Caitlin Clark of Indiana Fever talks with reporters before the Golden State Valkyries played the Indiana Fever at Chase Center in San Francisco on Thursday, May 28, 2026.
Carlos Avila Gonzalez / AP
One of the world’s most famous basketball players is set to compete in Portland Saturday night.
Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever will take on Oregon’s new WNBA team, the Portland Fire, at 5 p.m. at the Moda Center.
Clark’s Fever — stacked with other fan favorites like Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham — are expected to spend most of the season near the top of the standings. As an expansion team, Portland is already exceeding expectations with a winning record.
Clark is an All-Star known for nailing shots from far behind the three-point line, as well as her creative passes, intense focus and confidence. Saturday will mark her first time playing in Oregon since becoming a professional. Clark was last in Portland in 2022 when her college team, the Iowa Hawkeyes, played in the PK Legacy Tournament.
Clark’s rise to fame during her college years from 2020-2024 coincided with growing popularity and investment in women’s basketball — and, in turn, she influenced growth and interest in the sport. When the Indiana Fever chose Clark as their No. 1 draft pick, she helped convert her supporters from NCAA women’s hoops fans to WNBA fans.
However, in the first few weeks of the 2026 season, Clark has been battling back issues. She’s expected to play Saturday, but Fever staff anticipate officially listing her as “probable” on the injury report.
The third-year guard did not play the first time the Fire faced the Fever in Indiana on May 20. Despite Clark’s absence, the Fever routed the Fire 90-73.
Since the loss in Indiana, Portland is on a three-game winning streak, including two victories on the road.
“I’m incredibly proud of this group,” Fire head coach Alex Sarama told reporters Wednesday after the team’s eighth game, a win against Connecticut. “I’m so grateful to coach them. I don’t think anyone would have predicted we’d be five and three right now after eight games.”
Home games for the Fire have consistently drawn crowds exceeding 10,000 fans. Players for Portland have continually said the support and sheer noise level at Moda Center has kept them going in tough games.
Saturday’s game may be the first the Fire play with a significant number of people cheering for their rivals. Clark’s presence is sure to help fill Moda Center with many wearing a number 22 jersey – currently the second-best-selling jersey in the U.S.
In their short existence, the Fire have carved out an identity as a tough defensive team. The young squad has notched some impressive wins, including two against the 2024 champions, the New York Liberty.
They’ll have their hands full with Clark and the Fever. But Fire forward Bridget Carleton told reporters her team will fiercely compete, even if things aren’t going their way.
“We’re just gritty,” Carleton said after the Fire’s messy win over Connecticut Wednesday. “We don’t give up. We always have faith and hope in what we’re doing, and we believe in what we’re doing.”
