On any given summer afternoon, in parks across the city, you can find groups of guys—men mostly—clamoring to stay active in pickup basketball games. Semi-frequently the games fall into fighting, often enough that we don't think about how weird it is. A grown man taunts another grown man as "not a real hooper," while the rest of us stand around for ten minutes waiting for them to cool off. 

This was the situation I was in two years ago when I noted another court of hoopers, 30-40 non-cis men players wearing practice jerseys, running drills, and playing half-court games. They were blasting Cardi B, surrounded by friendly picnic-style spectators; it was as if a queer summer camp had taken over. I’d never seen anything else like it. It looked fun. 

“We’re just some friends who want to hoop,” says Nika, a member of Dyke Hoops PDX.

In October 2022, the crew began a weekly run of pickup basketball games, born out of a desire for in-person connection after pandemic lockdowns. Laura Wilkinson founded the group with an Instagram account—thinking others in the queer community might feel the same way—and bought basketballs, practice jerseys, and a speaker out of pocket. The group was a hit from the start, maintaining weekly consistency, rain or shine, joining the company of other existing organized queer sports groups in Portland, like Dyke Soccer, Lavender League, Flaggot Football, and Net Rippers Football Club. 

“I enjoyed playing pickup with men growing up, but there was always a cost to it,” Nika explains. “Sometimes I’d have to go two or three weeks in a row before someone would even pass me the ball.”

Nika played competitive basketball through high school and was active in their church’s pickup group. They emphasized how queer and trans people have complicated relationships to sports, ranging from social exclusion, to sometimes even getting emotionally and physically harmed. [The Mercury is only using Nika and Mattie's first names in this piece out of respect for related concerns.] Dyke Hoops hopes to lead by being upfront with their values of acceptance of all genders and body types and fostering real genuine community.

For some, playing with the boys never felt like a realistic option.

“I would never feel comfortable enough to go up to a big group of boys and say ‘can I play pickup with you?’” says Mattie, an organizer with Dyke Hoops. “Usually we’d just wait for the guys to be done.”

Dyke Hoops alternates each week with a Thursday evening pickup run at Sewallcrest Park and Saturday mornings at Irving Park. Of the local park system, Irving is the crown jewel of Portland pickup basketball. On the border of the Eliot and Irvington neighborhoods, nestled between the Moda Center and the Blazers Boys & Girls Club, Irving has three of the city’s best maintained full hardtop courts, one of which has a coveted covered area for the rainy season. 

On Saturdays, the Irving Park group begins with practice drills to go over fundamental basketball skills and rules, before counting off into teams. They don't separate by skill or experience level and everyone gets the ball. Everyone wants you to shoot your shot, especially if you’re new.

“I grew up near a park as a kid where you would just show up at the basketball court and just play pickup with whoever was there,” Nika relates. “I really feel like Dyke Hoops captures that vibe. It feels young, playful, fun, but serious enough that you know what to expect and who to talk to if you need something.”

While the hoopers call their own fouls, they borrowed a rule from their friends at Dyke Soccer: Play like nobody has health insurance.

“We have people who played in college to someone who I taught what a double dribble was a couple weeks ago,” Mattie says. “Sometimes newer folks will foul [because they don’t know all the rules], but nobody is there wanting to hurt someone. So I feel like we’re pretty forgiving.”

The summer session of Dyke Hoops is beginning to wrap up, but not before their annual 3v3 basketball tournament on September 7. Last year, they rented out a school gym and put together eight randomized teams with three guaranteed games before a single elimination tournament. For the 2024 tournament, they'll have enough for 12-14 teams.

This year's 3v3 is outdoors at Dyke Hoops’ home court, Irving Park, where they can play multiple games across the park’s three full courts. Organizers allowed full team sign-ups, but they'll still find a team for all solo “free agents." 

Keeping with their decentralized ethos, players also volunteer to keep score and referee. The emphasis is having fun at all skill levels and making sporty friends in the queer community.

"We’re not telling anyone, ‘no you can’t come.'" Mattie says. "We’re not here to police your identity; we want to start from a place that makes people feel welcome."

Asked what plans are for after the tournament, as the seasons shift to winter, Mattie replied: "Struggle... we try to find indoor spots when we can, but it's hard finding a consistent court, and they can get pricey."

As the group searches for different spots to host their pickup runs, they also host other sports-related community activities like Thorns and Blazer game meetups. While weather permits, Dyke Hoops shows up to play.

"I played basketball my whole life, but when I started to transition that felt like a less comfortable space to be in," Mattie said. "I felt this grief of not being able to play basketball anymore. Dyke Hoops really has made a space that feels comfy and explicitly for us. Now basketball is one of the biggest parts of my life again."

Dyke Hoops Outdoor 3v3 Tournament is at Irving Park, 707 NE Fremont, Sept 7, 11 am. Friendly spectators encouraged; for more info follow @dykehoopspdx on Instagram.