Alex Sarama, Cavs Assistant, Will Coach New WNBA Team in Portland

Alex Sarama Will Lead the New WNBA Team in Portland

The Portland Fire have announced Alex Sarama, assistant coach of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, as their head coach for the 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, soccer, and, increasingly, in the NBA. Players like Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, and coaches like Kenny Atkinson of the Cavaliers, are fervent followers of this approach.

Having the opportunity to implement CLA (Constraints-Led Approach) principles with an expansion team is ideal, because we can hire people who fit into the new system and not have to unlearn a previous system.

Alex Sarama

Sarama explained that this approach allows her to influence every aspect of the team and create a unified strategy, where everyone works in harmony. The team’s general manager, Vanja Černivec, from the Golden State Valkyries, stands out for her deep knowledge of the European market. Černivec met Sarama years ago, when they both worked at the NBA office in Madrid, and was impressed by her intelligence and passion for coaching.

For me, he was a genius. He produced documents and work that took me two hours, he did them in five or ten minutes. I wondered how this guy’s brain worked. His obsession was always training.

Vanja Černivec

In addition to his academy, Sarama has had successful experiences as a coach with the London Lions, Paris Basketball, and RipCity Remix. His fame grew after the publication of his bestseller, “Transforming Basketball”, in 2024. Atkinson, after reading his book, incorporated him as a player development coach for the Cavaliers.

Kenny really empowered me. That was huge. Because once the players understand it and start to see how much it improves them, and you have total acceptance, then you can do more and more with it.

Alex Sarama

The CLA methodology focuses on adaptability, improvisation, and decision-making, rather than predetermined movement patterns and exercises. Sarama rarely repeats the same exercise, using games with modifications to force players to make decisions under pressure.

Players love it, because it’s a refreshing change from what they’ve always done in their NBA careers. It’s much more appealing, and when you never know what you’re going to do in a workout instead of doing the same six NBA exercises, which all teams do in every workout. Just coming in and knowing that there’s going to be something more creative. I think it really resonates.

Alex Sarama

The arrival of NBA coaches in the WNBA is increasingly common, as seen with the success of the Phoenix Mercury and the Valkyries coach, Natalie Nakase, also from the NBA. Sarama and the Cavaliers are discussing when she will leave Cleveland to start full-time in Portland. The WNBA collective bargaining agreement expires on October 31, and it is not yet clear how the negotiations will affect the expansion draft and free agency. For the moment, she will remain in Cleveland, but hopes to start in Portland, which will begin its activity in May 2026.