While the WNBA hasn't officially announced the name of Portland's expansion team, obvious signs are pointing toward it already being decided. Portland appears set to bring back its old team name, the Fire.
According to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report, the WNBA league office has filed trademark applications related to the Portland Fire this week.
The WNBA hasn't officially confirmed that the Portland Fire is returning, but "multiple sources with knowledge of the process have indicated in recent months that a return to the Fire is indeed coming," per Highkin.
Thanks to this latest intel, it's now safe to say...
The Portland Fire are making a comeback!
The WNBA has filed three new trademark applications related to the Portland Fire. It would appear that the expansion team will be returning to the name the Portland WNBA franchise used from 2000 to 2002. pic.twitter.com/zeU8miW0PM
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) June 19, 2025
Highkin reports that the WNBA has filed a total of four trademarks. Two of the trademarks filed have to do with team apparel and entertainment services, while the other two are for a stylized letter "P" (included in the post above), filed under both the apparel and entertainment categories.
The Fire played in Portland from 2000-02. They never had a playoff appearance and finished with a 37-59 record overall.
They'll look to have more success this time around, joining the Golden State Valkyries and Toronto Tempo as the WNBA's three most recent expansion teams. Golden State began playing this season and currently has a 5-6 record, while Toronto and Portland will make their debuts next season.
What's next for WNBA expansion?
The three expansion teams now bring the league total to 15. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has said they would like to expand to 16 by 2028. It could even be more than that in the coming years as the league only continues to gain popularity thanks to the entertaining play of young superstars such as Caitlin Clark.
But for now, plenty of cities are in the mix for the 16th team. That list includes Austin, Charlotte, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Nashville, and Philadelphia.
Looking at why Toronto, Portland, and Golden State were selected could give us some insight into the direction they are headed next. All three cities already had an established NBA team, were committed to having dedicated practice facilities, and had an ownership group involved in a current sports team.
For Portland, that's the Bhathal family, who owns the NWSL's Portland Thorns and has a minority stake in the Sacramento Kings. It'll be curious to see if they also get in the running to acquire the Blazers. Phil Knight quickly shot down the idea of him owning the Blazers, but the Bhathal family didn't deny interest.
Regardless, this is an exciting time for basketball in Portland as the Fire get one step closer to making a comeback!