The Portland Fire have a lot on their slate this season: the team is brand new, and that means nearly aspect of what they're bringing to the court is being built from scratch. That includes head coach Alex Sarama's playing style, and it also includes his assistant coaching staff. The Fire has quietly put together a sidelines crew that includes WNBA legend Sylvia Fowles, and she should give the team a formidable edge when it comes to meeting the moment and establishing themselves as a team to be taken seriously.
Fowles, who spent 15 years playing in the WNBA, told Oregon Live that so far, it doesn't seem like too much has changed when it comes to playing basketball. As she put it, “I don’t think much has changed because before I even became a coach, I still was a player coach on my teams. It’s pretty much the same here.”
She's been a fixture at the team's training camp in Portland all week, and has been absorbing Sarama's style of coaching along with the players on the team. Though she admitted she likes to "stay quiet" for the most part, Fowles also told the outlet that she's finding her voice as a coach.
The Portland Fire is showing a lot of promise
Fowles also told Oregon Live there's plenty fo reasons to suspect the Fire will be a strong team this season, many of which begin with the team's roster. As she put it, there are plenty of players on the team who have the ability to play with flexibility and foucs, two things that are essential for Sarama's squad. The team will be focused on building offense that's fast and cutting hard to the basket, though 3-pointers aren't entirely out of the question.
Sarama has had a lot of praise for Fowles. As he told reporters this week, the "perspective she provides is huge." Former players are still finding their footing as coaches and assistant coaches in the league, and it's special that the Fire's roster has access to a player who has seen it all.
Fowles told Oregon Live that she likes the changes Sarama is bringing to how basketball is played, and thinks she would have even liked it when she was on the court as a hooper. It's easy for things to become repetitive, she said, and Sarama has found a way to make things feel fresh again.
The Fire will begin preseason matches next week. The team plays their first game on May 9.
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