WNBA Expansion Team Brings Back Nostalgic Name, Portland Fire


On Tuesday, July 15, just days before the exciting start to All-Star weekend taking place in Indianapolis, home of WNBA phenomenon Caitlin Clark, WNBA expansion franchise Portland dropped their name and logo: Portland Fire.

The name and logo was a nostalgic touch, giving the brand an uplift from when the city had a team from 2000 to 2003. The team is leaning into the nickname of the city, the Rose City but also on the long-standing history of being passionate and fiery women’s sports fans.

Additionally, the name has a direct tie to the Portland Thorns, the NWSL team that is owned by RAJ Sports, the same investment group that now owns the Portland Fire as well. The two teams have been purposely intertwined from the beginning. When Portland was announced as one of the next WNBA expansion cities, plans were revealed for joint training facilities between the Thorns and now Fire.

It seems compared to other expansion teams that have received flack and disapproval for their name and logo from fans (i.e., Toronto Tempo and now Boston Legacy), Portland tied themselves to the history of the city as well as their roots in the WNBA from decades prior. Claire Hamill, Portland Fire Interim President said, “As a city that has long championed women’s sports, Portland is ready to reclaim its place in the WNBA and reignite its connection to the game on the world stage. We are thrilled to complete the journey of bringing professional women’s basketball back to the Rose City, while honoring the legacy of the original franchise to blaze a new, bold path forward.”

Portland seems to be headed in the right direction blazing their way forward. Similar to the trajectory of the Golden State Valkyries, the Fire have already surpassed 10,000 season ticket deposits demonstrating the rich interest and excitement in Portland for women’s professional basketball.

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