Portland Fire Announces TV Talent for 2026 Debut Season
WNBA Portland Fire

Portland Fire Announces TV Talent for 2026 Debut Season

Published on April 7, 2026 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Portland Fire News Release


Portland, OR - The Portland Fire today announced Elise Woodward and Aja Ellison will headline the team's television broadcast team as Portland tips off its 2026 debut season on May 9 against the Chicago Sky. Woodward will serve as the play-by-play announcer alongside Ellison, who will serve as the team's color analyst.

"Building meaningful connections with our Fire fans starts with access and credibility, and it is our goal to deliver a world-class broadcast experience," said Portland Fire SVP of Marketing and Communications, Kimberly Veale. "Elise and Aja bring elite storytelling, deep basketball knowledge and a true authenticity to the show. Together, they will bring our story to fans all over Oregon, and set the tone for the modern era of Fire basketball."

Woodward has spent the past two years with FOX, FS1, and the Big Ten Network, calling women's and men's basketball, soccer, volleyball, track and field, gymnastics, and lacrosse. The Eugene, Oregon native has been the play-by-play voice for ESPN's coverage of the women's NCAA Tournament for over a decade, and has called conference championship games for the WCC, WAC, Ivy League, and American League. Prior to that, Woodward spent 11 years with the Pac-12 Network, covering women's and men's basketball, football, soccer, volleyball, and softball. She also spent 19 seasons as a broadcaster with the Seattle Storm, further solidifying her presence in the WNBA and women's basketball landscape.

Woodward hosted her own sports talk show at Sports Radio KJR in Seattle for more than a decade. She served as the TV sideline reporter for the Seattle SuperSonics, hosted the Sonics pregame, halftime, and postgame radio shows, and was the Portland Trail Blazers studio analyst for ROOT Sports from 2022-25. Prior to her broadcasting career, Woodward played four seasons of basketball at the University of Washington, where she led the Huskies to the NCAA Tournament in three of her four years and served as team captain as a senior.

Ellison joins with years of experience covering women's and men's basketball for ESPN, TNT, and NBC Sports, including the NCAA Tournament and Nike Hoops Summit. Ellison also served as a studio analyst for ION during its first season of WNBA coverage in June 2024 and called several Golden State Valkyries games as color analyst in August 2025.

Ellison played four seasons at the University of Maryland, winning the Big Ten Championship in each of her four years and leading the Terrapins to the Final Four in 2015. Internationally, she suited up for USA Basketball for the 2017 World University Games in Taipei, Taiwan. Ellison has a Master of Science in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Maryland (2018) and a business degree from Texas A&M University (2020). She's the daughter of Pervis Ellison, who was the first overall pick (Sacramento Kings) in the 1989 NBA Draft, and Maryland track star Timi Ellison.

Portland's debut season tips off on May 9, as the Fire host the Chicago Sky at the Moda Center. The team's national and local TV broadcast schedules will be announced at a later date. Fans interested in purchasing Fire season ticket memberships or single game tickets can do so.

For more information on Portland Fire's 2026 debut season, please visit theportlandfire.com.

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