Portland Fire open training camp for debut season

Players excited to 'build something from scratch' with unique practice approach

Apr. 20, 2026 at 12:48am by

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting the dynamic movements and energy of a WNBA basketball game, with the players' forms abstracted into sharp, overlapping shapes in a vibrant color palette.The Portland Fire's innovative training methods aim to forge a distinct identity for the new WNBA franchise.Portland Today

The Portland Fire, the city's new professional women's basketball team, opened their inaugural training camp on Sunday at Vikings Pavilion. Head coach Alex Sarama is implementing a unique 'Constraints Led Approach' to practices, which focuses on teaching skills in game-like environments rather than traditional coaching. Players like Haley Jones and Emily Engstler expressed excitement about being part of building the new franchise from the ground up and exploring Portland's quirky culture.

Why it matters

The launch of the Portland Fire is a significant milestone for the city, which has not had a professional women's basketball team since the Portland Power folded in 2000. The Fire's unique practice approach could give them a competitive edge as they look to establish themselves in their debut season.

The details

On the first day of training camp, Sarama intentionally threw a lot at the players to see what would 'stick' with the CLA method, which aims to have players adapt and solve problems without direct coaching. Guard Haley Jones and forward Emily Engstler both expressed enthusiasm for the new system and the opportunity to build the franchise from the ground up. Engstler, who is from New York City, noted the contrast between the urban environment she's used to and Portland's natural beauty.

  • The Portland Fire began training camp on Sunday, April 20, 2026.
  • The Fire will play their inaugural season in the 2026-27 season.

The players

Alex Sarama

The head coach of the Portland Fire, who is implementing a unique 'Constraints Led Approach' to practices that focuses on teaching skills in game-like environments.

Haley Jones

A guard for the Portland Fire and former standout at Stanford University, who is excited to be part of building the new franchise.

Emily Engstler

A forward for the Portland Fire, who is from New York City and noted the contrast between the urban environment she's used to and Portland's natural beauty.

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What they’re saying

“I'm just excited to be a part of something and get to build something from scratch.”

— Haley Jones, Guard

“A lot of training camps start quite slow. We actually did the opposite in terms of really trying to get the players used to how we're going to practice and the unique practice culture we're going to have. Intentionally, we threw a lot of them to see what was going to stick, and they responded in a really amazing way.”

— Alex Sarama, Head Coach

“He's really puts his money with his mouth is type of thing. He says this is what's were going to do. He shows the research, this is why it's good. Then we start doing it and we're like, 'Oh, it's different, but for sure, it makes sense.' We talk about you turn your brain on. From the first rep you've got to be locked in, but I've really liked it so far.”

— Haley Jones, Guard

“Portland! Portland's a quirky little place, ain't it? It's interesting, I'm not going to lie. All in good ways. I'm from New York City. It's different for me, but it's beautiful. Coming from the city, there's beautiful things about it, but there's nothing like this kind of nature.”

— Emily Engstler, Forward

What’s next

The Portland Fire will continue training camp over the next several weeks as they prepare for their inaugural season, which is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2026.

The takeaway

The Portland Fire's unique practice approach and the players' enthusiasm for building the franchise from the ground up suggest the team could be a competitive and exciting addition to the city's sports landscape. As the players adapt to Portland's quirky culture, the Fire's debut season will be closely watched by basketball fans eager to see the city's first professional women's team in over 25 years.