People wait in line for shirts at the launch party for the Fire, Portland’s new WNBA team, at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore., July 15, 2025. The Fire's inaugural season is set to tip off May 9.
Anna Lueck for OPB / OPB
Typically, new WNBA teams have five to six months to acquire players and practice as a team before the season starts. The Portland Fire have only five weeks.
With the WNBA expansion draft on April 3, the Fire were finally able to start building their team roster. The draft was delayed several months due to tense contract negotiations between the WNBA and the players’ union. The season is set to tip off May 9 at the Moda Center.
Kimberly Veale is the senior vice president of communications for the Portland Fire. She joins us to talk about the draft and the team’s upcoming season.
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