Professional women\u2019s basketball is returning to Oregon next year after more than two decades \u2014 and the Portland Fire are building toward their premiere with announcements of more than 15,000 season ticket deposits and the team\u2019s head coach.<\/p>\n
The franchise is returning to the court for the 2026 WNBA season with Alex Sarama, a WNBA newcomer, as head coach. The first iteration of the Fire folded in 2002, foreshadowing a period of contraction in the mid-2000s for what was then a young pro women\u2019s league. Nearly a quarter century later, the WNBA is exploding in popularity and expanding from 13 to 18 teams by 2030<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cPortland is an incredible city, and it deserves an incredible WNBA team,\u201d Sarama said during a press conference in Portland Tuesday. \u201cMyself and my entire staff will be working tirelessly to create a product on the floor that you will be proud to support.\u201d<\/p>\n Sarama is from Guildford, England. He worked in professional men\u2019s and women\u2019s basketball in Europe before spending the 2023-2024 season with the Rip City Remix, the development team for the Portland Trail Blazers. Sarama is currently an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers.<\/p>\n Portland Fire general manager Vanja \u010cernivec said the Fire picked Sarama because he has a track record of creating intelligent decision makers among both his players and coaching staff.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was very important to us that we bring someone in that will be able to develop and grow with the organization,\u201d \u010cernivec said. \u201cSomeone that will come in very humble, and not think they have all the answers. As an expansion team right now we operate in the environment where we have more questions than answers \u2014 therefore, a coach that is comfortable operating in the unknown.\u201d<\/p>\n Sarama, \u010cernivec and the Fire staff are working to put the team together during some public growing pains for the WNBA.<\/p>\n Player and fan criticism around officiating and pay for the athletes had been growing for years. But both issues hit a fever pitch during the recent 2025 season.<\/p>\n In July, athletes showed up to the All-Star game wearing warm-up shirts that read \u201cPay Us What You Owe Us.\u201d It came as the WNBA players\u2019 union and league leadership disagreed on how the WNBA should share its increasing revenue with players.<\/p>\n Then, in September, the runner-up for Most Valuable Player, Napheesa Collier, accused\u00a0WNBA leadership<\/a> of allowing poor officiating and putting players\u2019 health at risk. Her comments came after a season riddled with injuries to star players, including Collier and second-year phenomenon Caitlin Clark.<\/p>\n WNBA Commissioner Cathy Englebert responded in a public statement that she was \u201cdisheartened\u201d by Collier\u2019s comments and affirmed her commitment to players.<\/p>\n