Move over Ellie the Elephant, the WNBA has a new eccentric mascot.
The Portland Fire have introduced the newest face of its franchise, Rose — a glitter-breathing dragon.
Rose made her debut at halftime on Sunday, Aug. 23 for the expansion team. She strutted around in a white jersey and bright pink Nikes at the Fire's game against the Washington Mystics, a 105-100 loss for Portland despite 27 points and 11 assists from Carla Leite and 23 points from Emily Engstler.
The Fire describe Rose as “confident, magnetic and effortlessly cool” who “embodies the spirit of Portland: bold, creative, welcoming and always ready to bring the heat.” Her name comes from one of the city’s nicknames, the Rose City, for its climate that produces massive blooms of the flower.
According to the team’s website, the dragon lived beneath Rose Quarter and stirred whenever the city came alive with gatherings and celebrations. When the WNBA returned to Portland after a 14-year hiatus, Rose was awakened. The Fire teased Rose’s arrival by placing clues around the city in the form of scorch marks and trails of glitter.
The dragon has rose pink scales, a light-up tail, glacier blue nails, a crown of roses and sports pink Nike Air Force 1s. And apparently, she breathes glitter, sending magic into the air whenever she roars.
“Rose may be a legendary dragon, but she's always down to meet Fire fans,” the Fire say on their website. “When you see her at a game, say hello, show off your sneakers, snap a photo or join her on the dance floor. Just be ready to bring the heat.”
Rose also has a in-arena lair at the Moda Center, which fans can visit. The team worked with the Pantone Color Institute to develop Rose Pink, the color covering her scales and wings. She also has her own Instagram account @itsrosethedragon.
In their first season as an expansion team, the Fire are 15-22 with seven regular season games remaining. They’re still mathematically alive for the playoff hunt, but will have win Tuesday against the Dallas Wings to keep postseason hopes alive.
Coached by Alex Sarama, a native of England who previously was an assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Fire rank third in the league in total 3-pointers made this season. Leite, who will star on the French national team next month at the FIBA World Cup, leads the team in scoring with 15.8 points and 6.3 assists per game. Bridget Carleton and Megan DiLeo are also scoring in double figures for Portland.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Meet Rose, the glitter-breathing dragon mascot of the WNBA’s Portland Fire
