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Posted inThe Portland Fire

Will the Portland Fire Have Time to Turn Their Season Around?

Bridget Carleton thinks the team’s turnover problem is “solveable,” and Emily Engstler says the team needs to “come together.”

The last time the Portland Fire won a game was July 16, when the team bested the Washington Mystics 75-56. Since then, they’ve lost to the Minnesota Lynx (101-93 on July 18), Dallas Wings (101-97 on July 22), Las Vegas Aces (98-83 on July 28), Indiana Fever (112-98 on July 31), and Los Angeles Sparks […]

Posted inThe Portland Fire

Portland Fire Fans Call for a Statement from the Team Ahead of Game Against Indiana Fever

In response to transphobic remarks from Indiana’s “MAGA Barbie,” Fire fans want the team to stand up for the city’s culture.

The Indiana Fever are coming back into town to play the Fire, and this time things are poised to be very different. Fans may recall the Fire soundly defeated the Fever, 100-84, when they hosted Indiana at the Moda Center on May 31. That game saw a rare, poor performance from Fever guard Caitlin Clark, […]

Posted inThe Portland Fire

The Aces Expose the Fire’s Weaknesses in an 88-80 Loss for Portland

But halfway through the season, there’s still time to fix things.

The Portland Fire’s 88-80 loss to the Las Vegas Aces wasn’t a fun one. And, I know: what loss really is? But this week’s game offered a look at one of the Fire’s most consistent performance issues: their turnover rate is one of the highest in the league, and it’s costing them crucial points and […]

Posted inThe Portland Fire

The Portland Fire Loses to the Mystics—But In Style

The Fire’s grit and determination made for a history-making game.

The moids may have convinced you that the only WNBA story worth paying attention to this week involved the Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham, AKA MAGA Barbie, and the Phoenix Mercury’s DeWanna Bonner. Happily, there’s been a lot more going on: Last night the Portland Fire treated the rest of the league to a historic match […]

Posted inThe Portland Fire

Bridget Carleton and Carla Leite Help Portland Fire Dodge the Storm

A record seven three-pointers powered Portland to a 94-89 home win over Seattle.

Last night the Fire hosted the Seattle Storm as part of the first installment in a four-game rivalry series that will see both teams traversing the 175 miles that separate them. Portland, who entered into the series with a 5-4 historic record from the 2000-2002 seasons, pulled out a 94-89 victory last night, thus sparing […]

Posted inThe Portland Fire

Portland Fire Clips Dallas Wings; Snaps a Four-Loss Streak

The team now prepares to revive an ancient rivalry with the Seattle Storm.

The Portland Fire came roaring back in front of 14,612 fans Saturday night with a satisfying, if not gritty and hard-fought, 84-83 win over the Dallas Wings. The victory put a pin in a grueling four-game losing streak that started when the Golden State Valkyries trounced the Fire 95-77 on June 2, and ended when […]

Posted inThe Portland Fire

The Portland Fire Wants to Annoy the Rest of the WNBA

Can Coach Sarama’s “Constraints-Led Approach” theory eventually lead the Fire to victory?

At halftime, during the team’s May 30th win against the Indiana Fever, the Portland Fire were up by 13 points. That’s when a fan in the crowd turned to this Mercury reporter and asked, “It almost like the Fire’s just doing whatever they want—and it’s working. Is that on purpose?” The short answer is yes… […]

Posted inThe Portland Fire

Portland Fire Soundly Defeats Indiana Fever; Goes Two-for-Three in Home Series

After stumbling against the Atlanta Dream, the Fire came roaring back against Caitlin Clark’s Fever.

The Portland Fire rounded out a series of three home games with a 100-84 win over the Indiana Fever Saturday, firmly shutting down the doubts of naysayers (at home and elsewhere). With all the attention the Fever has received, it’s the kind of win that establishes a team has arrived. Head coach Alex Sarama acknowledged […]

Posted inThe Portland Fire

Portland Fire Nets a Win (and a Loss) Against the Liberty

In an up and down week, the Fire showed plenty of fight and grit.

The Portland Fire’s two matches against the New York Liberty offered a mixed bag in terms of wins this week, but the team is doing exactly what coach Alex Sarama wants. The games were meant to be the team’s first test against Oregon graduates Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally, but both were out due to […]

Posted inSports

Portland Fire Blaze Their Own Trail

The Fire may have fallen short in their first game, but their blaze is only beginning to burn.

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 […]

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