In just two nights, the Portland Fire showed why one of the WNBA’s newest expansion teams will be a force to be reckoned with as a business and a brand.
Their opening game on May 9 night against the Chicago Sky drew 19,335 fans to Portland’s sold out Moda Center, breaking the league record for attendance in a team’s first ever home match. It was the first W game for the franchise since the original Fire folded following the 2002 season after three years in the league, and it didn’t take long to rekindle the passion of a city already known for its support of women’s sports.
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An introduction for all 13 players featuring fireworks and pyrotechnics brought Kimberly Veale, Portland’s senior vice president of marketing and communications, and general manager Vanja Černivec to tears before even a second was played on the court. Veale said her hands were shaking as fans cheered and cried in the stands. It was the culmination of many months of long nights and early mornings from the marketing team, the front office and the ticketing staff to meet that moment and bring the beloved brand back to life.
“There’s this greater than us feeling of what this represents for women’s sports and for the WNBA,” Veale told Yahoo Sports. “I wanted to make our team proud, get them hyped up and ready to go. And it was very loud in there. We’re really working towards this being common and normal. It’s what these athletes and fans deserve. And then Vanja texted me immediately after, ‘great effing job. Now it’s our turn.’”
As the players took the floor and began play, 14-year WNBA veteran and seven-time All-Star guard Skylar Diggins called the atmosphere electric during the first game in what the marketing staff coined as the Fire Pit. “In the first quarter, we were screaming,” Diggins told reporters after the 98-83 Chicago win, calling out those who say people don’t watch women’s sports. “I couldn’t hear a whistle one time. And they let the refs know how they felt about them.”
Both Černivec and Veale were hired in late August and early September from the Golden State Valkyries, which has sold out all 26 regular season home games to date at the 18,000 seat Chase Center since entering the league last season. Last week, the Valkyries became the first women’s sports franchise to receive a $1 billion valuation, so they know a thing or two about successfully launching a WNBA franchise.
(Steph Chambers via Getty Images)
That experience helped the duo plan the team’s rollout and provided the foresight on what had to be done in a timely manner. But unlike the Valkyries, the Fire already had a history and fanbase yearning for what could have been for almost two decades to recognize and acknowledge. Černivec and Veale needed to plan a launch that at the same time would scale globally and resonate locally, looking at the Valkyries and the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights as inspiration, Veale said.
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Portland’s marketing slogan going into its inaugural season became “legacy reignited,” which also appeared on the t-shirts Fire players wore during pregame intros on Saturday. The team’s season ticket holders became known as the Ember Circle, signifying, according to Veale, “embers that have been smoldering and are ready to reignite at any moment.”
History factored into the schedule launch announcement starring Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein from the iconic 2010s series “Portlandia.” The city of Portland was represented in the team’s uniforms, and the unique court design signifies the evolution of a flame from red hot to glacier blue when there’s complete combustion and efficient burning. Instead of focusing on fire’s negative connotations, Veale wanted the franchise to focus on radiance, confidence and belief.
“When you’re at a fireworks show or you’re at a bonfire, there are these moments that are so full of joy with your people, your community, your friends, your family, that you leave feeling really good,” Veale said. “You’re included, you’re welcome, you’re celebrated, you’re loved. We wanted that same ethos to be the brand.”
Whether the team will introduce a mascot at some point, whether that’s similar to or different from Spot the dalmatian that the original franchise had, Veale said “more to come. Stay tuned.” There will also be more to come on its first ever game against the Seattle Storm on June 17. They’re a natural geographic rival in every sport where both cities have a franchise, and Veale said the teams have had conversations on what the rivalry will look like.
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On the court, Černivec had to build and mold a team from scratch for the second consecutive season, a process she found both scary and a privilege. Her top priority was bringing in high-character, good human beings with high basketball IQ who are willing to play for and uplift each other, work hard and compete whether up 20 or down 20.
Černivec and head coach Alex Sarama have implemented CLA, or a constraints-led approach, throughout the Fire’s coaching, scouting and performance departments. The approach puts players into situations with limits and constraints to mimic basketball’s random, unpredictable nature. The approach has been utilized by recent champions across sports, including the Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Dodgers and Liverpool Football Club.
Portland Fire players take the court before a WNBA basketball game against the Chicago Sky, Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
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“Players are forced to make mistakes with intention. It’s chaotic, but it’s because the game scenarios look exactly like that,” Černivec said. “We’re presenting it to players in a very fun and joyful way. Our practices are just full of energy.”
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Players are exposed to balls of different sizes and weights, where players shoot from or different body movements. During Wednesday’s practice, Fire players attempted shots barefoot, shot from their tippy-toes and were introduced to something called fighting monkey movement based learning.
“It’s exploring what your body is capable of,” Černivec said. “So when you come into the game, your movement vocabulary is expanded. And this philosophy is applied across not just the players on the court.”
In building out the Fire roster, the WNBA CBA negotiations over the winter posed major constraints to Černivec and her staff. Because of the lengthy collective bargaining agreement negotiations between the league and players association, the expansion draft was held on April 3, the free agency negotiation window began on April 6 and the W draft took place on April 13. A process vital for a franchise’s present and future usually spread throughout several months was constrained to a frenetic 10-day period.
The expansion draft yielded Portland’s entire starting five, including guard Carla Leite, forwards Bridget Carleton, Emily Engster and Nyadiew Puoch and center Luisa Geiselsoder. Free agency brought aboard veteran center Megan Gustafson and injured veteran guard Karlie Samuelson. And the draft saw seventh overall pick Iyana Martín Carrión remain in Spain, while second- and third-round picks Frieda Bühner and Taylor Bigby both made the opening night roster.
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While Golden State very publicly proclaimed its intention to win a championship within five years, Černivec is preaching a more patient approach for Portland, putting the joy of coming to work every day first.
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“On our team, the biggest success will be if everybody looks back and says ‘this was fun, I want to come back next year,’” she said. “We see too many miserable faces in the sports industry. So we’re going to put people first before the winning. And the winning will follow because of it.”
Tuesday against the 2024 WNBA champion and the title contending New York Liberty, Portland overcame a 13-point first half deficit to take the lead with just under three minutes remaining in the game. Tied at 96 with 13.4 seconds left, the Fire had possession with the chance to win it. Carleton’s three-pointer missed badly off the backboard, but the carom landed in the hands of reserve guard Sarah Ashlee Barker, who laid the ball in as time expired for the first win in new franchise history.
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The roar of the crowd inside Moda Center was deafening, almost sounding like old school TV static, as the Fire piled on top of Barker and the fans and staff entered a state of delirium.
“The fans cheered like we won a championship,” Černivec said. “I don’t think I have the vocabulary to explain the whole emotional roller coaster.”
After the win, the team introduced a new victory tradition of throwing roses into the crowd, a nod to Portland’s status as the Rose City and to give dedicated Fire fans their literal flowers for cheering on the team. It’s a concept Veale said the team may want to expand to the entire building in some way, though they’re still ideating on how.
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“The root of that is we’re here for the fans, and there’s no Fire without them, no Fire Pit,” Veale said. “And we want to recognize them in those moments.”
What the WNBA has recognized over the last calendar week is that the Portland Fire already has one of the league’s most dedicated fan bases and an executive leadership group with the experience to turn this franchise into the league’s newest instant success story.
