It’s the Phoenix Mercury versus the Portland Fire at Moda Center on June 5, 2026. Here’s how to watch live on TV.
- Time: 10:00 PM ET
- Location: Moda Center, Portland, OR
- TV Channels: ION Television
How to Watch Phoenix Mercury vs. Portland Fire on June 5, 2026
You can watch the Portland Fire take on the Phoenix Mercury live on ION Television channel 305 with DIRECTV on June 5, 2026 at 10:00 PM ET.
Phoenix Mercury (3-8) at Portland Fire (6-5) — Game Preview
The Phoenix Mercury head into Moda Center carrying a 3-8 mark against a Portland Fire side that has surprised at 6-5 through its first season back in the WNBA. Phoenix has been the better team on the glass at 32.4 rebounds per game, but Portland has been the more efficient shooting team, and that gap shows up in nearly every possession. Natasha Mack anchors the Mercury frontcourt with 8.6 rebounds per game, doing the heavy lifting inside while Phoenix sorts through availability questions around key scorers.
Carla Leite has been the breakout story on the home side, the guard pouring in 15.2 points per game and shooting a remarkable 96.3 percent from the line for the Fire. Sarah Ashlee Barker has chipped in on the boards from the backcourt at 4.5 rebounds per game, a notable number for a guard that Portland leans on against bigger lineups. With Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas both appearing on the injury report and Sami Whitcomb out, Phoenix’s available rotation is the key variable against a confident expansion side playing at home.
National TV
ION
What Time is the Phoenix Mercury vs. Portland Fire Game Today?
The Phoenix Mercury vs. Portland Fire game starts at 10:00 PM ET.
Where Can I Watch Phoenix Mercury vs. Portland Fire?
You can watch Phoenix Mercury vs. Portland Fire on ION Television.
Players to Watch: Phoenix Mercury vs. Portland Fire
Phoenix Mercury
Natasha Mack — F. Mack is averaging 8.6 rebounds per game and doing it on both ends of the floor, with a 5.5 defensive and 3.2 offensive split that points to a player who is genuinely working both glasses. That offensive-rebound number stands out against a Portland side that grabs only 27.2 boards a night as a team, and the Mercury will need every second-chance possession they can manufacture in this one.
Alyssa Thomas — F. Thomas is listed with a left calf issue, so her status bears watching, but her two-way line tells you why she matters to whatever Phoenix can put together tonight. She is averaging 15.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 7.5 assists across 33.2 minutes per game, a near triple-double profile that lets the Mercury run offense through their power forward rather than their guards.
Portland Fire
Carla Leite — G. The rookie guard is leading Portland’s offense with 15.2 points per game on 47.1 percent shooting, and her free-throw stroke is the eye-catcher at 96.3 percent. Leite is also distributing at 5.2 assists per game, the kind of dual-threat workload that the Fire have built their early-season offense around.
Bridget Carleton — F. Carleton has been the spacing piece for Portland, knocking down 37.9 percent from three and shooting a near-perfect 91.7 percent from the line across 29.6 minutes per game. Her 14.7 points per game come on quiet, low-turnover possessions at 0.8 turnovers per game, which is the kind of ball security that keeps a young team’s halfcourt offense from drifting.
Sarah Ashlee Barker — G. Barker pulls down 4.5 rebounds per game from the guard spot, with a 3.5 defensive and 1.0 offensive split that points to a player who finishes possessions in the backcourt. For an expansion roster still sorting out its rotations, that kind of size-up rebounding from a guard takes pressure off the Fire’s posts.
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