Sky survive first road test against Fire

PORTLAND, Ore. — Sky guard Skylar Diggins said before the game that the regular-season opener might not be sexy. The Sky have a brand new roster and listed five players on the injury report.

But they responded to a second-half run from the Fire and pulled away with a 98-83 win.

The Sky jumped out to a 13-point lead in the first half. Diggins found Cardoso early and often in the pick-and-roll, which will be a staple of the offense.

In the second half, the Fire cranked up the pressure defensively, forcing two 10-second violations in the third quarter.

“That’s a team that’s scrappy,” Diggins said. “They played with a lot of energy. They’re not going to stop. They’re going to run and jump and trap and cause pressure. I think their pressure gave us trouble.”

The Fire tied the game at 70-70 in the fourth quarter but never took the lead.

Sky center Elizabeth Williams played key minutes in the final period, going a perfect 3-for-3 from the field and providing a useful counter to Cardoso. Diggins also hit a key 3-pointer with 4:47 remaining to push the lead back into double digits. She finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists.

“What I liked was our response,” Diggins said. “We stayed together, we didn’t get too high and too low.”

The Fire were resurrected this season from the franchise that folded in 2002, and Portland was clearly ready to have its women’s basketball team back. A sellout crowd of 19,335 gave the Fire a standing ovation after the loss.

“My ears are still ringing,” Diggins said. “My voice is hoarse from screaming. It’s exciting to add them into the W and to see this environment that they’ve created.”

Guard Carla Leite led the Fire with 18 points.

Rickea Jackson added 19 points for the Sky, going 8-for-10 from the free-throw line. Cardoso finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds.

Rookie Gabriela Jaquez got her first start and contributed 10 points, seven rebounds and two steals.