A change of scenery has worked out very well for former Hawkeye star Megan Gustafson.
After spending two seasons with the Las Vegas Aces, including a WNBA championship in 2025, the Aces did not re-sign her, and she hit the free-agent market. Gustafson has bounced around during her eight-year WNBA career, and after a successful two-year stint in Vegas, she signed with one of the new expansion teams, the Portland Fire.
Shortly into the 2026 season, Gustafson has proven to be an extremely valuable reserve in the Fire's inaugural season, and she notched some history along the way.
Gustafson joined the 800-point club after struggling to find a role early in her career
Hard work has paid off for the former Hawkeye great as she notched an important career milestone in the Fire's most recent game against the Atlanta Dream.
TAKE A BOW, MEGAN 👏❤️🔥
— Portland Fire (@theportlandfire) May 30, 2026
Megan Gustafson has reached 800 career points pic.twitter.com/O7t3rKvQZB
For a while, it looked like the former NCAA Women's College Basketball Player of the Year was going to fizzle out, especially after playing only 20 combined games in 2020 and 2021 between the Dallas Wings and the Washington Mystics. She experienced a career resurgence with the Phoenix Mercury in 2023 and has carved out a role as a solid reserve since then.
The partnership between Gustafson and the Fire has worked well for both parties, with her averaging career highs in minutes (15.8) and points per game (9.1) through Portland's first nine games of the 2026 season.
Gustafson has continued working to expand her shooting range and, coupled with her solid interior game, has made her a threat from inside and out. All Hawkeye fans remember how dominating she was in the paint when she played for Lisa Bluder and the Hawkeyes, but she has adapted her game to become more successful in the WNBA.
It took Gustafson a little longer than most people expected, but her perseverance and hard work have allowed her to remain in the league and become a reliable reserve. Gustafson and the Portland Fire are facing off against another former Hawkeye great, Caitlin Clark, in their next matchup against the Indiana Fever.
Add us as a preferred source on Google