The Portland Fire return to the WNBA as an expansion club and play their first game at the Moda Center on Saturday night when they host the new-look Chicago Sky as the WNBA opens its 30th season.
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How to Watch Chicago Fire vs Portland Fire
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When: Saturday, May 9, 2026
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Time: 9:00 PM ET
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TV Channel: NBA TV
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Live Stream: Fubo (try for free)
The Fire returned to the WNBA after a three-year stint from 2000-02 with the same name but new ownership. Much of the focus in the preseason revolved around coach Alex Sarama’s constant-led approach system that takes the modern trend of hunting layups and 3-pointers to a new extreme. Portland selected Bridget Carleton first in the expansion draft and then signed her former Minnesota Lynx teammate, veteran guard Karlie Samuelson, as its first free agent. The Fire will also lean on Maya Caldwell, Emily Engster, and Megan Gustafson in their inaugural campaign.
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Chicago went for an extreme team makeover, opting for veterans over youth in the WNBA’s truncated offseason. The Sky traded Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream and then waived 2025 first-round pick Hailey Van Lith earlier this week. In their stead, the Sky added seven-time All-Star Skylar Diggins along with veterans Azurá Stevens, DiJonai Carrington, Rickea Jackson, Jacy Sheldon, and Natasha Cloud as they look to improve on last year’s 10-win disaster.
Both teams went 0-2 in the preseason, and Portland, which joined the league along with the expansion Toronto Tempo, will have to contend with the success of last year’s expansion entry, the Golden State Valkyries, which stunned the WNBA with a playoff run in Year 1.
This is a great WNBA matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.
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