The 2026 Portland Fire season will be the franchise's inaugural season in the Women's National Basketball Association and first under head coach Alex Sarama.
Draft
The draft was held on April 13, 2026, at 7:30 pm EDT, and broadcast on ESPN.
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College/Club Outcome Ref. 1 7 Iyana Martín PG Perfumerias Avenida (Spain) 2 17 Frieda Bühner PF Movistar Estudiantes (Spain) Signed a Player Development Contract 3 37 Taylor Bigby SG TCU Rights traded to Connecticut Sun
Transactions
Front office and coaching DateDetails Ref.June 27, 2025Named Clare Hamill as interim president September 15, 2025 Hired Vanja Černivec as general manager October 14, 2025 Hired Ashley Battle as Vice President, Basketball Operations, Strategy and Innovation October 17, 2025 Hired Alex Sarama as head coachNovember 24, 2025 Hired Brittni Donaldson as assistant coach and assistant general manager December 22, 2025 Hired Sylvia Fowles as assistant coach March 19, 2026Hired Danielle Boiago as assistant coachHired Sefu Bernard as assistant coach and director of learning and development Hired Jacob Lloyd as assistant general manager
Expansion draft On April 3, 2026, an expansion draft was held to help fill the roster for the Fire.
Player Former Team Ref. Bridget Carleton Minnesota Lynx Carla Leite Golden State Valkyries Luisa Geiselsöder Dallas Wings Emily Engstler Washington Mystics Maya Caldwell Atlanta Dream Chloe Bibby Indiana Fever Haley Jones Dallas Wings Nyadiew Puoch Atlanta DreamSarah Ashlee BarkerLos Angeles Sparks Sug Sutton Washington Mystics Nika Mühl Seattle Storm
Trades April To Portland Fire2026 No. 17 draft pick To Chicago Sky2026 No. 21 draft pickProtection from Fire during 2026 WNBA expansion draft To Portland FireSerah Williams To Connecticut SunTaylor Bigby2027 third-round draft pick
Free agency Additions Player Date Notes Former Team Ref.
Roster
Depth chart Pos.StarterBench PGSug SuttonCarla Leite Kamiah Smalls SGBridget CarletonSarah Ashlee Barker Holly Winterburn Karlie Samuelson SFEmily EngstlerHaley Jones PFNyadiew PuochFrieda Bühner CLuisa GeiselsöderMegan Gustafson Serah Williams
Schedule Preseason
| 1 | April 29 | @ Seattle | L 81–91 | Luisa Geiselsöder (15) | Engstler, Jones (7) | Carla Leite (5) | Climate Pledge Arena8,627 | 0–1
| 2 | May 3 | Los Angeles | L 75–85 | Puoch, Williams (12) | Serah Williams (8) | Jordan Harrison (4) | Moda Center13.550 | 0–2
Regular season
| 1 | May 9 | Chicago | L 83–98 | Carla Leite (18) | Luisa Geiselsöder (7) | Carleton, Harrison (4) | Moda Center19,335 | 0–1
| 2 | May 12 | New York | W 98–96 | Bridget Carleton (26) | Geiselsöder, Jones (5) | Carla Leite (6) | Moda Center12,386 | 1–1
| 3 | May 14 | New York | 82–100 | Megan Gustafson (14) | Carleton, Geiselsöder (5) | Sug Sutton (8) | Moda Center13,087 | 1–2
| 4 | May 18 | Connecticut | W 83–82 | Barker, Carleton (18) | Carleton, Williams (5) | Sug Sutton (5) | Moda Center12,010 | 2–2
| 5 | May 20 | @ Indiana | L 73–90 | Bridget Carleton (16) | Barker, Gustafson (6) | Sug Sutton (4) | Gainbridge Fieldhouse14,010 | 2–3
| 6 | May 23 | @ Toronto | W 99–80 | Emily Engstler (16) | Emily Engstler (7) | Leite, Oblak (9) | Coca-Cola Coliseum8,210 | 3–3
| 7 | May 25 | @ New York | W 81–74 | Carla Leite (18) | Barker, Engstler, Geiselsöder (5) | Teja Oblak (4) | Barclays Center13,881 | 4–3
| 8 | May 27 | Connecticut | W 71–61 | Carla Leite (20) | Sarah Ashlee Barker (11) | Carleton, Leite (3) | Moda Center11,945 | 5–3
| 9 | May 29 | Atlanta | L 66–86 | Sarah Ashlee Barker (14) | Serah Williams (6) | Holly Winterburn (7) | Moda Center13,602 | 5–4
| 10 | May 30 | Indiana | W 100–84 | Megan Gustafson (22) | Emily Engstler (10) | Carla Leite (12) | Moda Center19,347 | 6–4
| bgcolor=#FED8B1| 11 | June 2 | @ Golden State | L 77–95 | Megan Gustafson (13) | Engstler, Gustafson (8) | Carla Leite (7) | Chase Center18,064 | 6–5
| bgcolor=#FED8B1| 12 | June 5 | Phoenix | L 72–78 | Sarah Ashlee Barker (15) | Sarah Ashlee Barker (7) | Leite, Oblak (4) | Moda Center12,046 | 6–6
| bgcolor=#FED8B1| 13 | June 7 | @ Los Angeles | L 72–89 | Megan Gustafson (16) | Megan Gustafson (11) | Sarah Ashlee Barker (7) | Crypto.com Arena11,227 | 6–7
| bgcolor=#FED8B1| 14 | June 11 | Las Vegas | L 89–105 | Carla Leite (18) | Emily Engstler (6) | Carla Leite (8) | Moda Center13,178 | 6–8
