“The Fire Pit Was Really Lit”: Go Inside the Portland Fire’s Historic Sold Out Season Opener in Return to WNBA
- The Ballers Magazine
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
The Portland Fire made its 2026 season debut on May 9th with a sold-out home opener at the Moda Center in downtown Portland.
The electric atmosphere could be felt from beginning to end despite the Fire's 83-98 loss to the Chicago Sky. “The Fire Pit was really lit, it really was. The fan support, and how loud it got in the arena tonight...that was probably one of the loudest things I’ve ever heard being on a court. The energy they brought in, never gave up, they always continued to cheer...leaning into that and having their support means a lot to us,” Sarah Ashlee Barker shares when reflecting on the sell-out crowd.
The Fire made its return to the WNBA in front of the second largest crowd for a home opener in WNBA history. As a crowd of 19,335 fans packed Moda Center, the support for the city's hometown team was evident.
“I’ve always heard things here and there about Portland and the women’s sports fandom there is here...but this past week, feeling it on social media, feeling it in the city, going on a walk and people recognize me already and I hadn’t played a game, it’s just incredible the amount of support and how excited people are to see us and meet us and be a part of this experience, it’s been surreal," Bridget Carleton highlights when speaking about the women’s sports fandom in Portland.
American singer-songwriter and actress Justine Skye opened the game singing the national anthem and the game was capped by a half-time performance from Grammy-nominated artist, Ashanti.
The Portland Fire are back in action on Tuesday, May 12th as they host the New York Liberty.
