Portland’s WNBA team might have decided on its name after the WNBA put in for a trademark request for the name “Portland Fire” on June 18. Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report first pointed out the request.

The Portland Fire name is a callback to the Rose City’s previous WNBA venture which only lasted three seasons from 2000-2002 and never made the playoffs.

Back in September, the WNBA announced that it would be coming back to Portland by awarding an expansion franchise to the city. RAJ Sports, who also owns the Portland Thorns and is led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, was also announced as the owners of the new WNBA franchise.

Earlier this week, the Portland WNBA team posted on social media that it would be announcing the team name and colors this summer.

The status for the trademark is still pending, but the name was also applied for by the WNBA back on Dec. 19, 2024, in the country of Mauritius, possibly to keep the name as a secret and establish an earlier priority date.

Along with the wordmark of “Portland Fire,” the WNBA also has filed for a “P” logo that is suspected to coincide with the Portland branding.

The team name is one of many steps still to go for the franchise to get ready for its first season. Currently, the team has only announced the hiring of a team president in Inky Son and is still looking for a general manager, head coach and more.

Portland is expected to tipoff WNBA action in May of 2026.