Before the 2026 expansion team, there was another Portland Fire. They played three seasons. Despite a passionate fanbase, they folded -- not because Portland didn't care, but because of corporate decisions made far from the Rose Quarter.
The Fire posted a 37-59 record and never made the playoffs. But they drew 8,000+ fans per game. In their final season, attendance was higher than six other teams, including the Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm. The market was never the problem.
In 2002, Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen declined to buy the team when the WNBA shifted to individual ownership. No other buyer stepped forward. The Fire folded.
2026 is different. RAJ Sports paid $125M for the franchise. They're building a $150M practice facility. The WNBA's new $2.2B media deal starts this year. The Valkyries proved expansion teams can sell out and make playoffs in year one. Portland's women's sports ecosystem is incomparably stronger: the Thorns, the Cascade, the college programs, the culture.
The Fire aren't arriving in a vacuum. They're arriving in Title Town.