The Portland Thorns and Fire staged a “unique women’s sports doubleheader Saturday in the first collaboration between the NWSL and WNBA teams.” The Thorns drew 20,053 fans to Providence Park for their match against the Utah Royals on Saturday afternoon. The Fire then hosted Caitlin Clark and the Fever in the evening before a sellout crowd of 19,437 at Moda Center. The teams “hyped Saturday’s matches,” selling a ticket package to both events for $80. T-Shirts were sold that exclaimed “Portland Loves Women’s Sports.” The Thorns and Fire share the same owners, Lisa and Alex Bhathal, who operate the teams under the entity Raj Sports (AP, 5/30).
Fans “packed into the Moda Center to watch” Fever-Fire, putting it “just above the team’s top attendance” of 19,335 for their home opener on May 11. That was a WNBA record for an expansion team’s attendance in its home opener. In just a few weeks, Moda Center has “become one of the WNBA’s newest hostile environments” (Portland OREGONIAN, 5/29). The Fever matchup was “always going to be the most in-demand home game” of the Fire’s inaugural season. In a 100-84 win, the Fire “reduced Clark to a background character” (Portland OREGONIAN, 5/29).
