After months of behind the scenes movement, the Portland Fire announced the team had hired Alex Sarama, assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he's bringing a different style of play with him. As shared via social media in a short clip posted online and later discussed at length at Samara's introductory press conference, the team will focus on a player-centered approach to the game that he's described as constraints-led.
According to Basketball Immersion, Samara's constraints-led approach "takes a holistic and individual approach to learning." The coach designs the environment in which players move and operate, but instead of only giving plays and shouting orders, players will have the opportunity to make their own decisions in real time as they are faced with unpredictable obstacles or other changes in the game.
Alex Sarama has a long history in basketball
Sarama, who is from England, has worked in men's and women's basketball for several years. He's also familiar with Portland, as he spent the 2023-24 season with the Rip City Remix, the Trail Blazers' G League team, before joining the staff of the Cavaliers.
The team's general manager Vanja Černivec (who previously worked for the Golden State Valkyries), told Oregon Public Broadcasting that Sarama was appealing primarily because he's known for making the right call for his players and for the staff who work for him. She also made it clear that the goal is for Sarama to have a long-term relationship with the team, an indication that the Fire hopes Sarama will learn and grown on the job.
She added that the Fire also wanted "Someone that will come in very humble, and not think they have all the answers. As an expansion team right now we operate in the environment where we have more questions than answers — therefore, a coach that is comfortable operating in the unknown."
Vanja Černivec knows what makes a great coach
Černivec's experience with the Valkyries likely had a heavy influence on the decision-making process when it came time to interview and hire a coach for the Fire. Golden State benefitted enormously from having coach Natalie Nakase, who won Coach of the Year at the end of the 2025 season, at the helm — despite the fact that she was a rookie WNBA coach in charge of an inaugural team.
The Valkyries have set the bar high for the Tempo and the Fire, but Sarama's comments so far appear to indicate that he's more than happy to meet — and perhaps even surpass — that standard. If he's successful, his constraints-led approach could even become the new model for teams going forward, and potentially even reshape how the WNBA is coached completely.