Might 3, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Fire heart Luisa Geiselsoder (15) talks to her teammates throughout a break within the motion in opposition to the Los Angeles Sparks within the second half at Moda Heart. Necessary Credit score: Jaime Valdez-Imagn Photographs The Chicago Sky tied for the league low of 10 victories final season and have since revamped the roster as they put together to open the 2026 season on the growth Portland Fire on Saturday evening.
An important newcomer is seven-time All-Star Skylar Diggins, and one of many gamers shipped out was stellar rebounder Angel Reese.
Chicago added Rickea Jackson and Azura Stevens to the frontcourt, whereas it loaded up within the backcourt by bringing in Natasha Cloud, DiJonai Carrington and Jacy Sheldon and drafting Gabriela Jaquez out of UCLA within the first spherical along with Diggins.
Sky coach Tyler Marsh does not thoughts having a guard-heavy squad.
“I do not assume you may go fallacious with numerous good guards, succesful guards,” Marsh informed reporters earlier this week. “It is not like we’re simply inventory holding a bunch of gamers. It is gamers that may contribute and we’ll discover methods to make the most of them.”
Diggins, 35, averaged 15.5 factors and 6.0 assists for the Seattle Storm final season. Her wealth of expertise will patch a management void early within the season as star level guard Courtney Vandersloot continues to rehab her knee damage. The five-time All-Star tore her ACL final June.
Carrington (foot) and Stevens (knee) may even be sidelined as Chicago opens a four-game highway journey. The Sky will not play at dwelling till Might 20 in opposition to the Dallas Wings.
Portland is starting its growth season with 4 straight dwelling video games — together with a two-game set in opposition to the New York Liberty and one versus the Connecticut Solar.
Fire coach Alex Sarama is targeted on constructing a basis round protection.
“I really feel in a fairly good place with the place our protection is at,” the 30-year-old Sarama informed reporters earlier this week. “The offense is gonna take slightly longer. Only a new system, gamers doing job getting used to it.”
Portland took ahead Bridget Carleton (Minnesota) with the first decide of the growth draft and in addition nabbed guards Carla Leite (Golden State) and Sarah Ashlee Barker (Los Angeles) and guard/ahead Haley Jones (Dallas), amongst others.
Barker is totally purchased in on being a part of the Fire’s constructing mission.
“I believe each single day you may inform that, one, we are available and we work actually laborious it doesn’t matter what,” Barker stated earlier this week.
“When individuals make errors, we decide one another up. There’s numerous effort and power, and you’ll’t train effort and power. However you may train the errors, you may train the Xs and Os, you may train the protection.”
That is the second rendition for Portland within the WNBA. The unique Fire performed from 2000-02 earlier than folding.
–Discipline Stage Media
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