Ashley Battle previously worked as assistant general manager of the Maine Celtics.
Ashley Battle previously worked as assistant general manager of the Maine Celtics.George Annan Jr.
Ashley Battle, the assistant general manager for the Maine Celtics, will join the WNBA’s Portland Fire ahead of its inaugural season as an expansion team in 2026.
The team announced Battle will be its vice president of basketball operations, strategy, and innovation. Battle, 43, also served as a scout for the Boston Celtics and has been a color commentator for the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun for the past three seasons.
“It’s exciting to be part of a franchise that’s reimagining what player development and team culture can look like,” Battle said in a release. “Having been in the players’ shoes, I know how powerful it is when an organization invests in every aspect of an athlete’s growth. The Fire is building something special, and I’m proud to now be contributing to that vision.”
Battle grew up in Pittsburgh and won three NCAA titles at UConn (2002-04). She was drafted into the WNBA in 2005 by the Seattle Storm and spent four seasons with the New York Liberty from 2006-09.
“Ashley’s multi-dimensional experience uniquely positions her to help the Portland Fire build a modern, holistic women’s basketball organization,” Fire general manager Vanja Černivec said in a release. “Her insight as a former player will be especially invaluable from day one as we shape the future of this team.”
Portland was announced as the WNBA’s 15th team in 2024. The city previously had a franchise from 2000 to 2002 before it folded.
The Fire will play at the Moda Center, home of the NBA’s Trail Blazers. It and Toronto will be the next two expansion teams to begin play in the WNBA starting next season.
The team said it received 12,500 season-ticket deposits after announcing in July it would be named the Fire, which was the name of the original franchise in the early 2000s.
Katie McInerney can be reached at katie.mcinerney@globe.com. Follow her on Instagram at @katiemac.sports.