The Portland Fire may have lost their inaugural game as a WNBA franchise—98-83 to the Chicago Sky—but the new team undoubtedly ignited something in their fanbase. A sold out Moda Center crowd welcomed back women’s basketball to Portland on Saturday, May 9 for the first time since 2002, when the original Portland Fire closed up shop after just three years.
This spark in the “Fire Pit” was undeniable. The fans were treated to a sunny Saturday afternoon, a pristine new court with kindling-inspired hardwood, free 100 percent cotton (no polyester!) T-shirts, early birds received free Bridget Carleton jerseys, and, in the most “we know our demographic” move of all time, a halftime show of R&B hits by Ashanti showing us “What’s Luv”.
On the court, the game was really entertaining basketball. The Fire, who’ve only played two pre-season games as a full squad, played their best basketball yet for the first three quarters, before the veteran leaders on the Sky took over in the final ten minutes to pull away.
It was a game of many firsts. Third-year French point guard Carla Leite scored the Fire’s first points in team history, finishing with 18 points to lead the team. During a pause in play early in the third quarter, after the Fire’s first coach’s challenge, the stadium emcee orchestrated the first Wave of Fire amongst the 19,335 faithful embers in the stands. This was followed quickly by the first chorus of “Boos” and “Ref, You Suck!” chants from fans after the Sky’s seven time all-star guard Skylar Diggins nailed a three pointer and stuck her tongue out in jest. After trailing by double digits, a blistering defensive effort from the Fire brought the game to within one point—68-67—to end the third, bringing out the crowd’s first standing ovation as the house DJ played “I Love It” by Icona Pop and Charli XCX.
The brightest sequence for the Fire came after forcing two huge 8-second backcourt violation turnovers with team defense in the form of a trapping full court press. After the second of which, Leite let out a triumphant yell. This run also came with a boost of scoring from the bench from Sarah Ashlee Barker, who finished with 13 points, and a couple timely threes from Megan Gustafson, who finished with 10. The Fire’s veteran leader in Bridget Carelton added 13 points herself.
Despite some fully locked-in moments, offensively the Fire looked like a team still searching for a true identity. The Fire played 11 players, their bench players adding significant minutes and scoring, while the Sky are a team built around their starting lineup. Ultimately, the Sky’s top-end star power overwhelmed the plucky Portland upstarts. Diggins had a hyper-efficient 21 points-11 rebounds on just 12 shot attempts (2-3 from three), while the Sky’s 6’7” *insert tween doing that hand motion* center Kamila Cardoso proved too dominant for the notably smaller Fire frontcourt leading all scorers and rebounders with 22 points-14 rebounds respectively. Jack-of-all-trades rookie Gabriella Jaquez added 10 points-7 rebounds and a defensive energy which, added together, made the final ten minutes not super competitive.
Even still, fans exited the arena to a gorgeous sunset. And while they too may be figuring out who their favorite players are, the fan identity clearly has arrived. The Rose Quarter was ablaze with pure, genuine enthusiasm. Vendors slung hot dogs outside the MAX station, families snapped photos at the iconic Rip City marquee, kids played one-on-one basketball on the back of a school bus, and the bike parking overflowed as cyclists readied for group rides home in the warm late-spring evening. To a passerby this would seem like a fanbase that’s been here for decades, and that’s because the WNBA’s return to Portland was an effort in grassroots support by women, for women’s sports. A town with the first Only Women’s Sportsbar in the Sports Bra, queer pickup basketball runs, and the already fiery Portland Thorns “Rose City Riveters” fan community. If these wholesome vibes and a real deal sold out Moda Center are any indication, the fire’s only now starting to catch. The Mercury talked to faithful fans from the Fire Pit, eager for a summer of basketball bonfires.
Stacy (42) and Tara (36) are already season ticket holders
“I just want to see the Fire succeed, the Blazers succeed, and Portland succeed,” said Stacy. “Getting to see the players develop over the season and getting to see every WNBA team come to town. Being a season ticket holder shows the ownership, the players, and Oregon that the Fire is here to stay.”
“Honestly, for tonight I’m most excited to see Ashanti,” said Tara. “I was so surprised [to see her added as the halftime act], I feel really lucky to be here.”
Paige (27) and Mick (35) are half-season ticket holders
“I went to the preseason game and you could already feel that the fans needed the WNBA back in Portland,” said Paige. “I’m Portland born and raised. We have the energy here and our fans are ready to keep Portland weird.”
Shala (34) is a basketball head
“You want to get to know these players, find someone you like, who you can cheer for, and just be a fan again,” said Shala. “In the end I just want to see good basketball and I’m excited for the game to be played at the highest level in our city again.”
“I’m getting really into Serah Williams,” said Shala. “She’s really athletic at the four, she can push the ball, rebound, and I just love players that do all the small things right.”
Sonya (52), Everly (12), Keane (41), and Anne (68) came as a family, though Keane and Sonya went to the original Fire games in 2001
“We were here back in the Jackie Stiles days,” said Sonya. “It’s just so empowering to see women at the top of their game.”
“It was a lot cheaper back in those days,” said Keane. “But it just feels so good to be back.”
“There weren’t nearly as packed either,” said Sonya. “This, this is amazing.”
“Women’s sports has just come so far,” said Anne. “The amount of excitement we have now, the crowd was on fire—really on fire.”
Lilah (33), Cy (40), and Alta (32) say a city this gay was hungry for a WNBA team
“There’s so much talent in the WNBA, there really aren’t even enough teams, because every team is just so stacked right now,” said Cy. “Getting to see all these women in front of a sell-out crowd? What more could I ever want?”
“It feels like a reunion, I was smiling the whole time,” said Lilah. “We lost (laughs).”
“Have you ever seen the wave go around eight times?” said Alta. “I never have.”
“I started getting sick,” said Cy.
“People love sports here, they love the outdoors, families are leaving [the game] on their bikes… Portland is just a unique city for pro sports,” said Alta. “And this is a really gay city, you can’t go without saying that.”
On which teams they’re most excited to see
“I can’t wait for the Liberty,” said Alta. “Obviously Sabrina [Ionescu] is such a big Oregon personality, I hope she’ll be back from injury.”
“I’m ready for a Seattle rivalry,” said Lilah. “A lot of people here were Seattle fans, so I’m sure they’re happy to not have to root for Seattle [anymore].”
“I’m really interested in the [Washington] Mystics,” said Cy. “They’re so young and already so good with Kiki [Iriafen], Sonia [Citron], and Shakira [Austin]. Lauren Betts [2026 women’s college basketball national champion and defensive player of the year] is literally coming off the bench.”
Claire (37) and Courtney (37) biked home styling the opening night T-shirts
“Getting to see the growth of the team [this season] is going to be special,” said Claire. “They haven’t gotten to spend that much time playing with each other yet, so they’re just starting to gel and feel connected on the floor.”
“It’s such a beautiful day today,” said Courtney. “[Biking] is the easiest way to get here and it’s nice that the [WNBA] season coincides with the nicer weather we have here. We don’t have any tickets yet, but we were just talking about getting another group together to watch a game.”
The Portland Fire take on the New York Liberty at the Moda Center, Tuesday May 12 and Thursday May 14. Get single game tickets here. There’s still time to become a 2026 season member or half-season member, too.
