It was part coming-out party, part homecoming and all celebration at Moda Center on Saturday as the WNBA's newest franchise tipped off their inaugural season.

Why it matters: The Portland Fire didn't win their first game, but that was the least of concerns for the record-setting crowd that roared with every point scored for the home team.

• "This isn't just a basketball game," forward Bridget Carleton told the crowd just before tipoff. "It's a new chapter for the city."

By the numbers: All 19,335 seats were filled — a sellout and the largest crowd for a WNBA team's inaugural game.

• The Fire held their own in the first quarter, fell behind by 17 in the second, then stormed out of halftime to rally back and tie the game at 70 in the fourth quarter before eventually falling 98-83 to the Chicago Sky.

Yes, but: It was less about winning or losing for Sara Johnson, a season ticket holder who hopped over from Vancouver for the team's first game with her husband and 9-year-old son, Connor.

• Johnson was a fan of the first iteration of the Fire, who last played in Portland in 2002, and was "heartbroken" when that team folded.

Having a team back in the city was "really cool to see," Johnson told Axios, especially for Connor, who got a wave from his favorite player, guard Sug Sutton.

• "We're really trying to teach him women's sports mean something," Johnson said, noting the loss was an expected result from an expansion team that came together less than a month ago. "They put up a really good fight."

Zoom in: Among the nearly 20,000 in attendance were Carrie Brownstein, Blazers guard Jrue Holiday, a handful of Portland Thorns players, Gov. Tina Kotek and U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden.

My thought bubble: It struck me that everything the team did on Saturday set a precedent — the team's first rebound, first steal and first bucket each carried an extra level of pressure.

• And the crowd responded immediately, roaring from the first tip to the final buzzer.
• As the Fire mounted their comeback in the third quarter, Moda was as loud as I've ever heard it at a Blazers' game.

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Sometimes you need a giant cookie. Sometimes you need two. At Koki Koki Bakehouse you'll find it hard to choose among the gourmet-style mounds that come in sophisticated flavors like feta honey thyme and yuzu pine nut.

• A once-roving pop-up from Arissara "Bow" Prapakiet and her partner Fig, the pair opened Koki Koki in the former JinJu Patisserie space on North Williams last month.
• Lines down the block and early sell outs have become commonplace in the weeks since.

Best bites: The menu centers on just one style of baked good — palm-size, pile-high cookies — but the flavors are globally inspired, skewing savory, nutty and not-too-sweet.

• The miso black sesame is studded with peanut butter chips, the hojicha shiro-an includes white bean paste and toffee bits, while the matcha ruby strawberry is a crowd pleaser with white chocolate and a floral, earthy finish.
• Paying $8-9 for a cookie might seem steep, but Prapakiet told Axios the price is justified for the high-quality ingredients she prioritizes: European-style butter with 82% butterfat (a rarity in the U.S.), premium Belgian baking chocolate and matcha she personally sources from a friend in Japan.

Meanwhile, drinks lean similarly specialty-minded — with hojicha and ceremonial-grade matcha served as lightly sweetened lattes or iced Americanos.

• Plus: Soft serve affogatos are available on weekends.

Take it from me, it's a great mid-day treat.

If you go: Koki Koki Bakehouse (4063 N Williams Avenue) is open daily at 9am.

🔐 Multnomah County's security costs have grown astronomically — from $1.6 million in 2019 to more than $12 million last year — as the county also struggles with a large budget deficit. (The Oregonian)

🚙 Offices of the Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services division are routinely forced to close due to staffing shortages because the state has struggled to fill open positions at the DMV. (Oregon Capital Chronicle)

🛳️ An Oregon oncologist stepped in to provide care after his cruise ship was struck by hantavirus, sickening many on the vessel including the ship's doctor. (KGW)

😋 Portland's fanciest Thai restaruant, Langbaan, will move into new digs later this year, taking over the former space occupied by Bar Casa Vale in inner Southeast. (The Oregonian)

The Portland metro is lagging when it comes to offering the best job opportunities for college graduates, according to a new study by payroll processor ADP.

The big picture: While the region's job market offers relatively strong wages, it has one of the slowest hiring rates and the cost of living is high, the study showed.

What they found: Researchers analyzed anonymized payroll data from more than 20,000 U.S. employers across 53 U.S. metro areas with populations of at least 1 million.

• Fast-growing Southern metros like Birmingham, Alabama, and Tampa Bay, Florida, topped the list, while Portland; San Diego; Riverside, California; and Salt Lake City, Utah, landed at the bottom.

By the numbers: The average annual wage estimate for graduates with a bachelor's degree or equivalent aged 20 to 29 in Portland is $53,800, per ADP.

• By comparison, a living wage for an adult with no children in Portland is considered to be about $58,600 according to MIT's Living Wage Calculator.

Still, Portland has seen a rise in college graduates living here, and recent income data shows that degrees pay off locally.

The bottom line: Entry-level hiring is rebounding this spring — but in a tough job market, young professionals' prospects may depend on the role, sector and location, the Wall Street Journal reports.

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