7 games in and Alex Sarama has already announced that he means business. The Portland Fire have already defeated the 2024 title winners, the New York Liberty, 2-1 in the regular-season series with the latest 81-74 win. Sarama and Co. went past fellow expansion franchise Toronto while brushing aside the Sun, currently standing at 4-3. However, the process behind this success is NBA-inspired, as he has omitted a regular training regimen for almost every team in the history of the WNBA. 

The usual game day goes with the team arriving around an hour and a half before the pre-game shootaround, followed by the warm-ups, a break and the tip-off. Alex Sarama has skipped the shootaround for the Portland Fire. According to him, it’s all a strategy to elevate their performance and it was already experimented with during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA. 

“It’s conversations about if we want to play the most intentional basketball, where we’re playing with pace, we’re using our full-court pressure, then we’re asking the players to make the best decisions in the evening,” Sarama said (via Richard Deitsch). “We want to keep them fresh mentally and physically for the game. So just going through shoot-arounds with my NBA experience, G-League experience, we had periods when I was with the Cavs where we did them and then small stretches where we didn’t. I was always advocating to not do it with Coach Kenny [Atkinson].”

Alex Sarama is known for bringing new values and concepts to basketball. In 2024, he published a book titled “Transforming Basketball: Changing How We Think About Basketball Performance.” His philosophy features the Constraints-led approach, which de-emphasizes Xs and Os for training players in game-like situations. 

And he is trying to change the way training works as well by eliminating shoot-arounds. Several coaches in the NBA like JJ Redick and George Karl, have done the same. But the Fire and Sarama could be the first ones to do so in the W. 

The results are evident. Portland Fire lead the league in steals per game and turnovers induced. In addition, they are also the team with the most fourth-quarter points per game, with 25.6 points where  fatigue plays a part. However, injury management also plays a part in this decision. 

“We want to make sure we have a healthy team and we really want to mitigate injuries long term. So we’ve got to make decisions that are best for the players,” he said. “The shoot-around was one of those things where we’re going to give you your day back, but then when it comes to seven, we’re all out with our effort, intensity and attention.”

The injuries across the WNBA have spiked over the years, with 220+ reported last year. ACL tears have been evident. In addition, there is little loss behind eliminating shootaround. It largely works to calm the nerves of the players and get into rhythm. And it’s subjective. If the players agree that the shootaround is not really helping them, then there is no harm in doing so. Or, if the players get used to coming in with a game-ready attitude rather than sharpening it later. 

And this is not the unique strategy he is using. Sarama conducted a practice with all the players in socks. He said it was something he took from the practice of differential learning. He read about it in a book written by Wolfgang Schöllhorn, a researcher on biomechanics and motor learning, which helps players adapt. While Sarama is not afraid to experiment, he has committed to consistency after the Liberty win. 

Alex Sarama Reveals Blueprint to Keep Team Performing Consistently

This is just the first step for Alex Sarama and Co. “I would say, prove to the people that they’re wrong. Because we saw the comments,” Carla Leite said. “There is a lot of negative parts, so I think, like, we show everybody that we can compete in this league.” They have bigger dreams than just a series win over the Liberty. But the path ahead is arguably harder.

Teams will understand their playing style. The scouting will improve and teams will take advantage of every mistake. The Fire want to prioritise defense yet they are ranking 11th in points conceded at 88.6 points per game. And to attain those consistent wins to stay above the 0.500 mark, Alex Sarama is hell bent on perfecting his current style rather than adding something new. 

“I don’t want to add anything more — no more plays on offense, nothing more defensively. I just want to keep relentlessly getting better at what we do every single day,” he said. “If we keep getting 1% better every day, I think we’re going to be in really good shape by the end of the season.”

The Portland Fire have certainly made things interesting with their new play style and training methods. No matter how quirky they might be, Alex Sarama has solidified his team as one to be reckoned with.