| bgcolor=#FED8B1| 15 | June 13 | Dallas | W 84–83 | Bridget Carleton (20) | Engstler, Gustafson (6) | Carla Leite (8) | Moda Center14,612 | 7–8
| bgcolor=#FED8B1| 16 | June 15 | @ Minnesota | L 74–107 | Bühner, Leite (10) | Teja Oblak (6) | Teja Oblak (5) | Target Center10,812 | 7–9
| bgcolor=#FED8B1| 17 | June 17 | Seattle | W 94–89 | Bridget Carleton (24) | Barker, Engstler (6) | Carla Leite (10) | Moda Center13,084 | 8–9
| 18 | June 24 | @ Chicago | L 78–101 | Megan Gustafson (17) | Barker, Carleton (5) | Carla Leite (6) | Wintrust Arena7,468 | 8–10
| 19 | June 26 | @ Chicago | L 94–124 | Bridget Carleton (20) | Bühner, Engstler (5) | Carla Leite (4) | Wintrust Arena7,228 | 8–11
| 20 | June 28 | @ Washington | L 123–124 (4OT) | Carla Leite (32) | Emily Engstler (11) | Carla Leite (9) | CareFirst Arena4,200 | 8–12
| 21 | July 4 | @ Seattle | W 77–72 | Carla Leite (20) | Megan Gustafson (9) | Carla Leite (4) | Climate Pledge Arena10,251 | 9–12
| 22 | July 9 | Las Vegas | L 80–88 | Carla Leite (13) | Emily Engstler (7) | Carla Leite (5) | Moda Center13,470 | 9–13
| 23 | July 11 | @ Atlanta | W 102–92 | Megan Gustafson (17) | Emily Engstler (11) | Carla Leite (10) | Gateway Center Arena3,577 | 10–13
| 24 | July 14 | @ Connecticut | L 87–90 | Carla Leite (18) | Emily Engstler (6) | Emily Engstler (7) | Mohegan Sun Arena8,917 | 10–14
| 25 | July 16 | @ Washington | W 75–56 | Carla Leite (14) | Sarah Ashlee Barker (7) | Engstler, Leite (5) | CareFirst Arena4,200 | 11–14
| 26 | July 18 | @ Minnesota | L 93–101 | Bridget Carleton (22) | Bridget Carleton (8) | Carla Leite (7) | Target Center12,101 | 11–15
| 27 | July 22 | Dallas | L 97–101 | Megan DiLeo (21) | Bridget Carleton (5) | Carla Leite (11) | Moda Center17,206 | 11–16 |- align=center | colspan=9 bgcolor="#bbcaff"|All-Star Game
| 28 | July 28 | @ Las Vegas | L 83–98 | Megan DiLeo (20) | Emily Engstler (10) | Bridget Carleton (4) | Michelob Ultra Arena10,240 | 11–17
| 29 | July 31 | Indiana | L 98–112 | Bridget Carleton (26) | Samuelson, Williams (4) | Carla Leite (12) | Moda Center19,959 | 11–18
| 30 | August 2 | Los Angeles | L 101–106 | Bridget Carleton (24) | Bridget Carleton (11) | Carla Leite (8) | Moda Center13,638 | 11–19
| 31 | August 6 | Toronto | W 97–83 | Carla Leite (27) | Bridget Carleton (11) | Carla Leite (11) | Moda Center12,379 | 12–19
| 32 | August 8 | Seattle | W 100–93 | Bridget Carleton (24) | Jordan Harrison (7) | Holly Winterburn (7) | Moda Center15,294 | 13–19
| 33 | August 12 | Minnesota | L 81–85 | Bridget Carleton (16) | DiLeo, Engstler (7) | Teja Oblak (9) | Moda Center13,270 | 13–20
| 34 | August 14 | @ Seattle | W 84–82 | Holly Winterburn (20) | Carleton, DiLeo (9) | Carla Leite (6) | Climate Pledge Arena12,596 | 14–20
| 35 | August 16 | @ Phoenix | W 88–85 | Carla Leite (23) | Emily Engstler (7) | Carla Leite (5) | Mortgage Matchup Center16,513 | 15–20
| 36 | August 21 | @ Toronto | L 79–82 | Bridget Carleton (18) | Megan DiLeo (6) | Carla Leite (6) | Rogers Arena12,414 | 15–21
| 37 | August 23 | Washington | L 100–105 | Carla Leite (27) | Emily Engstler (6) | Carla Leite (11) | Moda Center14,860 | 15–22
| 38 | August 25 | @ Dallas | L 78–96 | Carleton, Samuelson (14) | Emily Engstler (15) | Carla Leite (7) | College Park Center6,251 | 15–23
| 39 | August 28 | @ Atlanta | W 101–83 | Carla Leite (26) | Carleton, Engstler (6) | Carla Leite (6) | Gateway Center Arena3,575 | 16–23
| 40 | August 30 | Golden State | L 69–86 | DiLeo, Engstler (12) | Carleton, Williams (5) | Teja Oblak (7) | Moda Center15,146 | 16–24
| 41 | September 17 | Phoenix | L 91–94 | Emily Engstler (21) | Engstler, Williams (7) | Jordan Harrison (10) | Moda Center13,641 | 16–25
| 42 | September 18 | @ Golden State | L 66–82 | Frieda Bühner (14) | Emily Engstler (9) | Carla Leite (6) | Chase Center18,064 | 16–26
| 43 | September 20 | @ Los Angeles | L 84–105 | Carla Leite (23) | Megan DiLeo (5) | Carla Leite (5) | Crypto.com Arena17,703 | 16–27
| 44 | September 22 | Golden State | W 90–82 (OT) | Bridget Carleton (26) | Emily Engstler (11) | Jordan Harrison (10) | Moda Center14,815 | 17–27
Notes: Games highlighted in represent Commissioner's Cup games.
Standings
References
External links
Official website of the Portland Fire