What follows is one of the many articles in the Mercury‘s 2026 Queer Issue. Find a print copy here, subscribe to get a copy mailed to you here, and if you’re feeling generous and want to keep these types of articles coming, support us here.—eds.
On their first night as a Women’s National Basketball Association franchise, the Portland Fire set the Rose Garden ablaze, breaking attendance records (it’s not a competition, Golden State Valkyries and Toronto Tempo, but yes it is), and igniting a fanbase thirsty for professional women’s hoops after a 24-year drought.
What’s not to love? Great basketball with a fun cast of WNBA and former college role players, fresh branding and uniforms, a singular noun team name, halftime entertainment from R&B legends, an already iconic kindling-inspired court dubbed the “Fire Pit,” players winning 400% salary increases in the new collective bargaining agreement, and a short but sweet summertime schedule so you can bike to every game. It’s the WNBA; the vibes are the best. And the Fire make a perfect domestic partner with a city like Portland, boasting a proven track record of supporting women’s sports between the Portland Thorns, all-women’s sports bar The Sports Bra, and several queer pickup sports meetups.
For those hopping into the fire a little late, there’s still plenty of time—our hometown heroines can always use more fuel. Here’s a few things to keep in mind, whether you’re new to basketball, a MNBA fan, or coming back to the game after a long Fire-less break.
The WNBA Is Run By Gay Fans and Hoopers
As one fan told the Mercury after the Fire’s first game, “This is a really gay city, you can’t go without saying that.” Obviously, queer love is something we celebrate in the Rose City. It took less than two games in the Fire Pit for the first Jumbotron lesbian marriage proposal, and during that game, the Fire went on to deliver the lovebirds the team’s first win, too.
Unlike their MNBA counterparts, who have only ever had one out gay player in Jason Collins (RIP to a real trail blazer), the WNBA is full of queer stars. On the court, the Fire’s starting 3&D forward, Emily Engstler, lights up the scoreboard with blocks on defense and sharpshooting from three (37% from beyond the arc over her five years in the pros), and briefly dominated WNBA TikTok with speculation about her dating Valkyries guard Veronica Burton. Unfortunately, in late May, the Fire let go of two solid queer Black contributors in guard Sug Sutton (best tunnel fits in the game), and three point specialist Kamiah Smalls.
Some of the WNBA’s best talent across the league, however, are gay hoopers, and they’ll be coming through the Moda Center throughout the summer to face the heat of the Fire. The Dallas Wings’ extremely talented sapphic guard duo Azzi Fudd (#1 overall pick in this year’s draft) and Paige Bueckers (2025 WNBA “Rookie of the Year”) visit the Fire Pit on June 13 and again July 22. The Las Vegas Aces are both the WNBA’s best team over the past half decade, and one of the gayest—between their second-best player Chelsea Gray, hyper-efficient big NaLyssa Smith, and off-the-bench standout Jewell Loyd. The Aces visit June 11 and July 9. Even the Portland Fire’s geographic rivals in Seattle are led by their biggest offseason addition in guard Natisha Hiedeman, one half of the lesbian WNBA streamers/podcasters/player media icons StudBudz. Her Seattle Storm will come to Portland June 17.
Small Rule Differences That (Generally) Make the Game Better
Perhaps the biggest (and best) rule difference between the WNBA and the MNBA is the shorter season. The WNBA regular season is 44 games in the height of the summer months (plus three rounds of playoffs), as opposed to the grueling 82 games (plus four rounds of playoffs) in the MNBA. This really benefits players and fans alike. There are fewer opportunities for tragic injuries to players in the W, there’s less incentive for stars to rest for entire games, and it raises the stakes of the regular season when every game matters as a mid-season losing streak can easily tank a team’s playoff hopes. Meanwhile, the MNBA seasons have a period colloquially called “Mickey Mouse March” where fans joke about stats not mattering because bad teams are actively trying to lose, and good teams are resting players for playoff runs.
Fans might notice that WNBA games are 10-minute quarters as opposed to 12-minute quarters in the MNBA, a change we say is better as well, since nearly every other level of basketball around the world is 40 minutes. The extra playing time in the MNBA is really just in service to television advertisers, but I could concede that some basketball sickos really are looking for their hoop fix and might need that extra eight minutes.
Looking at the court itself, the WNBA features a slightly shorter three point line, about a foot shorter from the top of the key and a virtually unnoticeable five inch difference from the corners. This, along with the one inch smaller circumference of the basketball itself, works to incentivize shooting more in the women’s game. Who doesn’t love buckets?
While Fans Keep Bringing the Energy, Don’t Expect a Roaring Flame (Playoff Run) in Year One
Every home game is a rager amongst the Fire faithful, but Portland’s inaugural season is probably not yet a championship one. The team matches the fan intensity with a fast-paced, swarming full court press that has led to an unlikely, fun winning streak. Generally, new teams filling out rosters through the expansion draft (selecting from a pool of players on existing teams that are not “top 5 protected players”) puts the newbies at a disadvantage. Combine that with the Fire drafting alongside another brand new team in the Toronto Tempo, and those players (mostly) having never played with each other before, it’s a recipe for real struggles. Some national WNBA analysts picked the Fire to finish last this year. Might Portland overcome the odds and shock the haters? Stranger things have happened in sports and the Fire ignited with a hot start to the season. However, the consolation prize for a rough Year One is a higher likelihood of getting the first pick in next year’s amateur draft—bring JuJu Watkins’ super powered high bun and generational skills to
Portland, please!
All that being said, Portland is already home to some freshly minted standouts. Bridget Carleton, the veteran Canadian and former rotation player for the Minnesota Lynx, already holds the unofficial spot as the Fire’s spiritual leader. Carleton leads by playing the game the right way with her established defensive intensity, while seamlessly sliding into a bigger offensive role by leading Portland in scoring. Carla Leite is a young French point guard coming off the bench for the Golden State Valkyries last season. Leite has struggled to shoot from three so far in her pro career, but she has a real knack for getting two feet in the paint, drawing fouls, and setting up teammates to score. Sarah Ashlee Barker is another young guard whose loud spinning layup in the final minute against the Connecticut Sun helped seal a much-needed win at the Moda Center. Barker’s ability to shoot the rock and score in clutch—all while in an underdog role coming off the bench—has her in early contention for “Fan Favorite” status in Portland.
