The new Portland Fire is set to begin playing in the WNBA in 2026, becoming the second franchise in city history after the original Fire shut down back in 2002. The franchise has made multiple moves in preparation, with Vanja Černivec and Ashley Battle recently being hired as the first general manager and vice president of basketball operations, strategy and innovation, respectively.
Now, it has all been confirmed that former Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach Alex Sarama will be named the Fire’s first head coach, albeit mistakenly. A LinkedIn post on the official Fire account mistakenly shared the news of Sarama’s hiring early on Tuesday morning before being quickly deleted, per Front Office Sports.
Sources have since confirmed that while the contract has not been finalized, the Fire will indeed unveil Sarama as their head coach in the near future. Sarama has been with the Cavaliers for the last 15 months and was previously an assistant coach and director of player development for the Rip City Remix, the Portland Trail Blazers’ G League affiliate.
News about the accidental reveal was first reported by The Portland Supporter. Previously, the franchise name, The Portland Fire, was revealed after four trademark applications were filed by WNBA officials in June.
Multiple WNBA teams in recent years have tapped NBA assistant coaches, with consistent success. Nate Tibbetts was hired back in 2023 by the Phoenix Mercury and led them to the WNBA Finals this year.
The Las Vegas Aces also hired their long-term coach Becky Hammon, who has led the team to three championships in four seasons after her nearly decade-long stint at the San Antonio Spurs. Regardless, Černivec was also the vice president of basketball operations at the Golden State Valkyries in their first season in the WNBA.
Further, Sarama previously spent a year at the London Lions, where Černivec was the general manager at the time, which may have played a role in the latest appointment as well.
