WNBA's Portland Fire Reunites "Portlandia" Stars Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein to Announce Debut Season Virginia ChamleeJanuary 23, 2026 at 11:23 PM 0 Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic Fred Armisen (L) and Carrie Brownstein (R) In a new ad, Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen revive a classic Portlandia sketch The two say it "feels like old times" in the ad, which offers a look at the debut season of the WNBA's Portland Fire Portland was the setting for the duo's popular absurdist comedy series, which included skits gently poking fun at the laidback Pacific Northwest city and aired from 2011 to 201...
- - WNBA's Portland Fire Reunites "Portlandia" Stars Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein to Announce Debut Season
Virginia ChamleeJanuary 23, 2026 at 11:23 PM
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Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic
Fred Armisen (L) and Carrie Brownstein (R) -
In a new ad, Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen revive a classic Portlandia sketch
The two say it "feels like old times" in the ad, which offers a look at the debut season of the WNBA's Portland Fire
Portland was the setting for the duo's popular absurdist comedy series, which included skits gently poking fun at the laid-back Pacific Northwest city and aired from 2011 to 2018
Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen are teaming up once again in Portland — this time, to announce the Portland Fire's debut WNBA season.
In a new ad, the Portlandia stars can be seen at Portland's Mother Foucault's Bookshop, with 59-year-old Armisen saying, "It's so nice to be back" as the two settle in to a table.
"It feels like old times, huh?" Brownstein, 51, responds.
The duo then began to detail all the "new places" that have opened up in Portland — the setting for the duo's absurdist IFC series, which included skits gently poking fun at the laid-back Pacific Northwest city and aired from 2011 to 2018.
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"Have you been to the new vegan restaurant?" asks Brownstein. "The food isn't vegan, but the servers are."
The conversation then devolves into a one-upmanship, a callback to Portlandia's recurring "Did You Hear?" skit, with each attempting to impress the other with what they've heard about the latest restaurants, bars and shops in town.
But the two are silenced when they learn the Portland Fire are making their WNBA return, with Armisen noting, "They haven't been a team since 2002."
"That's awesome. Portland Fire reignited. Should we get season tickets?" Brownstein then asks, before the season schedule is listed on the screen.
The Fire were the city's first WNBA team, though they played just briefly — from 2000 until it was folded in 2002.
Netflix
Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein on Portlandia
In September 2024, Portland was officially awarded a franchise — the WNBA's 15th team — and announced in July 2025 that it would be named the Portland Fire, reviving the name of the original team.
Speaking to The Oregonian, Kimberly Veale, Portland Fire's senior vice president of marketing and communications, said the team chose to use Armisen and Brownstein to "set the tone."
"We set out to do something that felt uniquely Portland, and set the tone for our debut season," she told the outlet. "Portlandia has such a strong connection to this city, and celebrating what it represents for Portland was the perfect way to unveil our schedule."
on People
Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: Entertainment
Published: January 23, 2026 at 05:36PM on Source: OPERA MAG
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