The Leite Show is only getting started for Carla Leite
Carla Leite has turned The Leite Show into Portland Fire history, breaking the franchise's 24-year single-season assists record while teammates insist the 22-year-old point guard is only getting started. Just days before the 2026 WNBA season's halfway point, Leite may already be the Fire's best floor general ever.
Carla Leite has quickly become Portland's offensive centerpiece in her second WNBA season. Her pick-and-roll mastery and recent scoring surge have made her one of the league's breakout stories in celebrity breaking news circles this summer.
Key Takeaways
- Carla Leite set the Portland Fire single-season assists record with her 105th assist during a July road game at Seattle, passing Ukari Figgs' 104 from 2002.
- In her second WNBA season, Leite is averaging a team-high 15.1 points and 5.7 assists while leading one of the league's newest franchises.
- Fire teammates Jordan Harrison and Sarah Ashlee Barker say fans are only seeing the beginning of what Leite can become.
- NBC Sports notes Leite recently posted a career-high 32 points and has been among the WNBA's best passers during a hot stretch.
What record did Carla Leite break for the Portland Fire?
During Seattle's game, Leite recorded assist No. 105 on a familiar Fire play: she called for the pick and roll and found Megan Gustafson for an easy layup in the third quarter, according to OregonLive.
That assist broke Ukari Figgs' franchise mark of 104, which had stood since 2002 — 24 years. Leite had tied the record earlier in the same game with a pass to Emily Engstler for a deep three-pointer. She entered with 103 assists on the season.
How is Carla Leite performing in her second WNBA season?
Leite showed promise as a rookie during Golden State's inaugural WNBA season but has leveled up in Portland. NBC Sports' weekly Heat Check highlighted her career-high 32-point outing in a quadruple-overtime loss to Washington and noted she was averaging 20.0 points and 7.3 assists over a recent stretch including that game.
On the full season, she is averaging 15.1 points and 5.7 assists. She is also tied for the Fire's single-game scoring record with that 32-point night, matching Jackie Stiles' mark from 2001.
Why do Portland Fire teammates say the Leite Show is only beginning?
For Leite, the assists milestone was meaningful but not personal. "I don't think about like the statistics, you know, I just try like to read like the game correctly and like find my teammates on the court," she told OregonLive.
Developmental guard Jordan Harrison said Portland fans are only getting to see the beginning of Leite's abilities and added, "I don't know if she knows how good she is, to be quite honest." Starting backcourt mate Sarah Ashlee Barker praised her passion and competitiveness, saying Leite is only 22 with room to grow: "Like, people just don't understand how good that girl is."
Could Carla Leite cement herself as Portland's best point guard ever?
Just days before the 2026 season midpoint, OregonLive reported that Leite may have already done exactly that. Her blend of scoring and playmaking has made her the offensive leader for a revived franchise finding its identity.
NBC Sports wrote that Leite's upward trend has her playing at a level comparable to some of the league's most recognizable guards. With records falling and teammates betting on years of growth ahead, the Leite Show looks less like a hot streak and more like the start of a franchise-defining run.