The Portland Fire announced this Monday that Vanja Cernivec, vice president of basketball operations for the Golden State Valkyries, will be the inaugural general manager of the WNBA expansion franchise.
In his current position, Cernivec has contributed to building what has been the most successful expansion team in league history. With a record of 19-18, Golden State is in a playoff position with seven games remaining in the regular season. No WNBA expansion team has managed to reach the playoffs in its debut season.
Working under the direction of Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin, Cernivec played a key role in the international composition of Golden State’s roster. Of the 19 players who have participated with the Valkyries this season, 10 were born outside the United States. This figure does not include the franchise’s first pick in the WNBA draft, Lithuanian forward Juste Jocyte, who chose not to play in the league this season at age 19.
Before joining Golden State, Cernivec spent two seasons as general manager of the London Lions, building a team that won the Women’s EuroCup championship in 2024. Originally from Slovenia, Cernivec previously worked for the NBA in talent identification and served as an international scout for the Chicago Bulls.
In a statement, the Fire indicated that Cernivec will finish the regular season with the Valkyries before assuming her duties in Portland on September 15. The Fire, along with the Toronto Tempo, will join the WNBA in 2026. Toronto hired its general manager, Monica Wright Rogers, in February. Neither team has yet hired a head coach.
