Interim President Claire Hamill said that they’ll announce the next general manager soon amid growing excitement for the WNBA team’s comeback.

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Fire will return to the WNBA next season, more than 20 years after the city’s previous franchise folded, as the league experiences explosive growth — and as critical conversations about player compensation reach a boiling point.

The Fire, which will begin play in May 2026, has already sold more than 12,500 season ticket deposits, the team announced Thursday. 

“I think it just speaks to the strength and the power, particularly women’s sports in general in Portland,” said Interim President Claire Hamill in a recent “Straight Talk” interview. Hamill, a 43-year Nike veteran accepted the role in late-June, replacing Inky Son, who stepped down after less than three months. 

A longtime basketball fan, Hamill served as the executive sponsor for Women in Nike that’s pathed the way for nearly 60 retired WNBA players to have careers at Nike. When she got the call to be the Fire’s next interim president, “I think I accepted in about 1 minute, 30 seconds,” Hamill said. 

Now, Hamill is heading the franchise in its triumphant return back to Portland. The original Portland Fire played three seasons from 2000 to 2002 before it’s end. 

“We are definitely challenging ourselves to play a big role in growth like way beyond the weight of what people think about Portland,” Hamill said. In part becoming, a global epicenter for women’s sports, with the franchise’s shared ownership with the Portland Thorns. 

Portland becomes the 15th WNBA franchise at a time when the league has experienced what Hamill describes as “an explosion” in popularity over the past five years, with increased television ratings, attendance and merchandise sales.


Pay equity negotiations between WNBA, players

The Fire’s debut comes as the WNBA players union negotiates a new collective bargaining agreement, with compensation emerging as a central issue. Current WNBA players earn less than 10% of league revenue, compared to roughly 50% for athletes in the NBA, NFL and NHL. There’s no public record for NWSL’s league revenue percentage to players. 

The average WNBA salary stands at just over $100,000, while NBA players average $13 million annually. At the recent All-Star game, players wore shirts reading “Pay us what you owe us.”


When asked about potential improvements in the upcoming contract, Hamill remained cautious, saying “I probably shouldn’t comment on anything related to this, but I think that the intention in the collective bargaining agreement is to be fair. I don’t know any of the details, though.”


The negotiations carry particular significance for expansion franchises like Portland, which must compete for talent in a market where players have limited earning potential compared to other professional sports leagues.


Three-phase blueprint to how Portland Fire will get players

As an expansion team, Portland is on its own roadmap to bringing on players. Hamill said they expect to hire a general manager “definitely by the end of the summer,” but was tight-lipped on any prospective candidates. Once that appointment is made, it will trigger a cascade of decisions from head coach to roster construction to building’s the team’s philosophical foundation.

There’s three ways the Portland Fire will get players: expansion draft, free agency and the college and international players draft. The first option — the expansion draft — will be in December, where Portland can select from unprotected players across existing teams. 

“So, every team can protect a certain number of players, and then, you — as an expansion team — you can basically go, ‘OK, New York Liberty. You’ve protected these six players; we’re gonna draft one of your players who’s like maybe seven through 10,'” Hamill explained. 

February’s free agency period promises to be unprecedented. 

“Almost if you take the rookies out of the league, almost every other player is available in free agency,” Hamill noted, creating opportunities that could reshape competitive balance across the WNBA.

While most of the work can’t begin until the general manage is hired, Hamill said there are some players they are already eyeing, including one former Oregon Duck. 

“Sabrina [Ionescu], we want you to come back here,” Hamill said. “Let’s put that out; I’m sure I’m not allowed to say that.” 

After free agency, traditional college draft follows in April, setting the stage for Portland’s May debut. It’s an ambitious timeline made more intriguing by Portland’s unique advantages in becoming on an epicenter for women’s sports and being home to nearly 60 retired WNBA players — more than any other metropolitan area — adding to an already, energetic fanbase. 

“We want to inspire this city,” Hamill said.