s out of joy for the new situation and new opportunity to demonstrate what she’s capable of in the WNBA.

“I was happy just to try something new and have a new role on the team,” Leite said about being selected by the Fire in the expansion draft. “I was pretty excited to be with this new franchise.”

The post Former Valkyries guard Carla Leite is loving her ‘fresh start’ with Fire appeared first on ClutchPoints.