The Portland Fire officially introduced Vanja Černivec as the team’s first general manager in franchise history at Moda Center on Tuesday.
“When we all met Vanja (Černivec), we knew that she was the right person for this vision for Portland,” Portland Fire interim President Claire Hamill said Tuesday.
The Portland Fire has been reborn as a new expansion franchise after the original WNBA team, which operated from 2000 to 2002, became defunct. Hamill said that the team is exactly where they need to be compared to six weeks ago.
Vanja is excited to meet the PDX community 🫶 pic.twitter.com/boEWMmNM1Z
— Portland Fire (@theportlandfire) August 26, 2025
More importantly, due to Portland’s strong connection to women’s sports, Hamill stated that over 13,000 ticket reservations have already been deposited. She also provided an update on the Fire’s practice facility, which is in “open phases” and will be ready by the start of the NWSL’s Portland Thorns’ season.
Černivec will come over from the Golden State Valkyries, where she serves as Vice President of Basketball Operations. The Slovenia native will also assume general manager duties for the Portland Fire on September 15.
What Černivec Brings to the Portland Front Office
When reflecting on what Černivec has learned throughout the season with the Valkyries, she mentioned finding the right culture and identity is key. In her current role, Golden State leads the WNBA in attendance and ranks seventh in the standings. Under head coach Natalie Nakase, the team looks to continue its playoff push in its inaugural season.
“I’ve learned a lot about building a culture, how to set up a foundation for a team,”Černivec said. “It’s mostly about bringing good people in. But I don’t believe in copy and paste. Every city is different.”
During her executive career, Černivec gained international experience as a technical director for Basketball Without Borders camps of the NBA Academy Women’s Program, working across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Additionally, she served as the first female international scout for the Chicago Bulls from 2020 to 2022.
It’s official ✍️
— Portland Fire (@theportlandfire) August 27, 2025
Successful day welcoming our new General Manager, Vanja Černivec. #Reborn pic.twitter.com/jINx0w5LcE
Černivec’s top priority is finding the right head coach to lead the Fire and help exceed expectations for success in the franchise’s first few years in the league.
“[I’m] definitely looking [for] someone that’s going to be a strong leader with a huge basketball IQ, and will empower players to make decisions on their own,” Černivec said. “I’m looking for someone that will build the environment where players will be encouraged to be problem solvers, not a coach that will try to give all the solutions to players.”
Uncertainty About the Ongoing WNBA CBA Negotiations
According to Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports, the likelihood of reaching a new CBA agreement for the WNBA before the October 31 deadline is slim. If the deal is not completed by then, several options remain on the table.
Questions loom regarding the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo expansion drafts, as CBA negotiations are ongoing. Černivec mentioned the uncertainty of the timing of the draft, and will be tasked with constructing a roster through the expansion draft, free agency, and the WNBA Draft.
“We’re all in the same boat,” Černivec said. “We don’t know what is going to happen, so there’s a lot of unknowns. For us, I think that it’s best to plan as if the negotiations are going to be done on time. So we’re planning for the expansion draft to go forward, similar to last year in December, and then free agency probably February. But if that doesn’t happen then, we’re just going to have to pivot and be ready for the unknown.”
As a native of the city, Hamill said, “I’m definitely in it for the long haul. I think the tattoo (on her forearm) kind of says it all. I’m all in. I’m a Portlander.”
The Portland Fire are expected to play at the Moda Center, home of the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, at the beginning of the 2026 season.