The Portland Fire team announced this Monday the addition of Vanja Cernivec as general manager for its inaugural season in the WNBA.
Cernivec, currently vice president of basketball operations for the Golden State Valkyries, comes to the Fire with a distinguished career in the league.
Under their leadership, the Valkyries have established themselves as the most successful expansion team in WNBA history. With a record of 19-18, the team is in a playoff position with seven games remaining to finish the regular season. It should be noted that no expansion team has managed to qualify for the playoffs in its debut season.
In her current role, Cernivec collaborated with the general manager of the Valkyries, Ohemaa Nyanin, in building a roster with a strong international presence. Of the 19 players who have participated with the Valkyries this season, 10 were born outside the United States. Added to this is the team’s first pick in the WNBA draft, Lithuanian forward Juste Jocyte, who decided not to play in the league this season.
Before joining the Valkyries, Cernivec was general manager of the London Lions for two seasons, where she built a team that was crowned champion of the Women’s EuroCup in 2024. Originally from Slovenia, Cernivec also worked in the NBA in talent identification and was an international scout for the Chicago Bulls.
According to the Fire’s statement, Cernivec will finish the regular season with the Valkyries before assuming his 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 announced its head coach.
