The Portland Fire are back, and the excitement is building every day. With their 2026 schedule released, jerseys unveiled and a roster coming together, the Women’s National Basketball Association’s (WNBA) return to the Rose City is officially underway, marking the start of a new era of Portland basketball.
Senior vice president of marketing and communications for the Fire, Kimberly Veale, who has more than eight years of experience with the Golden State Warriors and Valkyries, emphasizes how Portland has a strong track record of showing up for women’s sports, and the Fire will be no exception.
“We can rally the community. [I] know Portland’s tenure and track record for being such a passionate, authentic and loyal fan base for women’s sports,” said Veale.
The loyal fan base’s anticipation for a schedule was satisfied when it was dropped on January 21; the first pre-season game will be against the Seattle Storm, Portland’s long-time rival.
“It’s going to represent the city, the athletes and the league. Hopefully, we have an incredible game, an incredible show, and everybody walks out of that building just really feeling the momentum of the
WNBA,” said Veale.
Sophomore and varsity basketball player Abbie Schubert notes the significance of the jerseys and their impact on the city.
“I think a lot of people obviously don’t know about the meanings behind it,” said Schubert. “When you learn about it, it’s just cool to see different parts of the city represented in it.”
The jerseys have aspects from all over the city, including Mount Hood, the Willamette River, roses and PDX. Along with the accents of Portland sewn into the jerseys, the importance of representation is also echoed with the return of the Fire after 24 years.
“People are finally seeing how good women can be in sports. So we’re able to see that in our city. People who maybe don’t think of women being able to play professional sports can see how good they actually are,” said Schubert.
Student teacher Eric Benedon values being part of a city that is deeply rooted in women’s sports, especially with the strong support for teams like the Portland Thorns.
“I think it’s gonna be the same way with the Fire and I’m just so excited for that too,” said Benedon.
The expansion of women’s sports has been growing, including in new formats. Players have even come together to create their own leagues, like Unrivaled, a 3-on- 3 league made by Brenna Stewart and Napheesa Collier.
“Unrivaled is really cool. And I think it’s so unique from anything that happens in men’s basketball,” said Benedon.
Portland is ready for the tip-off of the returning Portland Fire set for May 9 against the Chicago Sky at the Moda Center.
