Jordan Harrison played 11 minutes in the opening game of the season for the Portland Fire, but has seen limited action since. The shortest player on the Fire and one of the smallest in the WNBA at 5-foot-6 is starting to make an impact. That impact is limited, however, by her developmental contract, which prohibits players from playing more than 12 games per season. Read more: Jordan Harrison is playing more, but her clock is ticking.
“A lot of people are not able to do what I’m able to do now,” Harrison said after practice on July 1. “So I just look at it as a blessing, and yeah, I just had fun with it.”
Harrison seems content with her role and is not taking her position in the WNBA for granted. She may have fewer than 10 games for the rest of the season, but the practice time and growth are invaluable to a young, undrafted player.
Which games could she play in?
She has played in three this season, with 24 games remaining for the 8-12 Fire. That means she has nine more games this season according to the WNBA collective bargaining agreement. Harrison’s three games have come against the Chicago Sky in the season opener and in the final two games before a little break for the Commissioner’s Cup. She saw action against Chicago again on June 26, and against the Washington Mystics on June 28.
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Those two games were the final two games of a three-game road trip. They were also traveling across the country from Portland. Head coach Alex Sarama definitely saw an opportunity to use Harrison to take some of the load off his typical rotation that plays a lot of minutes.
The Fire are in the playoff hunt, only two games back of the Mystics for the final spot. They will likely be strategic with Harrison. They will look for opportunities against weaker opponents or on long stretches on the road.
The first tough stretch starts on July 4 through July 18. They have six games, and five are on the road, including four in a row to end that stretch. The games that make the most sense for Harrison to see the floor are on July 4 against Seattle and July 14 against Connecticut. Both teams own the worst records in the league.
Other games that make sense are two other games against Seattle, two games against Phoenix in August, and two games against Washington, especially the first road matchup.
Her mentality
Harrison played 13 minutes against the Sky on June 26. She recorded three points, two rebounds, four assists, and did not turn the ball over. She missed a free throw, which is not typical for her. Harrison shot 82.6% from the line in her collegiate career. She also had three personal fouls in that matchup.
“Defensively, I’m still trying to get adjusted to the calling, the physicality, you know, and that’s just going to take time for me to get in games, play, and feel it out,” Harrison said as she self-assessed her action. “But other than that, I’m pretty proud of myself.”
Harrison played seven minutes against the Mystics and failed to score a bucket. She recorded four assists and a block. Harrison has always been talented at creating for her teammates, and it is translating.
“That’s just kind of who I am; that’s what I do,” Harrison said about her mentality. “I like to get downhill, get my teammates open, just make people around me better. So that’s the only thing that I know to do.”
She basically has nine more auditions this season to make a statement to Sarama and the Fire front office. Harrison has a way of making everyone around her better, and it surely shows in practice. Her defensive tenacity can go a long way in preparing her teammates for games, even if she is limited to just 12. Nine games is not a lot, but for a player like Harrison, it just might be enough.
