Portland Fire hold first home preseason game and revive original franchise history
Updated
Updated · Sports Illustrated · May 8
Portland Fire hold first home preseason game and revive original franchise history
9 articles · Updated · Sports Illustrated · May 8
At Sunday's opener, 13,550 fans saw the Los Angeles Sparks beat Portland 85-75 as retired original Fire players, including Sylvia Crawley, were newly reconnected with archived footage and records.
The 2026 expansion team kept the Fire name but introduced a new logo and colours, aiming to build a fresh identity while welcoming back supporters of the 2000-02 franchise.
The move reflects a wider WNBA effort to reconnect with defunct team legacies as the league marks its 30th season, with Houston, Detroit and Cleveland also positioned to revive older histories.
Is the WNBA's nostalgic expansion truly honoring its past, or is it abandoning loyal fans for bigger markets?
With salaries soaring, how will the WNBA's economic boom transform the landscape of women's professional sports globally?