Alex Sarama Will Lead the New WNBA Team in Portland
The Portland Fire have announced Alex Sarama, former assistant coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, as their head coach for the expansion franchise’s inaugural season in the WNBA. The news was confirmed by the team and Sarama himself. Sarama is recognized as an expert in an innovative training system that has gained popularity in European basketball and, increasingly, in the NBA. This system has been adopted by prominent players like Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs and coaches like Kenny Atkinson of the Cavaliers.Sarama explained that CLA’s philosophy is based on adaptability, improvisation, and decision-making, rather than predetermined movement patterns and exercises. The coach emphasizes creating games with small modifications to challenge players and foster their decision-making ability under pressure. Vanja Černivec, general manager of the team, coming from the Golden State Valkyries, highlights the importance of starting from scratch with an expansion team. According to Černivec, this facilitates the implementation of new ideas and approaches, without the need to modify what is already known. Sarama has had a successful career as a coach, including experiences with the London Lions and Paris Basketball. His reputation grew significantly after the publication of his book “Transforming Basketball” in 2024. Currently, Sarama and the Cavaliers are in conversations about when she will leave Cleveland to fully dedicate herself to her new role in Portland. Sarama’s start date in Portland could be affected by negotiations over the new WNBA collective bargaining agreement, which expires on October 31. The Portland team is expected to start playing in May 2026.Having the opportunity to implement CLA (Constraints-Led Approach) principles with an expansion team is ideal. We will be able to hire people who fit the new system and not have to unlearn a previous system.
Alex Sarama
