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Because the , considered one of its upcoming growth groups simply obtained its new identify. After beforehand choosing Portland as its subsequent metropolis, the league confirmed the brand new workforce could be referred to as the Portland Fireplace.
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Portland beforehand had a WNBA workforce, additionally named the Fireplace, from 2000 to 2002. The league confirmed the revival of the Portland Fireplace with a on social media.
Like many of the defunct WNBA organizations, the Fireplace have been discontinued attributable to an absence of normal curiosity. Nonetheless, over twenty years later, the league believes the workforce will obtain considerably extra help because of the rising success of ladies’s basketball.
The Fireplace will return in 2026, together with one other WNBA growth workforce, the Toronto Tempo. Their simultaneous arrivals will develop the league to fifteen groups. Nonetheless, the league won’t cease there, as three extra groups will arrive within the following seasons. League commissioner Cathy Engelbert confirmed a workforce in Cleveland will debut in 2028, adopted by one in Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030.
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The in 2025 is a big issue within the league’s fast growth. The Valkyries have been welcomed by the San Francisco neighborhood with open arms, promoting out the 18,000-seat Chase Heart in every of their first 4 dwelling video games. Golden State additionally offered 10,000 season tickets in its inaugural season, changing into the primary WNBA growth workforce to realize this milestone.
Fireplace’s temporary historical past in WNBA
D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Photographs
The Fireplace have been initially introduced as a 2000 growth workforce and performed their video games on the Moda Heart, then often known as the Rose Backyard. Whereas they shared the identical dwelling because the Portland Path Blazers, which was additionally a brand new group on the time, they barely generated any fan traction. As such, they lasted simply three seasons earlier than getting shut down.
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Former Path Blazers proprietor Paul Allen, higher often known as the co-founder of Microsoft, owned the primary iteration of the Fireplace. They improved their document every season, however might by no means obtain a greater than 16-16 document and missed the playoffs annually. Though it’s unreasonable to anticipate an growth workforce to succeed instantly, Allen bailed on the workforce attributable to its adverse monetary affect.
The 2026 Fireplace workforce shall be owned by Raj Sports activities, the identical group that owns the Portland Thorns of the NWSL. Whereas the Allen household nonetheless owns the Path Blazers, Jody Allen — Paul’s youthful sister — is just not financially invested within the second try at bringing the WNBA to Oregon.
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