Portland Fire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Portland Fire |
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| Conference | Western |
| Leagues | WNBA |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Dissolved | 2002 |
| History | Portland Fire 2000–2002 |
| Arena | Rose Garden |
| Location | Portland, Oregon |
| Team colors | Red, black, gold, white |
The Portland Fire was a professional basketball team for women. They played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was based in Portland, Oregon. They joined the league in the year 2000. The Fire was like a partner team to the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers.
They played their games at the Rose Garden arena. The team only played for three seasons. It stopped playing after the 2002 season. The Portland Fire was the only WNBA team that never made it to the playoffs.
Team History
The Portland Fire team had a short history, lasting only three years. It was started in 2000. Paul Allen, who owned the Portland Trail Blazers, was also the team's chairman.
In their first season, the team won 10 games and lost 22. Key players were Vanessa Nygaard and Sylvia Crawley. In 2001, the team had another tough season. But they found hope with a new player, Jackie Stiles. She was a rookie guard and won the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award.
However, in 2002, Jackie Stiles got a serious injury. She could not play for most of that season. Without their star player, the Fire still managed to finish with an equal number of wins and losses. This was their best season.
The 2002 season was the last for the Portland Fire. After this season, the WNBA changed how teams were owned. Team owners had to buy their franchises. Paul Allen, the Fire's chairman, had money problems with his other team, the Trail Blazers. This meant he could not buy the Fire team. So, the Portland Fire team had to close down in 2002.
A group led by Clyde Drexler tried to buy the team, but it did not work out. Because of this, the Fire became the only WNBA team that never reached the playoffs. It also had one of the shortest times in the WNBA, like the Miami Sol.
Players and Coaches
Players Who Played for the Fire
- Tully Bevilaqua: She later played for the San Antonio Silver Stars.
- Monique Cardenas: She stopped playing after her first season when the Fire closed in 2002.
- Sylvia Crawley: She is now an assistant coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels women's basketball team.
- Kristin Folkl: She retired after the Fire closed in 2002.
- Melody Johnson: She retired after her first season when the Fire closed in 2002.
- Vanessa Nygaard: She is now the head coach of the Phoenix Mercury.
- Lynn Pride: She played for Portland in 2000. She was later traded to the Lynx and then the Sparks before retiring.
- Jackie Stiles: The Portland Fire chose her fourth overall in the 2001 WNBA Draft. She was named Rookie of the Year. After many injuries, she retired from the WNBA. She later played in other basketball leagues.
- Stacey Thomas: The Portland Fire chose her in the 2000 WNBA Draft. After the Fire closed, she played for several other WNBA teams. These included the Phoenix Mercury and the Detroit Shock. She retired in 2006.
- Michele Van Gorp: She has been an assistant coach at Colgate University since 2007.
- DeMya Walker: She played for the Portland Fire for all three seasons. After the Fire closed, she was chosen by the Sacramento Monarchs. She helped them win the 2005 WNBA Finals.
- Sophia Witherspoon: She played two seasons with the Portland Fire. Before that, she played for the New York Liberty. She finished her career with the Los Angeles Sparks.
Head Coach
Linda Hargrove was the head coach and general manager for the Portland Fire. She worked with the team from 2000 to 2002. Later, she was the general manager for the Washington Mystics from 2005 to 2008.
See also
In Spanish: Portland Fire para niños
