Basketball fans in Oregon are processing the announcement of the incoming WNBA team’s name, the Portland Fire – the same name as the pro team that played three seasons in the city starting in 2000.

Hundreds of fans celebrated the return of the WNBA to Portland at the Moda Center Tuesday. The event was part of the rollout of the team name and logo.

“We are thrilled to complete the journey of bringing professional women’s basketball back to the Rose City,” said Clare Hamill, Portland Fire interim president, in a statement about the name, “while honoring the legacy of the original franchise to blaze a new, bold path forward.”

Portland’s expansion team will start play in May 2026 and has already secured more than 10,000 deposits for season tickets.

The choice to revive the Portland Fire ended weeks of speculation, in part set off by a pair of trademark requests hinting at the name. Reactions on social media have been mixed, skewing towards underwhelm or critique for the name in a state afflicted by wildfires. Team leaders hope to win over skeptics with the updated logo and emphasis on respecting the history of women’s basketball in Portland.

Fans at Tuesday’s launch party told OPB they had mixed feelings about the name but overall appreciated the legacy of the original franchise.

Brittney LaFave lives in Vancouver and came to Tuesday’s event because she’s excited to have a team in her area. She’s been driving up to Seattle to attend Storm games to get her WNBA fix.

LaFave plans to be a season ticket holder for the Portland Fire, and she likes the new name.

“I like the fact that they’re bringing back an organization that has already been here,” LaFave said, “and now that the sport is starting to pick up again and we have the ability to bring that into Portland.”

Cory Wingett brought her 22-year-old daughter with her from Salem to attend the Fire’s launch party. The pair are season ticket holders for Oregon State University’s women’s basketball team, and Wingett is excited to see the sport expand locally with a professional team.

“We love just watching good basketball,” Wingett said.

Wingett has mixed feelings about naming the team the Fire, especially since there are presently active wildfires in Oregon.

Excitement about having a new WNBA team nearby brought Emily Morris to the event from her home in Beaverton. She appreciates that the franchise’s name pays homage to the past – but more broadly, Morris said Portlanders are ready to support a pro women’s basketball team.

“I think no matter what the name is, the city’s just going to rally behind the team no matter what,” Morris said. “So I’m excited about the whole thing.”

The Portland Fire are relaunching as Oregon works to cement itself as a women’s sports hub, and as the WNBA swells in popularity. The team has dealt with recent turnover in leadership, with the original president leaving last month.

Oregonians have historically supported women athletes at universities across the state, and Portland’s professional women’s soccer team welcomes tens of thousands of fans each season. Meanwhile, the WNBA has broken attendance and viewership records for the last few seasons.

The Portland Fire will tip off at the Moda Center for the 2026 season, joining the league at the same time as the Toronto Tempo. By 2030, the WNBA expects to add teams in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia. Golden State’s expansion team started play this season with more than 20,000 season ticket deposits.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/07/15/wnba-womens-basketball-portland-fire-sports-launch-moda/