Sparks complete preseason sweep with win over Fire in Portland
May 3, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Los Angeles Sparks guard Rae Burrell (12) shoots against the Portland Fire in the first half at Moda Center. PORTLAND, OR -- The Sparks are done with the preseason. The team went to Portland for a WNBA game for the first time since 2002.
The Moda Center crowd was very supportive of the reborn Portland Fire. But in the end, the Sparks came away with the win to go 2-0 in preseason, 85-75 . “We’re witnessing the growth.
For this to be a preseason game and have this many fans in there, the energy was there," Nneka Ogwumike said when asked about the atmosphere in Portland. "I’m just happy to be playing in the league. Very grateful and blessed to be playing in the league as this expansion comes to fruition...
we’re not just expanding (the league) and no one is coming. More and more people want games. More and more people want teams in their city.
So, I’m grateful to be a part of that. ” Even if it's preseason and the crowd being into it, the Sparks still had a game to play. They wanted to work out the kinks of their line-ups as the team had everyone available for Sunday.