Reviving the flame: Portland Fire unveil name, branding as WNBA’s 15th team

A flame is being reignited for Portland’s new WNBA franchise.

On Tuesday, the league’s 15th team announced it will be called the Portland Fire, reviving the name of the city’s original franchise from 2000 to 2002.

“(That) is an important heritage,” Fire interim president Clare Hamill told The Athletic. “The opportunity to bring the Portland Fire back, reborn, was 100 percent — creatively and for the brand and for fans — the way to go.”

The Fire also unveiled branding, featuring an updated logo that draws from the city’s roots while reflecting a new era. The WNBA awarded Portland a franchise in September, and it will begin its inaugural season in 2026 amid a wave of league expansion.

The Portland team worked with the creative agency Adopt to form its creative identity. It will utilize a red, brown, blue and pink color palette. The logo includes a rose in its Fire emblem, a nod to Portland’s moniker as Rose City, and the 12 bridges that connect the city from east to west were inspiration for the team’s wordmark.

The team said the top of its “P” logo references the silhouette of Mount Hood, Oregon’s highest point.

“I kinda got chills watching the (design) presentation,” said Hamill, who was a fan of the previous Portland Fire and has been a four-decade Oregon resident. “I think the fans will connect both with the heritage and the depth of the branding, the logo and the storytelling around Portland.”

Hamill joined the organization at the end of June after the franchise abruptly parted ways with Inky Son, who had been hired as its original team president and served in the role for three months. Hamill said she was contacted about three weeks ago. The new franchise, Hamill said, considered names other than the Fire.

The original Fire, which was previously led by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, failed to make the playoffs in any of its seasons and folded due to financial losses.

Its latest iteration is led by RAJ Sports partners Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, who also own the NWSL’s Portland Thorns. They were awarded the expansion team after a bid from another businessman was considered but ultimately fell apart at the 11th hour.

Hamill, who worked for Nike at the time, attended the initial team announcement as a fan. Her title suggests she is in a temporary position, but she doesn’t see herself as merely a placeholder.

“I’ve jumped in fully committed,” Hamill said. “I don’t see it as a stopgap, short-term thing. I’d be happy if I were here in three years. That sounds great to me.”

The Portland Fire unveiled their team name and logo on Tuesday. (Photo courtesy of Portland Fire)

Merchandise with the new logo went on sale shortly after it was unveiled, and the team has surpassed more than 10,000 season-ticket deposits. Still, the newly-named Fire has several questions.

Hamill said the general manager search is ongoing, and there is no timeline for a hire. League sources told The Athletic late last month that they were in the process of hiring a general manager under Son, and it is unclear how the team president change has impacted the search.

“It’s a deep search, a lot of thought going into it. Well along its way,” Hamill said. “I think it’s obviously a super important hire.”

In February, RAJ Sports unveiled plans for a $150 million campus for the Fire and Thorns. The project will repurpose an existing suburban office complex near Portland, previously occupied by Nike. However, the facility will be completed in phases, a team spokesperson told The Athletic. The spokesman said the first phase — a $75 million investment — will be ready by the start of the 2026 NWSL and WNBA seasons.

Hamill said she looks forward to continuing to help the franchise build a connection with fans.

“We’re moving and feel good about where we are,” Hamill said. “We’re going to work to build an incredible brand that wins the hearts of Portlanders (and) inspires the city.”

The Fire will join the Toronto Tempo as 2026 expansion teams. They follow the Golden State Valkyries, who are competing in their first season.

The WNBA recently announced that it will add three more expansion teams in the next five years, launching franchises in Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029) and Philadelphia (2030).

(Top photo of logo courtesy of Portland Fire)