Portland’s awaited return to the WNBA is set to debut in May of 2026. The announcement marks a huge milestone for women’s basketball in the Pacific Northwest, and by the looks of it, has encouraged very strong community support. This will be the first new basketball team in the Rose City in two decades. The team, which is named Portland Fire, will have a newly-appointed head coach and assistant coach. Both are tasked with building the foundation of women’s professional basketball in Portland. The new head coach, Alex Samara, is focusing on a new era for the team.

In a Portland Fire press release, Samara said, “The opportunity to build something from the ground up is unique. At the Fire, we’re not just creating a team – we’re redefining how the game is taught and played, through an approach centered around adaptability and supported by evidence-informed methodologies. We want to create a new standard for the game.”

Even though we are still months away from tip-off, the anticipation is building. Over 15,000 pre-season deposit tickets have been purchased since the team’s announcement in July of 2025. Not only has excitement been building in the city, but it has also reached younger audiences and fans in local schools, including at Tualatin High School.

Varsity basketball player and freshman, Gianna Paulson, said, “I’m excited for Portland Fire to start because I think it will give young girls who want to play basketball someone to look up to on that level.”

Despite the Fire’s launch coming up soon, there has been a snag in the process. There is a full coaching staff, but no players. This is because there is an issue with the players’ contracts that must be officially settled before the team can draft players. Until there is a contact in place, we will not have any players on the team.