Vanja Černivec
| Portland Fire | |
|---|---|
| Position | General manager |
| League | WNBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 7, 1982 |
| Listed height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Career history | |
| 2023–24 | London Lions (General manager) |
| 2024–25 | Golden State Valkyries (Vice president of basketball operations) |
| 2025–present | Portland Fire (General manager) |
Vanja Černivec (born March 7, 1982)[1] is a Slovenian basketball executive, who has been appointed general manager of the WNBA's Portland Fire.[2]
Early life and education
Vanja Černivec is originally from Slovenia. Černivec holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations from the University of Ljubljana and a Master of Science degree in sports marketing and communications from Euroleague Basketball Institute and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.[3]
Career
Černivec spent six years working with the NBA internationally, focusing on talent identification and recruitment across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa for the NBA Academy Women’s Program, and also served as technical director for all regional and global camps with the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders platform. From 2020 to 2022, she was the Chicago Bulls’ first female international scout.[4]
Černivec began working for the London Lions of the Super League Basketball, serving two seasons as General Manager. She oversaw all basketball operations and helped build a championship program that captured the club’s first FIBA EuroCup Women’s championship, as well as back-to-back Women’s British Basketball League championships in 2023 and 2024.[3]
Portland Fire
In August 2025, Černivec was named the inaugural general manager of the Portland Fire and began working for the team on September 15, 2025.[5]
References
- ^ "Vanja Cernivec (Slovenia) - Basketball Stats, Height, Age | FIBA Basketball". FIBA. November 10, 2025. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
- ^ Pelton, Kevin (August 25, 2025). "WNBA's expansion Fire names Cernivec 1st GM". ESPN. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
- ^ a b "Portland Fire Announces Vanja Černivec as General Manager". WNBA. August 25, 2025. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
- ^ "Vanja Cernivec". Performance Institute. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
- ^ Highkin, Sean (July 23, 2025). "Portland Fire Name Vanja Černivec Franchise's First General Manager". The Rose Garden Report. Retrieved November 10, 2025.