Portland Fire tap former UConn, WNBA star for key front office role originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Portland Fire are back — well, almost.
Advertisement
For the first time in nearly a quarter-century, WNBA basketball is returning to Portland. The original Fire franchise folded in 2002, but the new iteration will begin play in the 2026 season alongside another expansion franchise in the Toronto Tempo.
Portland continues to add to its brain trust ahead of next May, when the new-look Fire will take to the Moda Center court. Last month, the Fire hired Golden State Valkyries executive Vanja Cernivec as their first general manager — and Cernivec in turn has just made her first big front-office hire.
MORE: The WNBA’s refereeing crisis might have one simple solution
The Fire on Tuesday announced Connecticut Sun broadcaster, Maine Celtics general manager and six-year WNBA veteran Ashley Battle as Vice President of Basketball Operations, Strategy and Innovation. According to Portland’s official statement, Battle will utilize her scouting background to oversee “roster construction and talent identification” — which could offer some clues as to the Fire’s potential identity when they take the court.
During her decorated college career at the University of Connecticut, Battle forged a reputation as a strong defender as the Huskies ripped off three consecutive national championship victories between 2002 and 2004. Battle was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year in 2003 and, upon joining the WNBA in 2005, established herself as a solid rotational option with tenacious on-ball defensive ability for the Seattle Storm, the New York Liberty and the San Antonio Silver Stars (now the Las Vegas Aces).
Advertisement
Battle’s journey through basketball means the Fire may adopt a strong defensive identity, just as the Cernivec-run Valkyries did during their successful inaugural season. Whether the Fire replicate the Valkyries’ achievement of making the WNBA playoffs in year one remains to be seen, but Portland is putting the pieces in place to be competitive from the opening tip in 2026.
“The Fire is building something special, and I’m proud to now be contributing to that vision,” Battle said via statement.
