WNBA has added a new expansion team and revealed its new logo and team colors, which has proven the Caitlin Clark effect to be real.
The league’s newest team should be familiar to WNBA fans.
Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark shooting a basketball during warmups this month[/caption]
On Tuesday, Portland‘s WNBA expansion team revealed that it will keep the name that was held by the city’s WNBA team from 2000 to 2002.
So, the Portland Fire has made its return.
“As a city that has long championed women’s sports, Portland is ready to reclaim its place in the WNBA and reignite its connection to the game on the world stage,” Portland’s interim president Clare Hamill said in a statement.
“We are thrilled to complete the journey of bringing professional women’s basketball back to the Rose City while honoring the legacy of the original franchise to blaze a new, bold path forward.”
The Fire’s logo is inspired by the 12 bridges that connect the city from East to West.
One logo has a red P and features the silhouette of Mount Hood, which is the highest point in Oregon.
The other logo is a rose on fire, which recognizes Portland’s iconic flower and the team’s name.
The flame visuals are a nod to the curved roofline of the team’s home arena, Moda Center.
The Fire will join the WNBA in the 2026 season along with the expansion Toronto Tempo.
However, Portland does not have a coach or general manager.
Nonetheless, there is anticipation concerning the return of the Fire.
The franchise has eclipsed 10,000 season-ticket deposits.
Portland became the league’s 15 team last year.
The organization is led by Alex Bhathal and Lisa Bhathal Merage of RAJ Sports.
The Portland Fire’s logo, which includes a rose and a flame design[/caption]
Other than the Fire and Tempo, the WNBA will add three more expansion teams in Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia in 2028, 2029, and 2030, respectively.
The WNBA’s expansion to different cities comes as Caitlin Clark has helped the league’s popularity soar.
Clark’s rookie season saw a significant increase in viewership.
For instance, ESPN’s broadcasts averaged a record 1.19 million viewers, a 170 percent increase from the season prior.
The other logo is a rose on fire, which is a nod to Portland’s iconic flower and the team’s name[/caption]
And Clark’s Fever’s games appeared in all the top 10 highest-rated games of the 2024 campaign.
The 23-year-old hasn’t had the season she’s wanted due to injuries and inconsistent play.
But she still earned her second trip to the All-Star game, where it’s played at her home confines at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
