Fire President says new jerseys are “Just one step along the way’

PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Portland’s WNBA team revealed two new jersey designs today.

Both inspired by the Rose City and the passion of Portland’s basketball community, the Portland Fire’s unveiling of these designs is the latest step in the franchise’s effort to stay connected with fans ahead of its inaugural season.

“I’m excited. It’s just great to see fans get excited,” said interim president Clare Hamill. “It’s great for the city, and I feel just really fortunate to be a part of it.”

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Since the team’s launch last summer, the Fire have focused on building momentum through fan engagement and steady updates. Hamill said each release is designed to give supporters something new to rally around.

“Ever since I jumped in in July, we’ve been trying to do everything to stay connected to fans,” Hamill said. “We had an incredible select-a-seat event that fans came to, we’ve had multiple releases, and we want to keep giving fans things to get excited about. This was just one step along the way.”

Despite the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement still being finalized, Hamill said the team’s preparations have remained on track.

“It hasn’t been that hard — there’s been plenty to do,” she said. “We’re very confident, and when the collective bargaining agreement is signed, we’ll be ready to go.”

Attention now begins to shift toward roster building, including the upcoming expansion draft, which could bring the first Fire players to Portland.

“We are excited,” Hamill said. “Probably the expansion draft will be the first step. That’s how it went last year, so we’re hoping those players move to Portland fast. We’d love to have them here.”

As anticipation continues to build, Hamill said fans can expect more announcements in the near future.

“We have a few more big announcements coming up,” she said.

You can find all Fire merchandise available here.