Copyright The Oregonian
There’s a lot that the Portland Fire’s inaugural head coach is new to. He’s new to being the head coach of a pro team. He’s new to the WNBA. But Alex Sarama isn’t new to the City of Roses. And on Tuesday morning, as Sarama was being formally introduced to local media in a press conference at the Multnomah Athletic Club in southwest Portland, he gave a special shoutout to the city he called home not too long ago. “Portland is a great city,” said Sarama, who was an assistant coach and director of player development for the Rip City Remix from October 2023 to July 2024. “What I remember here is the fans are so passionate about basketball and I really think that will make the difference.” Sarama pointed to the press conference opening announcement that the Portland Fire have officially surpassed 15,000 season tickets sold for the inaugural 2026 season. “We heard it with the deposits on the season tickets, and I just think to be able to play in that type of atmosphere is amazing,” Sarama said. And while Sarama and Portland Fire General Manager Vanja Černivec were sometimes cryptic in what they revealed on Tuesday about their plans, Sarama was frank about what the city stands for and how it mixes with his vision. “When I look at Portland I think there’s no better city that epitomizes things like social equality and racial justice and I really think at the Fire it’s perfect because it aligns with us completely as an organization.” The love of women’s sports in Portland was not lost on Sarama, as the press conference took place overlooking Providence Park with banners celebrating the Portland Thorns and their NWSL Championships in the background. The Portland Fire and the Portland Thorns are both owned by the Bhathal family and RAJ Sports. The city’s two women’s sports franchises will also share a practice facility in Hillsboro. Sarama also said he is looking forward to immersing himself more in the city when he’s here full time (he currently commutes between Portland and Cleveland as he remains an assistant coach for the Cavaliers). Sarama admits that he tended to seclude himself at his home in Tualatin while he was working for the Remix a year ago. “Towards the end of my tenure at the Remix I started to explore a lot more, so I can’t wait,” he said. “I want to get out and make the most of what Portland has to offer.”
