NWSL's Thorns and WNBA's Fire stage women's sports doubleheader in Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Thorns and Fire staged a unique women's sports doubleheader Saturday in the first collaboration between the NWSL and WNBA teams.

The Thorns hosted the Utah Royals in a match between the top two teams in the National Women's Soccer League on Saturday afternoon, before the expansion Fire hosted Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in the evening.

The teams hyped Saturday’s matches, selling a ticket package to both events for $80. T-shirts were sold that exclaimed “Portland Loves Women’s Sports.”

After the Thorns played to a 2-2 draw with the Royals, midfielder Olivia Moultrie was headed straight to the Fire game, where she was hoping to exchange jerseys with Clark. But she ultimately wanted a Fire win, too.

“Obviously, this city and women’s sports, like, that’s a match made in heaven,” Moultrie said. “Honestly, I think it’s just really cool to be able to support our own team now, with the fire, awesome.”

The Fire gave Moultrie her wish with a 100-84 victory.

The Thorns and the Fire share the same owners, Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, who operate the teams under the entity Raj Sports.

“Just seeing the support that they show for both of our organizations, it means a lot. I think as just as a woman, you want that support. And just seeing where women’s basketball is going and growing and being able to know that the city’s behind us, it’s really cool,” Fire guard Sarah Ashlee Barker said.

The Thorns, who have played in Portland since 2013 as one of the founding teams of the NWSL, drew 20,053 fans. The Fire announced a sellout crowd of 19,347 at the Moda Center.

The two teams will soon share the nation’s first performance center shared by pair of professional women’s teams in different sports. The $150 million center, a repurposed former Nike facility on 12 acres west of Portland, is set to open Aug. 22.

“I hope in the future that we are always going to feel like we are one city and make sure we have two teams with one organization and one community with that,” Thorns coach Robert Vilahamn said. “So I'm very much looking forward to the collaboration.”

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Fans display a banner at an NWSL soccer match between the Portland Thorns and the Utah Royals at Providence Park in Portland, Ore., Saturday, May 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Anne M. Peterson)

Fans fill Moda Center during a WNBA basketball game between the Portland Fire and the Indiana Fever in Portland, Or., Saturday May 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Anne M. Peterson)

CHICAGO (AP) — Dennis Hull, the two-way NHL forward who starred alongside superstar older brother Bobby Hull with the Chicago Blackhawks and helped Canada win the 1972 Summit Series, died Friday night, according to brother Garry. He was 81.

Nephew Bart Hull confirmed Hull's death on social media Saturday, and the Blackhawks followed that with a statement from owner Danny Wirtz. No other details were available.

Hull played 13 of 14 seasons in the league with Chicago before one final year with the Detroit Red Wings. He appeared in five All-Star Games and was voted a second-team NHL All-Star in 1972-73.

"Dennis enjoyed a distinguished career built on his scoring ability and consistency, leaving lasting contributions not only to the Blackhawks franchise but to the game itself," Wirtz said. “Known around the league for his immense skill, toughness and intelligence, Dennis was as dominant on the ice as he was beloved off it. He often drew on his sharp wit and sense of humor to keep the locker room loose, while his warmth and humility made everyone he met feel welcome.”

While brother Bobby was excluded from playing for Canada against the Soviet Union in '72 because he was in the World Hockey Association, Dennis went and had two goals and two assists in four games, playing on a line with New York Rangers stars Jean Ratelle and Rod Gilbert.

Hull had 303 goals and 351 assists for 654 points in 959 regular-season NHL games. He had another 67 points in 104 games in the playoffs, during an era Chicago came close but never won the Stanley Cup.

Bobby Hull, the Hall of Famer known as the “Golden Jet,” died at 84 in January 2023.

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This story has been changed to correct the first name of the Blackhawks owner to Danny.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

FILE -Former Chicago Blackhawks player Dennis Hull was honored in a "One More Shift" ceremony before an NHL hockey game between the Blackhawks and the Calgary Flames on Monday Jan. 7, 2019, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Matt Marton, File)