The 2025 WNBA season came to a close Friday as the Las Vegas Aces swept the Phoenix Mercury 4-0 in the Finals, securing the franchise’s third championship in four years. With the league gaining a new spotlight in recent seasons, the WNBA introduced its first expansion team since 2008, bringing the league to the Bay Area with the Golden State Valkyries. And the Valkyries found success in their inaugural season, becoming the first expansion team to make the playoffs in league history.
Now, the league turns its attention to the 2026 WNBA season, which will feature two new teams, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, bringing the total to 15. In the coming years, the league plans to expand even further, with franchises returning to Cleveland and Detroit and a new team debuting in Philadelphia, bringing the future total to 18 teams. But on Tuesday, one of these new teams revealed its first head coach.
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WNBA commissioner Cathy EngelbertVincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
On Tuesday, according to Front Office Sports’ Annie Costabile, the Fire prematurely revealed that Alex Sarama has been named the franchise’s first-ever head coach. Portland revealed the news on LinkedIn before quickly deleting it. While no contract has been finalized yet, the official announcement is expected to come soon.
Sarama spent the 2024-25 NBA season as an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers, helping the team secure the Eastern Conference’s best record and No. 1 seed. Before that, he worked overseas with several programs in England, France and Italy. Now, he looks to follow in the footsteps of Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase, who won the 2025 WNBA Coach of the Year award.
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“The Portland Fire prematurely announced NBA assistant Alex Sarama as the franchise’s head coach on LinkedIn Tuesday AM,” Costabile wrote on X. “Multiple sources told me that while a contract has not yet been finalized, Sarama is expected to be announced in the coming days.”
Unlike the Fire, the Tempo have yet to hire their first head coach. Meanwhile, several other WNBA teams have made coaching changes. The Dallas Wings dismissed Chris Koclanes, and the Seattle Storm parted ways with Noelle Quinn. But the most surprising move came from the New York Liberty, who let go of Sandy Brondello despite winning a championship just one season ago.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 14, 2025, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
